Polyurethanes are of significant commercial importance because of wide applicability in the automobile, electronics, and textile industries. In order to prolong storage lifetime, the tracking of the degradation of raw materials is necessary. Prepolymer stability can be determined by the monitoring of isocyanate content as a function of time. A Beer's Law approach for the determination of isocyanate concentration is presented. The method utilizes attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR FTIR). Isocyanate concentration was determined using a ratio of isocyanate peak height at 2200 cm-1 to the methylene and ether peak heights at approximately 1100 cm-1 and 2850 cm-1, respectively. Results will be presented for three proprietary prepolymers, �A,� �B,� and �C,� as well as mixtures containing these prepolymers and additives, over an eight week period. The approach described here has the potential to serve as a simple method of analysis for prepolymers of varying formulas and manufacturers.

Study of prepolymer stability using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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