Numerous articles have been published and patents granted concerning polyurethanes. For example, polyurethane ionomers were produced by incorporating ionic centers into linear polyurethanes, D. Dieterich, W. Keberle, and H. Witt, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 9, 40 (1970). Thus, sultones (zwitterion ammoniosulfonates) can be converted into cationic ionomers by quaternization, D. Dieterich and O. Bayer, Brit. Pat. No. 1078202, Farbhenfabriken Bayer, and into anionic ionomers by reaction with bases, W. Keberle and D. Dieterich, Brit. Pat. No. 1076688, Farbenfabriken Bayer.
Polyurethane ionomers have been reported to possess improved mechanical properties primarily because of more effective phase separation of hard and soft segments and increased domain cohesion of hard segments, see D. Dieterich, W. Keberle, and H. Witt, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 9, 40 (1970); K. K. S. Hwang, C. S. Yang, and S. L. Cooper, Polym, Eng. Sci., 21, 1027 (1981); C. Z. Yang, K. K. S. Hwang, and S. L. Cooper, Makromol. Chem., 184, 651 (1983); J. A. Miller, K. K. S. Hwang, and S. L. Cooper, J. Macromol. Sci.-Phys. B22, 321 (1983); J. A. Miller, K. K. S. Hwang, C. Z. Yang, and S. L. Cooper, J. Elast. Plast., 15, 174 (1983); K. K. S. Hwang, T. A. Speckhard, and S. L. Cooper, J. Macromol. Sci.-Phys., B23, 153 (1984); and T. A. Speckhard, K. K. S. Hwang, C. Z. Yang, W. R. Laupan, and S. L. Cooper, J. Macromol. Sci.-Phys., B23, 175 (1984).
The above patents and articles, however, lack any teaching of the use of nitrogen containing salts as reinforcing agents in polurethane compositions or as being incorporated therein.