Comprehensive Analysis of the Influence of Expanded Vermiculite on the Foaming Process and Selected Properties of Composite Rigid Polyurethane Foams
Mateusz Barczewski,
Maria Kurańska,
Kamila Sałasińska,
Joanna Aniśko,
Joanna Szulc,
Izabela Szafraniak-Wiza,
Aleksander Prociak,
Krzysztof Polaczek,
Katarzyna Uram,
Karolina Surmacz,
Adam Piasecki
Affiliations
Mateusz Barczewski
Institute of Materials Technology, Poznan University of Technology, Piotrowo 3, 61-138 Poznan, Poland
Maria Kurańska
Department of Chemistry and Technology of Polymers, Cracow University of Technology, Warszawska 24, 31-155 Cracow, Poland
Kamila Sałasińska
Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Wołoska 141, 02-507 Warsaw, Poland
Joanna Aniśko
Institute of Materials Technology, Poznan University of Technology, Piotrowo 3, 61-138 Poznan, Poland
Joanna Szulc
Faculty of Chemical Technology and Engineering, Bydgoszcz University of Technology, Seminaryjna 3, 85-326 Bydgoszcz, Poland
Izabela Szafraniak-Wiza
Institute of Materials Engineering, Faculty of Materials Engineering and Technical Physics, Poznan University of Technology, Piotrowo 3, 61-138 Poznan, Poland
Aleksander Prociak
Department of Chemistry and Technology of Polymers, Cracow University of Technology, Warszawska 24, 31-155 Cracow, Poland
Krzysztof Polaczek
Department of Chemistry and Technology of Polymers, Cracow University of Technology, Warszawska 24, 31-155 Cracow, Poland
Katarzyna Uram
Department of Chemistry and Technology of Polymers, Cracow University of Technology, Warszawska 24, 31-155 Cracow, Poland
Karolina Surmacz
Department of Chemistry and Technology of Polymers, Cracow University of Technology, Warszawska 24, 31-155 Cracow, Poland
Adam Piasecki
Institute of Materials Engineering, Faculty of Materials Engineering and Technical Physics, Poznan University of Technology, Piotrowo 3, 61-138 Poznan, Poland
This article presents the results of research on obtaining new polyurethane (PUR) foams modified with thermally expanded vermiculite. The filler was added in amount of 3 wt.% up to 15 wt.%. The additionally applied procedure of immersion the non-organic filler in H2O2 was performed to increase the exfoliation effect of thermally treated mineral and additional oxidation the surfaces. The effect of fillers on foaming process, cell structure, thermal insulation, apparent density, compressive strength, thermal properties, and flammability are assessed. The foaming process of PUR foams modified with vermiculite was comparable for all systems, regardless of the content of the filler. A slight increase in reactivity was observed, confirmed by a faster decrease in dielectric polarization for the system with modified vermiculite by H2O2. The modification of the reference system with the vermiculite increased the content of closed cells from 76% to 91% for the foams with the highest vermiculite content. Coefficient of thermal conductivity of reference foam and foams modified with vermiculite was in the range 24–26 mW/mK. The use of vermiculite up to 15 wt.% did not influence significantly on mechanical properties and flammability, which from an economic point of view is important because it is possible to reduce the cost of materials by introducing a cheap filler without deteriorating their properties.
