Small-angle neutron scattering of short-segment block polymers

Small-angle neutron scattering has been used to investigate the chain conformation of the hard and soft segments in short-segment polyether-polyester and polyether-polyurethane materials. The method of phase-contrast matching was used to eliminate the coherent neutron scattering due to the two-phase microstructure in these materials. The partial deuterolabelling necessary for this technique also provides a neutron scattering contrast between labelled and unlabelled segments. The structure factor for each segment type is determined from the coherent scattering from such deuterolabelled materials. In all of the materials examined, the poly(tetramethylene oxide) (PTMO) soft segment was found to be in a slightly extended conformation relative to bulk PTMO at room temperature. Upon heating, the PTMO segments contracted to a more relaxed conformation. In one polyether-polyurethane sample, the radius of gyration of the PTMO segment increased again at high temperatures, indicating phase mixing. The hard-segment radii of gyration in the polyether-polyester materials were found to increase with temperature, indicating a transition from a chain-folded conformation at room temperature to a more extended conformation at higher temperatures. The radius of gyration of the whole polyether-polyester chain first decreased then increased with temperature, indicative of the combined effects of the component hard- and soft-segment chain conformation changes. The hard-segment radius of gyration in a polyether-polyurethane was observed to decrease with temperature.