Characterization of petroleum-based and bio-based polyurethane phase change materials with different chain extenders

The research data pertain to the crystal structure, chemical structure, thermal stability, thermal energy storage possibilities, and phase transitions in polyurethanes. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to determine the crystallinity and crystallographic planes present in polyethylene glycols and the resulting materials. FTIR analysis was used to determine the degree of reaction and the chemical structure of the materials obtained and used. Based on the obtained results, the indices of bonded and unbonded carbonyl groups in polyurethanes were determined, which allowed for the determination of the degree of phase separation and the degree of phase mixing. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) allowed for the determination of phase transition characteristics in terms of melting and crystallization temperatures as well as the values of the latent heat of phase transitions and supercooling effect. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) allowed for the determination of polyurethane decomposition and the tracking of the thermal decomposition of successive segments of the polymer chain.