Fabrication and Characterization of Polyurethane/ Graphene Composite: Study on Conductivity and Thermal Properties

Abstract

This study investigated the potential of graphene for improvement of properties of thermoplastic polyurethane (PU) composites in sight of thermal property, electrical conductivity, hardness, gel content and bonding spectra (FTIR). Polyurethane/graphene (PU/G) composites were synthesized by exfoliating graphene with DMF and then blending it with PEG and IPDI via in-situ addition polymerization with varying graphene concentrations (0–0.18 wt %), resulting in uniform dispersion and partial exfoliation of graphene-sheets in PU matrix. The PU/G synthesis was analyzed by IR spectra analysis, which revealed apparent urethane connections and hydrogen bonding. Glass transition temperature (T_g) property of PU exceeded by around 55 % with the addition of graphene, and it improved steadily as graphene concentration increased. 7B pencil hardness replicated the hardness of the PU/G2, indicating an improvement in hardness. The inclusion of graphene had less of an influence on the gel content of PU, with a proof showing that all of the results gel content was between 80 – 90 %. With the addition of 0.088 % graphene to PU, the electric conductivity improved to 76 %. The composite's conductivity was improved due to graphene's capacity to conduct electricity and the covalent link between PU and graphene.