Enhancement in Mechanical and Shape Memory Properties for Liquid Crystalline Polyurethane Strengthened by Graphene Oxide

Yueting Li; Huiqin Lian; Yanou Hu; Wei Chang; Xiuguo Cui; Yang Liu

doi:10.3390/polym8070236

Polymers (Jul 2016)

Enhancement in Mechanical and Shape Memory Properties for Liquid Crystalline Polyurethane Strengthened by Graphene Oxide

Yueting Li,
Huiqin Lian,
Yanou Hu,
Wei Chang,
Xiuguo Cui,
Yang Liu

Affiliations

Yueting Li: Beijing Key Lab of Special Elastomer Composite Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Petrochemical Technology, Beijing 102617, China
Huiqin Lian: Beijing Key Lab of Special Elastomer Composite Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Petrochemical Technology, Beijing 102617, China
Yanou Hu: Beijing Key Lab of Special Elastomer Composite Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Petrochemical Technology, Beijing 102617, China
Wei Chang: Beijing Key Lab of Special Elastomer Composite Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Petrochemical Technology, Beijing 102617, China
Xiuguo Cui: Beijing Key Lab of Special Elastomer Composite Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Petrochemical Technology, Beijing 102617, China
Yang Liu: Beijing Key Lab of Special Elastomer Composite Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Petrochemical Technology, Beijing 102617, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/polym8070236
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 8, no. 7
p. 236

Abstract

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Conventional shape memory polymers suffer the drawbacks of low thermal stability, low strength, and low shape recovery speed. In this study, main-chain liquid crystalline polyurethane (LCPU) that contains polar groups was synthesized. Graphene oxide (GO)/LCPU composite was fabricated using the solution casting method. The tensile strength of GO/LCPU was 1.78 times that of neat LCPU. In addition, shape recovery speed was extensively improved. The average recovery rate of sample with 20 wt % GO loading was 9.2°/s, much faster than that of LCPU of 2.6°/s. The enhancement in mechanical property and shape memory behavior could be attributed to the structure of LCPU and GO, which enhanced the interfacial interactions between GO and LCPU.

Published in Polymers

ISSN: 2073-4360 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Science: Chemistry: Organic chemistry
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/polymers/

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