Production of “Green” Thermoplastic Polyurethanes from Decamethylene Sebacate‐co‐Isosorbide Copolymers

Abstract

Long‐chain aliphatic copolyesters based on sebacic acid (SA) and isosorbide (IS), of renewable origin, are synthesized by a “green” and sustainable route, without the use of solvents, for the synthesis of polyurethanes (PUs). The polyesters are characterized by size exclusion chromatography (SEC), proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetry (TG). ¹H NMR and FTIR analyses confirm the production of copolyesters with the incorporation of IS, while SEC indicates that the addition of IS to copolyesters decreases the molecular weights. The results suggest the formation of random copolymers in the presence of IS, which makes the polymer chains more rigid. The formation of PUs by the reaction of copolyesters with 1,8‐diisocyanatooctane is confirmed by FTIR. Thermal behavior is compatible with thermoplastic processing and use in different biomedical applications.