A new modification strategy for polyurethane: introduction and property analysis of maleic anhydride

Polyurethanes are widely used in many fields, and with the expansion of market demand, the improvement of their comprehensive performance through modification techniques has become a research priority. In this paper, modified polyurethane (MPU) was synthesized by reacting terminal hydroxyl polyurethane prepolymer (Pre-PU) with maleic anhydride (MA), and the effects of the introduction of MA as well as the different additions on the properties of MPU were investigated. The structure of MPU was determined using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and the water contact angle and water absorption tests showed that the hydrophilicity of MPU was significantly enhanced, and from the solvent resistance test, it was known that MPU was easy to decompose in acetone, and from the results of the differential scanning calorimeter and the heat loss analyzer, it was known that modified polyurethanes were tunable in terms of their thermal properties by adjusting the amount of MA added. The results of the study offer the possibility of expanding the application areas of polyurethane and its application in special environments.