Synthesis and characterization of organically modified attapulgite/polyurethane nanocomposites

Polyurethane (PU) nanocomposites filled with attapulgite (ATT) nanorods were synthesized and characterized with thermal analysis, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and mechanical testing. The formulations were based on 4,4′‐methylene bis(phenyl isocyanate) (MDI), polytetrahydrofuran, 1,4‐butanediol, and inorganic ATT premodified with MDI. The original and premodified ATT (ATT–OH and ATT–MDI) nanorods were characterized with thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The analysis revealed that 17 wt % MDI was grafted/adsorbed onto the surface of ATT as a result of the modification. Pristine PU and ATT–MDI/PU nanocomposites were characterized with scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and TGA. The mechanical tests and DMA showed an increase in the storage modulus and Young's modulus with increasing ATT–MDI content. The crystallinity of the hard and soft segments and thermal stability showed enhancements over those of the neat resin. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Polyurethane/acrylate hybrids: Effects of the acrylic content and thermal treatment on the polymer properties

Polyurethane (PU)/acrylate hybrids with different acrylic contents (10, 30, 50, 70, and 90 wt %) were prepared by the polymerization of acrylic monomers in the presence of preformed PU chains with polymerizable terminal vinyl groups. Films obtained by the casting of polymer dispersions before and after thermal annealing were characterized by dynamic light scattering, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), TEM electron energy‐loss spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and gel fraction determination. Small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS), wide‐angle X‐ray scattering, mechanical properties testing, atomic force microscopy, water contact angle testing, Buchholz hardness testing, and roughness testing of the films were also performed. The effects of the acrylic content and thermal treatment on the structure and properties were determined. TEM showed that a core–shell morphology was formed during polymerization. When the acrylic content increased, smaller particles without core–shell morphologies were observed. TEM energy‐loss spectroscopy studies confirmed this observation. Systems with up to 50 wt % acrylic component were homogeneous, as determined by SAXS, before and after thermal annealing. An attempt to incorporate a higher amount of acrylic component led to phase‐separated materials with a different morphology and, therefore, different properties. The relationship between the acrylic content and properties did not follow linear behavior. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Polyurethanes from benzene polyols synthesized from vegetable oils: Dependence of physical properties on structure

Asymmetric and symmetric aromatic triol isomers were synthesized from erucic acid. The pure asymmetric and symmetric triols were crosslinked with MDI into their corresponding polyurethane sheets. The physico‐chemical properties of these polyurethanes were studied by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), thermogravimetric analysis coupled with Fourier transform infrared (TGA‐FTIR) spectroscopy, and tensile analysis. The A‐PU and S‐PU demonstrated differences in their glass transition temperatures (T_g) and crosslinking densities. The difference in T_g of these polyurethanes could be explained by the differences in crosslinking densities, which could be related to the increase in steric hindrance, to the crosslinking MDI molecules, between adjacent hydroxyl groups of the asymmetric triol monomers. Overall, it was found that both polyurethanes had similar mechanical and thermal properties. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Novel polyether polyurethane/clay nanocomposites synthesized with organicly modified montmorillonite as chain extenders

A kind of novel polyether polyurethane (PU)/clay nanocomposite was synthesized using poly(tetramethylene glycol), 4,4′‐diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI), 1,6‐hexamethylenediamine, and modified Na⁺‐montmorillonite (MMT). Here, organicly modified MMT (O‐MMT) was formed by applying 1,6‐hexamethylenediamine as a swelling agent to treat the Na⁺‐MMT. The X‐ray analysis showed that exfoliation occurred for the higher O‐MMT content (40 wt %) in the polymer matrix. The mechanical analysis indicated that, when the O‐MMT was used as a chain extender to replace a part of the 1,2‐diaminopropane to form PU/clay nanocomposites, the strength and strain at break of the polymer was enhanced when increasing the content of O‐MMT in the matrix. When the O‐MMT content reached about 5%, the tensile strength and elongation at break were over 2 times that of the pure PU. The thermal stability and the glass transition of the O‐MMT/PU nanocomposites also increased with increasing O‐MMT content. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 99: 6–13, 2006     

