Dispersion and reinforcing effect of carrot nanofibers on biopolyurethane foams

In this study, carrot nanofibers (CNF) were used to enhance the performance of biobased castor oil polyol polyurethane nanocomposite foams. A method of dispersing CNF in the polyol was developed and the foam characteristics and CNF reinforcing effect were studied. Co-solvent-assisted mixing resulted in well-dispersed CNF in the polyol, and foams with 0.25, 0.5 and 1 phr CNF content were prepared. The reinforced nanocomposite foams displayed a narrow cell size distribution and the compressive strength and modulus were significantly elevated and the best compressive strength and modulus were reached with 0.5 phr CNF. Similarly, the modulus of the solid material was also significantly increased based on theoretical calculations. When comparing the foam performance, compressive strength and stiffness as a function of the density, the nanocomposite foams performs as commercial rigid PU foam with a closed cell structure. These results are very promising and we believe that these foams are excellent core materials for lightweight sandwich composites. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.