Polyurethane nanocomposites with organoclay

Abstract

The properties of polyurethane (PU) nanocomposites with organoclay have been compared in terms of their thermo-mechanical properties, morphology, and gas permeability. Hexadecylamine-montmorillonite (C-16-MMT) was used as an organoclay to make PU hybrid films. The properties were investigated as a function of organoclay content (1-4 wt%) in the PU matrix. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) photographs showed that most clay layers were dispersed homogeneously into the matrix polymer in nano-scale, although some particles of clay were agglomerated. We also found that the addition of only a small amount of organoclay was enough to improve the thermal stabilities and mechanical properties of PU hybrid films while gas permeability was reduced. Even at low organoclay content (<5 wt%), the PU nanocomposite showed much better thermo-mechanical properties, and lower gas permeability than pure PU.