Mechanical Properties of Palm Oil Polyol based Polyurethane Foam Reinforced Wollastonite Clay

Abstract

The palm oil polyol based polyurethane (PU) foam reinforced wollastonite clay was prepared to study the effects of wollastonite clay addition towards the mechanical properties of PU foam. The palm oil polyol based PU foam with NCO: OH ratio of 1:1.22 was synthesized by mixing palm oil-based polyol, p-MDI, DMCHA, PMDETA, distilled water and incorporation of different amount of wollastonite clay powder (1, 3, 5 and 7 wt%). The FTIR analysis showed the absence of NCO peak at 2280 cm−1 suggesting the complete conversion of isocyanates into urethane during the mixing process. Based on FESEM/EDX, it was found that the wollastonite clay were fitted into the PU matrix, whereby SEM showed an open cell structure of PU foam reinforced wollastonite clay. The density of PU foam reinforced wollastonite clay is increased as the amount of clay reinforcement is increased. This is due to the high viscosity of the mixture which hinder the foam from rising and hence produced a denser foam, thus reduced the pore sizes. Hence, the compressive strength increased as the density and wollastonite weight percentage in the foam is increased.