Integrated Computational and Experimental Design of Ductile, Abrasion-Resistant Thermoplastic Polyurethane/Graphene Oxide Nanocomposites

Abstract

Polymer nanocomposites are widely studied for improving and developing novel materials. Incorporation of nanofillers in polymer matrices impart strong behavioral changes, with the extent of dispersion of fillers in polymers playing a key role. This not only limits the amount of filler one can incorporate but also often leads to enhancement of some material properties at the expense of others. Herein, for the first time, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposites with improved abrasion resistance and ductility are produced by integrating mesoscale modeling and a solvent-free continuous and upscalable extrusion process. The role of GO in hard segment crystallization is established via dissipative particle dynamics simulations, which then informs processing in twin-screw extrusion involving extensional mixing elements to achieve desired deagglomeration and dispersion of GO. This approach allows a tough yet highly ductile composite suitable for high abrasion resistant applications to be produced. In comparison with composites obtained from conventional processing, ductility improved by more than 300%, strength increased by 80%, toughness enhanced by more than 500%, and abrasion resistance improved by 45%. Insights into the gradient of TPU hard block crystallinity, role of deagglomeration, and phase separation are also discussed.

Enhanced thermally conductive TPU/graphene filaments for 3D printing produced by melt compounding

“…14 Due to its copolymer structure, TPU presents thermoplastic behavior with thermoset characteristics, that is, TPU has polyol soft segments, which give flexibility to the polymer, and polyisocyanates hard segments, which arrange themselves between chains and act as physical crosslinkers. 15 There is not, however, a wide offer of commercially available FDM 3D printing filaments with both flexibility and electrical/thermal conductivity. Few products are available, for example, filaments manufactured for 3D printing loaded with carbonaceous nanostructures, such as GNPs or CNTs, but most are still very focused on optimizing only the mechanical properties.…”

“…From the polymers compatible with FDM 3D printing, and taking into account the desired flexibility of the final material, TPU has satisfactory mechanical properties (good toughness, characteristic of rubbery materials), and is mostly considered a biocompatible material, which allows its use in the production of wearable devices, soft robotics, and wearable sensors for extended biosignal uptake 14 . Due to its copolymer structure, TPU presents thermoplastic behavior with thermoset characteristics, that is, TPU has polyol soft segments, which give flexibility to the polymer, and polyisocyanates hard segments, which arrange themselves between chains and act as physical crosslinkers 15 …”

High-Performance, Lightweight, and Flexible Thermoplastic Polyurethane Nanocomposites with Zn2+-Substituted CoFe2O4 Nanoparticles and Reduced Graphene Oxide as Shielding Materials against Electromagnetic Pollution

“…Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) exhibits excellent mechanical characteristics (tensile strength: ∼58 MPa, elongation at break: ∼1400%, Young’s modulus: ∼5–7 MPa, hardness (Shore A ∼72), durability, resistance against chemicals, environmental friendliness, etc. ). − Thermoplastic polyurethane-based EMI shielding materials have several benefits including lightweight, flexibility, easy processability, and resistance to corrosion . Recently, thermoplastic polyurethane has been utilized as a matrix for various nanofillers to develop electromagnetic interference shielding nanocomposites.…”

Tailored growth of graphene oxide liquid crystals with controlled polymer crystallization in GO-polymer composites

“…[4][5][6][7][8] GO can be easily dispersed in polar solvents, including water, and is known to exhibit liquid crystallinity. [9][10][11][12] Good dispersity and the ability to form LC has enabled GO to be a good candidate as an effective nanofiller compared to other carbon materials. Therefore, one of the most attractive applications of GO is GO-based polymer nanocomposites, where GOs are employed as effective nanofillers enhancing the physical properties of the neat polymer matrix based on its large surface area and functionality.…”

“…For example, Danda et al reported improved ductility for thermoplastic polyurethane/GO nanocomposites. 10 Kim et al reported a CNT/PVA nanocomposite in the presence of GO; the GO additives effectively facilitate the structure of an interconnected CNT network in PVA and thus CNT/GO/PVA nanocomposites exhibit higher mechanical properties than CNT/PVA nanocomposites. 9 In these applications, crystalline polymers can be additionally considered as they generally provide superior physical properties than amorphous polymers.…”