Patent ID: 8865052

Claim:
A crosslinkable thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) for use in forming a desired shape by melt processing, said TPU comprising of the reaction product of (1) an unsaturated hydroxyl terminated intermediate, (2) an optional saturated hydroxyl terminated intermediate selected from a hydroxyl terminated polyether intermediate, a hydroxyl terminated polyester intermediate, a hydroxyl terminated polycarbonate intermediate, a hydroxyl terminated polycaprolactone intermediate, and mixtures thereof, (3) a polyisocyanate, and (4) a saturated glycol chain extender, wherein after being formed into a desired shape said TPU is capable of being crosslinked by exposure to e-beam radiation, gamma rays, ultra violet, and free radical generators, wherein the unsaturated hydroxyl terminated intermediate is of the structural formula: wherein A independently represents —R 1 OH and a moiety selected from the structure represented as follows: and R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 can be the same or different and represent divalent linear and branched alkylene moieties that contain from 1 to about 10 carbon atoms, R 1 can also represent a divalent ether group represented by —R 5 —O—R 5 —, wherein R 5 independently is selected from a divalent alkylene moiety containing 1 to 5 carbon atoms, the ratio of n:m ranges from about 0 to about 35, and y is an integer ranging from about 1 to about 20.