• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.208-212
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• 2009

The nano-clay is widely used in polymer-nanocomposites due to the high aspect ratio, heat resistance and nano-scale dimension. In recent researches, the thermal and mechanical properties of polyurethane foam were improved with introducing the nano-clay. In this study, we describe the influence of ultrasonic treatment and content of nano-clay on properties of polyurethane foam. The nano-clay/polyurethane foam were characterized using their recovery time, compressive deflection, cell morphology and tensile test. The ultrasonic treatment was very effective for dispersion of nano-clay. Moreover, we found that introducing over 3 wt% of nano-clay bring the decrease of properties due to the poor dispersion. Expecially, ultrasonically treated 20A/polyurethane foam(1 wt%) showed greatly improved properties, such as homogeneous cell size and good dimension stability. We expect that our results could be applied to insulating materials for construction.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.23 no.7
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• pp.366-372
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• 2013

Flexible polyurethane/clay porous nanocomposite foams were synthesized using natural and organically modified montmorillonite clays such as bentonite, closite 10A and closite 30B. The content of nanoclays was varied from 1 to 5 wt% of polyol. Dispersion of clay in Polyurethane(PU) matrix was investigated by X-ray diffraction(Cu-$K{\alpha}$ rays of wavelength $1.54{\AA}$) using an X-ray diffractometer. Also, we determined that the thermal resistance of PU foam increased with added clay, compared to that of pure PU foam. The cell size and the fraction of open cells of the precursor foam were controlled by the addition of clay to the polyurethane foam. Modified clays were found to be more efficient cell openers than the unmodified clay. In addition, the tensile strength and elongation of the polyurethane/clay porous nanocomposites were examined. Increasing clay content increased the mechanical properties of the composites, such as tensile strength, and elongation at break. However, increasing the content over 5 wt% deteriorated the properties of the composites. We found that the nanofillers(bentonite, closite 10A and closite 30B) improved the thermal stability of the nanocomposite foam. The nanocomposite foam containing 3 wt% of closite 30B exhibited the best tensile strength and thermal stability.

• Clean Technology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.11-18
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• 2006

In this study, aqueous polyurethane dispersion(PUD) was synthesized using polyhexamethylene carbonate glycol (PHMCG) as soft segment, isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) and dimethylol propionic acid (DMPA) as hard segment. Also, polyurethane/clay nanocomposites were prepared by adding pristine montmorillonite (PM) and organically modified clays, C15A and C30B into PUD. The degree of clay dispersion in the nanocomposites was investigated using XRD and the physical and thermal properties were examined through UTM and TGA. These results showed that nanocomposites with C15A gave higher physical and thermal properties than those with C30B or PM. As a result, the properties of nanocomposites were observed to vary depending on the types of clay modifiers and clay contents.

• Proceedings of the Polymer Society of Korea Conference
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• 2006.10a
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• pp.281-281
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• 2006

In this study, the polyurethane which has versatile applications has been reinforced with the natural clay, hectorite. The hectorite has better properties than montmorillonite. There are studies on polyurethane and montmorillonite but polyurethane and hectorite composite is published first time. Polyurethane is industrial polyurethane which makes the study to be applicable to the industry. Exfoliated structure has been obtained without using organic modifiers due to the hydrophilic nature of the polymer matrix and the mineral clay. Mechanical properties have been improved as well.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.15 no.7
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• pp.676-681
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• 2007

A process designed to synthesize rigid polyurethane foam (PUF) with insulative properties via the modulation of PUF cell size via the addition of clay and the application of ultrasound was assessed. The blowing agents utilized in this study include water, cyclopentane, and HFC-365mfc, all of which are known to be environmentally-friendly blowing agents. The rigid PUFs were prepared from polymeric 4,4'-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (PMDI) and polyether polyol with a density of $50kg/m^3$. In addition, rigid PUFs/clay nanocomposites were synthesized with clay modified by PMDI with and without the application of ultrasound. The PUF generated using water as a blowing agent evidenced the highest tensile strength. The tensile strength of the PUF/nanocomposites was higher than that of the neat PUF and the strength was even higher with the application of ultrasound. The cell size of the PUF/clay nanocomposites was less than that of the neat PUF, regardless of the type of blowing agent utilized. It appears that the higher tensile strength and lower cell size of the PUF/clay nanocomposites may be attributable to the uniform dispersion of the clay via ultrasonic agitation. The thermal conductivity of the PUF/clay nanocomposites generated with HCFC-141b evidenced the lowest value when PUF/clay nanocomposites were compared with other blowing agents, including HFC-365mfc, cyclopentane, and water. Ultrasound has also proven effective with regard to the reduction of the thermal conductivity of the PUF/clay nanocomposites with any of the blowing agents employed in this study. It has also been suggested that the uniformly dispersed clay particles in the PUF matrix function as diffusion barriers, which prevent the amelioration of the thermal insulation property.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.418-426
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• 2005

