Transparent materials with robust mechanical properties are essential for numerous applications and require careful manipulation of polymer chemistry. Here, polyurethane (PU) and acrylic‐based copolymers out of styrene were utilized to synthesize transparent PU–acrylic graft‐interpenetrating polymer networks (graft‐IPNs) for the first time. In these materials, PU imparts greater flexibility, while the acrylic copolymer increases rigidity and glass transition temperature of the graft‐IPNs. Kinetics of the graft‐IPN synthesis was monitored using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and ¹H NMR spectroscopy through the conversion of the isocyanate group. System compatibility, degree of phase separation and material transparency were evaluated using transmission electron microscopy and UV–visible spectroscopy. Overall, higher compatibility is observed at a higher percentage of styrene in the acrylate copolymer. The thermomechanical properties of the IPNs were quantified using dynamic mechanical analysis to assess the effect of the acrylic copolymer content on fracture toughness of the resulting graft‐IPNs. The high fracture toughness of the graft‐IPNs, coupled with excellent transparency, demonstrates the potential of these systems for high‐performance applications. © 2020 Society of Industrial Chemistry

中文翻译：

---

高断裂韧性丙烯酸-聚氨酯基接枝互穿聚合物网络，用于透明应用

具有强大机械性能的透明材料对于许多应用来说都是必不可少的，并且需要对聚合物化学进行仔细的操作。在这里，首次使用苯乙烯（苯乙烯）中的聚氨酯（PU）和丙烯酸类共聚物来合成透明的PU-丙烯酸接枝互穿聚合物网络（graft-IPNs）。在这些材料中，PU赋予了更大的柔韧性，而丙烯酸共聚物提高了接枝IPN的刚度和玻璃化转变温度。使用傅立叶变换红外光谱法和¹通过异氰酸酯基团的转化进行1 H NMR光谱分析。使用透射电子显微镜和紫外可见光谱法评估了系统兼容性，相分离度和材料透明度。总的来说，在丙烯酸酯共聚物中较高的苯乙烯含量下观察到较高的相容性。使用动态力学分析来量化IPN的热机械性能，以评估丙烯酸共聚物含量对所得接枝IPN断裂韧性的影响。移植IPN的高断裂韧性以及出色的透明性证明了这些系统在高性能应用中的潜力。©2020工业化学学会