Preparation and properties of a novel elastomeric polyurethane/organic montmorillonite nanocomposite

A novel elastomeric polyurethane (EPU)/organic montmorillonite (OMMT) nanocomposite has been synthesized. 18 Alkane-3 methyl-amine chloride and dihydroxethyl-12 alkane-3 methyl-amine chloride were used as intercalation agents to treat Na+-montmorillonite and for forming two kinds of OMMTs. The better OMMT was chosen according to fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD). Three types of EPU/OMMT nanocomposites were synthesized by in situ polymerization of EPU, with different amounts of OMMT. A combination of FTIR, WAXD, and transmission electronic microscopy (TEM) studies showed that EPU/ OMMT composites were on the nanometer scale and the segmented structure of EPU was hindered by the presence of the OMMT, due to the reaction between toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and the intercalation agents. Properties such as tensile property, differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were researched and compared. Results showed that the EPU/3% OMMT had the best physical and mechanical properties because of its uniform dispersion of the organic silicate layers. (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.