The Synthesis of Low-Viscosity Organotin-Free Moisture-Curable Silane-Terminated Poly(Urethane-Urea)s

This work explores the possibility of synthesizing moisture-curable silane-terminated poly(urethane-urea)s (SPURs) of low viscosity. First, NCO-terminated urethane prepolymers were prepared, followed by silane end-capping. The impact of polyol molecular weight and the ratio of isocyanate to polyol (NCO/OH) on viscosity and the properties of SPUR were examined. As alternatives to the organotin catalysts traditionally used for the polyurethane synthesis and curing processes, bismuth carboxylate catalysts were evaluated. In addition, the effect of organofunctional groups in the aminosilane structure (R1⁻NH⁻R2⁻Si(OR3)₃), i.e., R1 (alkyl, aryl or trimethoxysilyl-propyl), the spacer R2 (α or γ) and alkyl group R3 (methyl or ethyl), was examined. The chemical and physical structures of the SPUR were investigated by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and the mechanical properties were evaluated by tensile tests. The results reveal that silane-terminated, moisture-curable polyurethanes can be successfully synthesized and cured with bismuth carboxylate catalysts. SPUR exhibiting low viscosity, with adequate tensile strength and elongation can be prepared using environmentally benign bismuth carboxylate catalyst having a high metal content of 19%⁻21%, by utilizing secondary aminosilane end-cappers and an optimal combination of the polyol molecular weight and NCO/OH ratio.