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Multi-Scale Hydrogen Bonding and Microphase Separation Synergistically Engineered Polyurethane-Polyurea (PU-PUa) as
Hao Wu1, Xiaobao Chen1, Yi Chi1,2
1School of Civil Engineering, Central South University, 22 South Shaoshan Rd., Changsha 410075, China.
Polymers
|July 28, 2026
Summary
This study introduces a new polyurethane-polyurea (PU-PUa) pavement binder designed for resilient infrastructure. The novel material offers tunable mechanical properties and enhanced durability, addressing the need for sustainable construction materials.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Civil Engineering
Background:
- Modern infrastructure demands pavement materials with improved resilience, stability, and adaptability to extreme climatic events.
- Existing pavement binders often lack the necessary durability and environmental responsiveness for next-generation sustainable infrastructure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and synthesize a novel polyurethane-polyurea (PU-PUa) copolymer as a high-performance pavement binder.
- To investigate the structure-property relationships, focusing on nanoscale microphase separation and hydrogen-bonding networks.
- To evaluate the binder's mechanical performance, workability, and environmental adaptability for pavement applications.
Main Methods:
- One-step synthesis of PU-PUa copolymer using aliphatic isocyanate, polyaspartic ester, polytetramethylene ether glycol, and 1,4-butanediol.
- Characterization using FTIR, DSC, and DMA to analyze chemical structure, phase separation, and thermal-mechanical properties.
- Performance evaluation including rheology, contact angle goniometry, curing kinetics, hardness, adhesion, and tensile testing.
Main Results:
- The PU-PUa binder exhibits controlled nanoscale phase separation and a hierarchical hydrogen-bonding network.
- Tunable properties were achieved by adjusting soft segment content (SSC), influencing viscosity, surface hydrophobicity, and curing kinetics.
- Demonstrated excellent mechanical properties: high hardness (>80 Shore A), strong aggregate adhesion (>2 MPa), and tailored tensile performance (90-161% elongation, 6.4-17.8 MPa strength).
Conclusions:
- The molecular-to-macroscopic design strategy successfully yielded a PU-PUa copolymer with superior and tunable performance.
- This novel binder offers enhanced resilience, durability, and processing workability, making it suitable for sustainable pavement infrastructure.
- The PU-PUa binder represents a promising advancement for developing next-generation resilient pavement materials.
