The effect of monomer structure on the adhesive properties of thermally reversible isocyanate polymers

The benefits of thermally reversible polymers derives from their structure; they dissociate into much lower molecular weight components when heated above a critical temperature and reform into a polymer when cooled below that temperature. This allows them to flow at a modestly elevated temperature, while exhibiting good strength, adhesion, solvent resistance at lower temperatures. Such polymers can be used as hot melt adhesives that combine the best features of both thermoplastics and thermosets. They can be reheated repeatedly, while producing a crosslinked network at ambient conditions. The properties of reversible isocyanate polymers depend on the structure of the monomers incorporated into the polymer backbone. This paper summarizes the influence of several polyester based monomers on the adhesive characteristics of the resulting polymer.