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Preparation, structure, and properties of polyurethane foams modified by nanoscale titanium dioxide with three different dimensions

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Wuhan University Journal of Natural Sciences

Abstract

TiO2-based nanosheets (TiNSs), TiO2-based nanotubes (TiNTs) were prepared by hydrothermal processing, and polyurethane foams with TiO2 nanopowders (P25), TiNSs and TiNTs were synthesized by free-rising foaming method. The Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra show that the addition of titanium dioxide does not affect the chemical structure of polyurethane foam. However, microscope observations show that PU/TiNSs composite foams have more uniform cells and the average aperture smaller than that of pure polyurethane foams. According to the results of thermal analysis, the PU/TiNSs composite foams have better thermal stability, the temperature of decompostion occurring with a maximum weight loss rate is about 30 °C higher than that of pure PU foams. The decompostion temperatures are 167 °C and 148 °C for the PU/P25 composite foams and the PU/TiNTs composite foams respectively, which are lower than that of pure PU foams. Moreover, with the addition of the fillers, the sound absorption property also has changed; the addition of TiNSs improved the sound absorbing property efficiently. The better thermal stability and sound absorption of PU/TiNSs composite foams are mainly due to the uniform cells diffuse and smaller aperture.

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Correspondence to Pengfei Fang.

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Foundation item: Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21174108) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (20102020201000017).

Biography: HE Lijuan, female, Master candidate, research direction: advance functional materials.

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He, L., Liu, F., Liu, T. et al. Preparation, structure, and properties of polyurethane foams modified by nanoscale titanium dioxide with three different dimensions. Wuhan Univ. J. Nat. Sci. 17, 377–382 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11859-012-0858-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11859-012-0858-8

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