FOAMING EXTRUSION OF THERMOPLASTIC POLYURETHANE MODIFIED BY POSS NANOFILLERS

Thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers (TPU), having mechanical properties similar to chemically crosslinked rubbers, can be processed using extrusion or injection molding techniques. Combining extrusion with a foaming process leads to the fabrication of porous lightweight materials with novel properties. These properties can be further modified by applying additives, such as polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (FOSS). POSS are organic-inorganic hybrid nanofillers that could enhance polymer-based composites properties, e.g. mechanical properties or thermal stability. In this work, the foaming extrusion process of TPU, utilizing azodicarboxamide (ADC), sodium bicarbonate (SC) and citric acid monohydrate (CA) as blowing agents (or their mixtures) was described. TPU was modified with two kinds of POSS nanofillers: TMP DiolIsobutyl POSS (TMP POSS) and trans-Cyclohexanediol Isobutyl POSS (TC POSS) to intensify the nucleation of the foaming process and to improve the thermal properties of the TPU matrix. A suitable processing window was determined by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TG). The relations between the type of blowing agent mixture, POSS nanofillers and microstructure/thermal properties of TPU porous composites were evaluated using DSC and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The blowing agent mixtures, which produce solid residue after decomposition (ADC-CA and CA-SC), influence the nucleation process in the crystalline domains of TPU. The addition of POSS nanofillers strengthens the abovementioned effect and additionally increases the amount of pores in the extrudates, as well as enhances their shape stability.