Polymers 2010, 2(2), 31-39; doi:10.3390/polym2020031
Article

Thermal-Mechanical Properties of Polyurethane-Clay Shape Memory Polymer Nanocomposites

Bin Xu 1 email, Yong Qing Fu 1,2,* email, Wei Min Huang 3 email, Yu Tao Pei 4 email, Zhen Guo Chen 4 email, Jeff T.M. De Hosson 4 email, Arno Kraft 1 email and R. L. Reuben 1 email
1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, UK 2 School of Materials Science and Engineering, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an 710048, Shanxi, China 3 School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, 639798, Singapore 4 Department of Applied Physics, The Netherlands Materials Innovation Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 15 January 2010; in revised form: 15 April 2010 / Accepted: 22 April 2010 / Published: 26 April 2010
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Stimuli-Responsive (co)Polymers)
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Abstract: Shape memory nanocomposites of polyurethane (PU)-clay were fabricated by melt mixing of PU and nano-clay. Based on nano-indentation and microhardness tests, the strength of the nanocomposites increased dramatically as a function of clay content, which is attributed to the enhanced nanoclay–polymer interactions. Thermal mechanical experiments demonstrated good mechanical and shape memory effects of the nanocomposites. Full shape memory recovery was displayed by both the pure PU and PU-clay nanocomposites.
Keywords: shape memory; nanocomposites; polyurethane; nano-clay; Vickers indentation; microhardness

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Cite This Article

MDPI and ACS Style

Xu, B.; Fu, Y.Q.; Huang, W.M.; Pei, Y.T.; Chen, Z.G.; De Hosson, J.T.; Kraft, A.; Reuben, R.L. Thermal-Mechanical Properties of Polyurethane-Clay Shape Memory Polymer Nanocomposites. Polymers 2010, 2, 31-39.

AMA Style

Xu B, Fu YQ, Huang WM, Pei YT, Chen ZG, De Hosson JT, Kraft A, Reuben RL. Thermal-Mechanical Properties of Polyurethane-Clay Shape Memory Polymer Nanocomposites. Polymers. 2010; 2(2):31-39.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Xu, Bin; Fu, Yong Qing; Huang, Wei Min; Pei, Yu Tao; Chen, Zhen Guo; De Hosson, Jeff T.M.; Kraft, Arno; Reuben, R. L. 2010. "Thermal-Mechanical Properties of Polyurethane-Clay Shape Memory Polymer Nanocomposites." Polymers 2, no. 2: 31-39.

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