Polyurethane/amino‐grafted multiwalled carbon nanotube nanocomposites: Microstructure, thermal, mechanical, and rheological properties

Abstract

ABSTRACTA mixture of two different polyols, (polytetramethylene ether glycol and polydimethylsiloxane), were employed to synthesize a new structure of polyurethane (PU) with methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) and 1,4‐butanediol as chain extender. PU nanocomposites containing variable amount (0.3, 0.5, 1, and 3 wt %) of amino‐grafted multiwalled carbon nanotubes (NH2‐MWNT) were prepared via in situ polymerization. The dispersion of NH2‐MWNT into polymer matrix was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR) confirmed the urethane‐urea chemical bonding between the PU chains and the NH2‐MWNT. Thermal stabilities of the nanocomposites were examined with thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and the results indicated a remarkable improvement with increasing NH2‐MWNT contents. The results of dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) including storage modulus (E′) and glass transition temperature (Tg), as well as tensile properties demonstrated that the yield strength, strain‐at‐break, and young modulus were enhanced by increasing NH2‐MWNT content. Rheological behavior including complex viscosity and storage and loss moduli of the PU nanocomposites improved with increasing NH2‐MWNT loading, as well. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 44411.