Synthesis,characterization and properties of organoclay‐modified polyurethane/epoxy interpenetrating polymer network nanocomposites

organoclay‐modified polyurethane/epoxy interpenetrating network nanocomposites (oM‐PU/EP nanocomposites) were prepared by adding organophilic montmorillonite (oMMT) to interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) of polyurethane and epoxy resin (PU/EP) which had been prepared by a sequential polymerization technique. Wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD) and transmission electronic microscopy (TEM) analysis showed that the interpenetrating process of PU and EP improved the exfoliation and dispersion degree of oMMT. The effects of the NCO/OH ratio (isocyanate index), the weight ratio of PU/EP and oMMT content on the phase structure and the mechanical properties of the oM‐PU/EP nanocomposites were studied by tensile testing and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). Water absorption tests showed that the PU/EP interpenetrating networks and oMMT had synergistic effects on improvement in the water resistance of the oM‐PU/EP nanocomposites. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis showed that PU was compatible with EP and that the glass transition temperature (T_g) of the oM‐PU/EP nanocomposites increased with the oMMT content up to 3 wt%, and then decreased with further increasing oMMT content. The thermal stability of these nanocomposites with various oMMT contents was studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and the mechanism of thermal stability improvement was discussed according to the experimental results. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

丙烯酸酯改性水性聚氨酯乳液的制备及性能研究

采用物理共混和核-壳聚合法制备了丙烯酸酯改性水性聚氨酯(PU/PA,PUA)乳液,并对不同改性方法制得的乳液进行了研究。通过红外(FTIR)、透射电镜(TEM)、差示扫描量热(DSC)、热重分析(TGA)、耐水性和力学性能测试等研究了丙烯酸酯改性聚氨酯乳液及涂膜的结构与性能。结果表明具有核-壳结构的PUA乳液涂膜耐水性、耐热性和固含量较水性聚氨酯(PU)有明显的提高,力学性能稍有下降;PUA综合性能优于PU/PA。     

Physical properties of new polyurethanes foams from benzene polyols synthesized from erucic acid

High density triol‐based polyurethane (PU) foams were developed from aromatic triol isomers prepared from erucic acid. The triol monomers were crosslinked with 4,4′‐diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) into PU foams. The foam's properties were studied by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The foams were analyzed for closed cell content and compression strength. The effect of the benzene ring in the polyol structure on the physical properties of these new PU foams was compared with high density foams made from aliphatic polyols originating from canola oil. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Preparation and properties of unsaturated polyester nanocomposites based on silylated sepiolite nanofibers

The novel surface‐modified sepiolite/unsaturated polyester (sepiolite/UP) nanocomposites were prepared by in situ polymerization. Sepiolite fibers were first organo‐modified by grafting of vinyltriethoxysilane (VTS) containing a double bond onto the surfaces and used as nanofillers. The morphology of sepiolites and nanocomposites were characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Moreover, the thermal properties were determined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and the thermal degradation mechanism was discussed. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Bamboo tar‐based polyurethane wood coatings

Bamboo tar is a natural resource of aromatic polyol obtained from a residue of by setting or distilling crude bamboo vinegar. In this study, the two‐packed polyurethane (PU) coatings were prepared by blending bamboo tar and castor oil varying with different weight ratios and polymeric toluene diisocyanate (PTDI) was used as a hardener at the NCO/OH molar ratio of 1.0. Six kinds of PU coatings were formulated and the viscosity, pot‐life, drying time, mechanical properties (hardness, tensile strength, impact resistance, adhesion, and abrasion resistance), gel content, durability, lightfastness, FTIR, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) were characterized. The results indicated that the bamboo tar containing PU film appearance is semitransparent yellow‐brown color and the wood texture could be kept after finishing. All PU films possessed excellent adhesion as well as durability. The increase in bamboo tar content led to shorten drying time of coatings and to increase in hardness, tensile strength, lightfastness, and thermal stability of films. From these results and due to a light smell flavor, it is suggested that the bamboo tar‐based PU coatings is suitable to be used as an exterior wood coatings. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Synthesis and characterization of multiwalled carbon nanotube/polyurethane composites via surface modification multiwalled carbon nanotubes using silane coupling agent

