Preparation and characterization of waterborne polyurethane/attapulgite nanocomposites

In this paper, waterbrone polyurethane (WPU)/attapulgite (AT) nanocomposites have been prepared by direct emulsion blending. The WPU was synthesized from poly(tetramethylene glycol), 4,4-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, dimethylol butanic acid, and neutralized by triethylamine. SEM examination of fractured surfaces showed that AT particles were irregularly dispersed in the WPU matrix. FTIR analysis suggested no major chemical structural changed in the presence of a small amount of AT. DMA results showed that the storage modulus of WPU/AT nanocomposites was increased and the glass transition temperatures of both soft and hard segments shifted to higher temperature compared to the pristine WPU. Thermal resistance of the samples measured by TGA was improved with the addition of AT. The mechanical properties of the nanocomposites, examined by tensile tests, showed higher tensile strength and elongation at break than that of the pristine WPU. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.