Thermal properties of polyurethane binder with 2‐(ferrocenylpropyl)dimethylsilane‐grafted hydroxyl‐terminated polybutadiene

We synthesized a ferrocene‐based burning rate catalyst, 2‐(ferrocenylpropyl) dimethylsilane (FPDS). FPDS‐grafted hydroxyl‐terminated polybutadiene (FPDS‐ g ‐HTPB) was synthesized using hydrosilylation with a Pt catalyst. The structures of FPDS and FPDS‐ g ‐HTPB were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance. HTPB‐based polyurethanes were prepared from HTPB, 6‐hexamethylenediisocyanate (HDI), and HDI‐trimer. Polyurethane network was prepared with an (NCO)/(OH) ratio of 1.05 and an [isocyanate trimer]/[total NCO] ratio of 0.3 then subjected to accelerated aging at 80°C. The thermal behaviors of the polyurethane network were compared using differential scanning calorimetry and thermal gravity analysis. The glass transition temperatures ( T g ) of HTPB and FPDS‐ g ‐HTPB were −76°C and −47°C, respectively. The value of T g for the networked polyurethane was not influenced by HDI‐trimer content but by FPDS content. The decomposition temperature of the neat HTPB‐based polyurethane network was lower than that of the FPDS‐ g ‐HTPB‐based polyurethane networks. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011