Enhancement in thermal and mechanical properties of polyurethane foam infused with nanoparticles

Nanotechnology is presently seen as one of the most promising approaches in the field of materials science towards the development of advanced materials for future engineering applications. Recent and ongoing researches on polymer/inorganic nanocomposite have shown dramatic enhancements in thermal, mechanical and chemical properties over the neat polymer without compromising density, toughness, and processibility. This study investigates the effects of different types of nanoparticles on thermal and mechanical performance of rigid polyurethane (PUR) foam. Three different types of nanoparticles, namely spherical TiO2, platelet nanoclay, and rod-shaped carbon nanofibers (CNFs) are considered. A sonication technique is used to disperse the nanoparticles into part-A of the PUR foam precursor followed by mechanical mixing into part-B and then the whole mixture is poured into a preheated aluminum mold and cured inside the oven. In all cases only 1 wt.% nanoparticles are used, and have found significant thermal and mechanical properties enhancement of the nanophased foam. Among nanoparticles, CNFs infused PUR foam shows maximum enhancement, whereas TiO2 infused PUR foam shows the minimum.