Effects of organically modified clay nanoparticles on the properties of poly(urethane-siloxane) nanocomposites

Abstract

Series of poly(urethane-siloxane) nanocomposites (PUSN) was synthesized based on 4,4'-methylenediphenyldiisocyanate and 1,4-butanediol as the comonomers of the hard segments and poly(propyleneoxide)-b-poly(dimethylsiloxane)-b-poly(propyleneoxide) as the part of the soft segments. The effect of the addition of nanoparticles of organomodified clay (Cloisite 30B*) on thermal, mechanical, surface and morphological properties of these PUSNs was investigated. TGA analysis confirmed that the addition of clay nanoparticles in the amount of only 1 wt. % leads to an improvement C. Modulus of elasticity and tensile strength were also increased after the reinforcement of poly(urethane-siloxane) matrix with clay nanoparticles. XPS analysis confirmed the presence of a large quantity of Si atomon the surface of the films, which is why these PUSNs exhibit extremely high surface hydrophobicity. TEM analysis revealed homogeneous dispersion of clay nanoparticles and existance of mixed intercalary-exfoliated morphology within the structure of PUSNs.