Compressive Strength Improvement of Rigid Polyurethane Foam UsingNanoporous Graphene

A comparative study of rigid polyurethane foam (RPUF) nanocomposites based on nanoporous graphene (PG) was carried out. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observationsshoweda suitable dispersionof PG and cell size intheRPUFnanocomposites. Only 0.25wt.% loading of PG caused improvements of 83% and 85% in compressive strength and modulus respectively. These results additionally indicate that PGwork more effectively than other nanoparticles (clay, silica, and etc.) in the enhancement of mechanical propertiesof the RPUF nanocomposites.The superiority of PG over other nanoparticles can be attributed to unique twodimensional geometrical morphology and higher specific surface area, which results in a stronger interaction and the restriction of segmental motion at the interface between the PG and the RPUF matrix.

Keywords:

Rigid Polyurethane Foam , Nanoporous Graphene , Compressive Strength