On the role of TiO2 nanoparticles on thermal behavior of flexible polyurethane foam sandwich panels

Abstract

A series of flexible polyurethane foam (FPUF) and monolithic polyurethane (PU) sandwich panels reinforced with different contents of TiO2 nanoparticles (0, 0.5 and 1 mass%) have been successfully prepared by compression molding process at room temperature. The influence of TiO2 nanoparticles on the thermal properties of PU matrix has been investigated by thermogravimetric and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA). The morphology of porous structure of FPUF sandwich panels has been characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The presence of TiO2 nanoparticles as reinforcement has improved the thermal properties of the FPUF and PU sandwich panel samples. It has been observed that FPUF and PU sandwich panel reinforced with 1 mass% of TiO2 nanoparticles possessed the highest enhancement in thermal properties in all accomplished thermal tests. The DMTA results for the FPUF and PU sandwich panel reinforced with 1 mass% of TiO2 nanoparticles indicated that the storage modulus and loss modulus have increased about 1.22 and 1.25 times, 1.5 and 1.55 times, respectively, compared to pure samples. Furthermore, the glass transition (T g) obtained from the damping factor (tanδ) curves has increased 2 and 1 °C for FPUF and PU sandwich panels, respectively.