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This paper describes the effect of multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on the properties, especially the strength properties of rigid polyurethane (PU) foams produced from palm oil based polyol (POP) and methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI). The foam composites in the ratio of 1:1.1 (wt. %) mixed at speed 2000 rpm. The addition of MWCNTs into PU foam are varies from 0 wt. % to 3 wt. %. The properties evaluated were compressive strength, density and energy absorption. Compressive strength of PU foam composites with 0.5% of MWCNTs showed the highest value 1.162 MPa of compressive strength compared to other foam composites. It was proved by modeling displacement nodal magnitude using NX Software (version 8.5). The density was increased 15.69 % with addition of 0.5 % MWCNTs into the PU foam. Increasing the amount of MWCNTs in PU foam was found to improve the energy absorption from 22.89 J for pure PU to 24.53 J for foam composites with 3 % MWCNTs.

This research studied the effect of sodium bicarbonate content on the properties of epoxy. Sodium bicarbonate (SB) was used as foaming agent to improve the properties of thermosetting epoxy resin. The samples of epoxy foam were produced using mixing method. Sodium bicarbonate was selected as blowing agent by reason of the environmental friendly and low cost concern. Mechanical, physical and morphology properties were done. Sodium bicarbonate content was varied at 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 part per hundred (phr), respectively. It can be highlighted that the optimum content of the SB was selected at 15 phr and it gave the moderate porosity percentage (%), and moderate value in mechanical and density properties, higher SB content exhibited lower flexural properties.

Polymer nanocomposites have a great interest because of special properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as excellent for mechanical, chemical, electrical and thermal properties. CNTs are categorized as single walled nanotubes (SWCNTs) and multi walled nanotubes (MWCNTs). The largest challenge is how to achieve uniform distribution of CNTs within the polymer matrix due to CNTs tend to agglomerated because of their hydrophobic nature. The resulted from CNTs bundles or aggregates reduced the mechanical performance of the final polymer nanocomposites. The surface of the CNTs must be modifiy to reduce the hydrophobicity and improved the interfacial adhesion to a bulk polymer. This paper reviewed the two (2) treatments of CNTs such as physical methods and chemical methods to obtain a better dispersion and enhance the CNTs properties in polymer nanocomposites.

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