Hydrolytic degradation behavior of biodegradable polyetheresteramide-based polyurethane copolymers.

In this article, a new kind of biodegradable polyetheresteramide-based polyurethane (PEEA-U) copolymers were prepared by the melt polycondensation method from epsilon-caprolactone, 6-aminocaproic acid, poly(ethylene glycol), and toluene diisocyanate. The water absorption of PEEA-U was affected strongly by the reaction time and the content of chain extender; and the hydrolytic degradation behavior of the copolymers was mainly determined by the reaction time, chain extender content, and the pH value of the degradation medium. Also, DSC, (1)H-NMR, and inherent viscosity were used to characterize the degradation behavior of the copolymers.