Preparation and shape memory performance of ionic liquid modified graphene/thermoplastic polyurethane composites

Abstract

The surface of graphene was functionalized with 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ionic liquid. Ionic liquid modified graphene(IG)/ thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer (TPU) composites were prepared by filling IG into TPU by solution blending method. The effect of IG content on the shape memory properties of IG / TPU composites was investigated. The results showed that pure TPU did not show light response shape memory performance, and there was almost no recovery under laser irradiation. The addition of IG could significantly improve the light response shape memory performance of IG / TPU composites, and with the increase of IG mass fraction, the shape recovery was accelerated, and the shape memory performance of the composites was better. When the mass fraction of IG was 0.5%, its shape memory performance reached the best, and the recovery angle could reach 123.7° after laser irradiation for 2.0 s, which was 99.4° higher than that of pure TPU.

Keywords

• graphene
• ionic liquid
• polyurethane elastomer
• composite
• shape memory