One-pack cross-linkable nanocomposites of waterborne methyl ethyl ketoxime (MEKO)-blocked aromatic polyurethane dispersion (BPUD) reinforced with organoclay (quaternary ammonium salt of Cloisite 25A) were synthesized by the acetone process using 4,4'-methylenedi-p-phenyl diisocyanate (MDl), poly(tetramethylene) glycol (PTMG), dimethylol propionic acid (DMPA), and methyl ethyl ketoxime (MEKO). Particle size, viscosity, and storage stability of these nanocomposites were investigated. TEM and XRD studies confirmed that the silicate layers of organophilic clay were exfoliated and intercalated at a nanometer-scale in the BPUD matrix.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.443-448
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• 2007

To improve the sound damping effect of flexible polyurethane foam, with an open-cell structure, various plate-like fillers, such as bentonite, organophilic clay and sodium montmorillonite intercalated with poly(ethylene glycol), were incorporated for the creation of nanocomposites. The plate-like fillers effectively improved the sound damping within the high frequency range. The structures of the nanocomposites and foam were examined using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The mechanical properties and flammability of the foams were also examined.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.357-367
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• 2016

This paper illustrates an experimental study on a self compacting polymer concrete called isobeton made of polyurethane foam and expanded clay. Several experiments were conducted to characterize the physic-mechanical properties of the considered material. Application of the Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM) and determining the toughness of two isobetons based on Belgian and Italian clay, was conducted to determine the stress intensity factor $K_{IC}$ and the rate of releasing energy $G_{IC}$. The material considered was tested under static and dynamic loadings for two different samples with $10{\times}10{\times}40$ and $10{\times}15{\times}40cm$ dimensions. The result obtained by the application of the Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM) shows that is optimistic and fulfilled the physic-mechanical requirement of the study.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.553-557
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• 2011

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/waterborne polyurethane (WBPU)/montmorillonite clay (MMT) nanocomposite nanofibers were prepared using electrospinning technique of aqueous solutions. Scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and thermal gravimetric analyzer were used to characterize the morphology and properties of the nanocomposite nanofibers. Since PVA, WBPU and MMT are hydrophilic, non-toxic and biocompatible materials, these nanocomposite nanofibers can be used for filter and medical industries as wound dressing materials, antimicrobial filters, etc.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.17 no.11
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• pp.856-862
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• 2009

This study examined the effects of liquid and solid additives on the morphological, mechanical and thermal insulating properties of rigid polyurethane foams (PUFs). The PUFs synthesized with tetramethylsilane (TEMS) as a liquid-type additive showed a smaller average cell size and lower thermal conductivity than those with the aerosil 200 and clay 30B as solid-type additives. When TEMS was added, the average cell size of the PUF became more uniform and finer due to the reduced surface tension of the polymer solution, which increased the nucleation rate and number of bubbles produced and reduced cell size. The PUFs with TEMS showed the highest closed cell contents among the PUFs prepared using TEMS, aerosil 200 and clay 30B. This suggests that the insulation properties of PUF can be determined by both the size of the cell structure and the amount of closed cell contents in the system. The compression and flexural strengths of the PUF increased slightly when the aerosil 200, clay 30B and TEMS were added compared those of the neat PUF. The reaction profiles of the PUFs showed a similar gel and tack tree time with the reaction time among the PUFs synthesized with three different additives and neat PUF. This suggests that the nucleating additives used in this study do not affect the bubble growth of the chemical reaction, and the additives may act as nucleating agents during the formation of PUF. From the above results of the cell size, thermal conductivity, closed cell contents and reaction profile of the PUFs, liquid-type nucleating agent, such as TEMS, is more effective in decreasing the thermal conductivity of the PUF than solid-type nucleating agent, such as aerosil 200 and clay 30B.