Preparation and performance study of polyurethane/ kaolinite nanocomposite insulation materials

Abstract

Abstract Polyurethane foam insulation materials exhibit excellent noise reduction, shock absorption and vibration damping capabilities while being cost-effective and easily moldable. They have found widespread applications in diverse fields such as automotive, machinery, packaging, insulation, healthcare and construction. However, the application range of this traditional organic material is limited by issues related to thermal stability and flame retardancy. By achieving uniform dispersion of nanoparticles, composite materials exhibit enhanced comprehensive properties in terms of flame retardancy, oxidation resistance, physicochemical stability and structural performance. Polyurethane/Kaolinite nanocomposite insulation materials were prepared by using the in situ intercalation compounding method. X-ray diffractometer, Fourier infrared spectrophotometer, thermogravimetric analyzer and scanning electron microscope were used to characterize the thermal stability of the composite material obtained under different preparation conditions and the state of the nanomaterial in the system. The results showed that the composite material with good dispersion of kaolinite in the matrix was obtained by effective surface modification through dimethyl sulfoxide. The doping of low-concentration kaolinite can improve the thermal stability of polyurethane. When the mass fraction of nano-kaolinite is 5%, the initial decomposition temperature of the composite system is 47°C higher than that of pure polyurethane and the system achieves the highest thermal stability.