Abstract
In order to control the hydrolyzability and biodegradability of polyurethane, poly(carbonate/ester-urethane)s containing the lactide oligomer were prepared and their hydrolyzabilities were evaluated. Poly(tetramethylene carbonate/lactide-urethane)s (PC/LU), poly(lactide-urethane) and poly(tetramethylene carbonate-urethane) were synthesized by the polymerization of hexamethylene diisocyanate with the oligo(tetramethylene carbonate) diol and oligolactide diol at different feed ratios. The PC/LUs were ydrolyzed in alkaline solution and the PC/LU containing the oligocarbonate tended to show a resistance to hydrolysis. As for the enzymatic degradation, the PC/LU with a higher oligolactide content was more readily degraded by proteinase K in an aqueous solution. On the other hand, the PC/LU with a high oligocarbonate content was readily degraded by the immobilized lipase in anisole.
