Physical characterization of polyurethanes reinforced with the in situ-generated silica-polyphosphate nano-phase

A series (SPUN) of segmented polyurethanes reinforced with the in situ-generated sodium silica-polyphosphate nano-phase (SSP) was characterized by thermogravimetry, differential calorimetry, wide-angle and small-angle X-ray diffraction and stress–strain relationships. Cross-over from the rubber-like to the solid-like mechanical behavior of the SPUN above the apparent percolation threshold w ≈ 40% was considered as evidence for the onset of the “infinite clusters” of SSP nano-domains spanning the entire volumes of initial (i.e., undeformed) samples. The infinite clusters of SSP nano-domains crossed over from the mass fractal-like to the surface fractal-like behavior at the composition-dependent, characteristic X-ray scattering vectors q*. A continuous nano-phase of the polyurethane coexisting with a continuous nano-phase (infinite cluster) of the SSP is likely to be expanded due to the “negative pressure” effect.