Modification of the properties of a variety of polymeric materials has become crucial for many applications because of the necessity of the replacement of more expensive metals and ceramics [1]. One way to improve certain properties of polymers consists in adding nanoparticles to create a polymer-based nanohybrid.

Thermoplastic polyurethanes find application in many fields including medical and footwear industries [2]. We have used a thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer as the polymeric matrix and fumed silica nanoparticles as the dispersed phase. Mechanical, tribological and thermal properties of the nanohybrids were studied. We find that the tensile strength, the scratch resistance and thermal stability increase along the silica content. Improvement of these properties is due to the properties of the nanosilica and interactions with the polymer matrix indicating that the fumed silica nanopowder is an effective filler for the polyurethane.

References:

1. Brostow W.: Performance of Plastics, Hanser, Munich-Cincinnati, 2000.
2. Holden G., Legge N.R., Quirk R., Schroeder H.E.: Thermoplastic Elastomers, 2^nd Edition, Hanser, Munich-Cincinnati, 1996.

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1. Characterization of polyether-block-amide thermoplastic elastomer containing fumed silica nanoparticles