Well‐dispersed multiwalled carbon nanotubes/polyurethane (MWCNTs/PU) composites were synthesized in situ polymerization based on treating MWCNTs with nitric acid and silane coupling agent. The morphology and degree of dispersion of the MWCNTs were studied using a high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR‐TEM) and X‐ray powder diffraction (XRD). The result showed that MWCNTs could be dispersed still in the PU matrix well with the addition of 2 wt% MWCNTs. The thermal and mechanical properties of the composites were characterized by dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, tensile, and impact testing. The result suggested that the glass transition temperature (T_g) of composites increased greatly with increasing MWCNTs content slightly, and the MWCNTs is also helpful to improve mechanical properties of composites. Furthermore, the composites have an excellent mechanical property with the addition of 0.5 wt% MWCNTs. The electrical property testing indicates that the MWCNTs can improve evidently the electrical properties of composites when adding 1 wt% MWCNTs to the PU matrix. The volume resistivity of composites reaches to an equilibrium value. POLYM. COMPOS., 33:1866–1873, 2012. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers     

The effects of soft‐segment molecular weight and organic modifier on properties of organic‐modified MMT‐PU nanocomposites

The effects of soft‐segment molecular weight and organic modification of montmorillonite (MMT) on thermal and mechanical properties of segmented polyurethane (PU) elastomers were investigated. The PU/MMT nanocomposites were prepared by in situ polymerization, and the compositions included soft segments with number average molecular weights of 1000, 2000, and 2900, and organic‐modified MMT (including MMT‐30B and MMT‐I30E). The nanocomposites produced were characterized using wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and mechanical testing. The TEM and XRD results revealed that both MMT‐30B and MMT‐I30E were intercalated, and partially exfoliated by the PU. Mechanical tests showed that the PU1000 series in soft‐segment molecular weight yielded superior tensile properties compared with the PU2000 and PU2900 series. Also, for a given molecular weight of soft segment in PU, the MMT‐30B nanocomposites exhibited greater increases in Young's modulus, tensile strength, and elongation at break than the MMT‐I30E counterpart, and the crystallinity of PU was enhanced by the clays. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Silicon‐containing anionic water‐borne polyurethane with covalently bonded reactive dye

A silicon‐containing water‐borne polyurethane (PU) polymer with hydroxyl side groups was synthesized that was stable in basic conditions and also capable of reacting with a reactive dye to form a covalently bonded dye molecule. The silicon‐containing anionic water‐borne PU prepolymer was synthesized from H₁₂‐4,4′‐diphenylmethane diisocyanate (H₁₂‐MDI), polytetramethylene glycol, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), 2,2′‐bis(hydroxymethyl), propionic acid (anionic centers), and triethyleneamine using the prepolymer mixing method. Water was then added to emulsify and disperse the resin to form an anionic water‐borne PU prepolymer. N‐(2‐Hydroxyethyl ethylene diamine) (HEDA) was used to extend the prepolymer to form a water‐borne PU polymer with a side chain of hydroxyl groups, which can further react with the reactive dye to form a dyed PU. The reactive dye of chlorosulfuric acid esters of sulfatoethyl sulfones can react with the water‐borne PU polymer. Behaviors of alkali resistance and dyeing properties were observed. In consideration of thermal properties, the dye‐grafted PU polymers exhibited lower glass‐transition temperatures for soft segments and hard segments than those without dye. Concerning mechanical properties, it was found that the modulus and the strength of the dyed PU polymers decreased with grafting of the dye molecule, but elongation at break was increased. The alkali resistance increased with PDMS content. For dye‐uptake properties, the percentage of dye grafting was over 90%. Also, the dye‐grafted PU exhibited a lower percentage of dye migration than that of polymers with ethylene diamine instead of HEDA as a chain extender, and showed greater colorfastness to light. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 90: 2045–2052, 2003     

Polyurethane/amino‐grafted multiwalled carbon nanotube nanocomposites: Microstructure,thermal, mechanical,and rheological properties

A mixture of two different polyols, (polytetramethylene ether glycol and polydimethylsiloxane), were employed to synthesize a new structure of polyurethane (PU) with methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) and 1,4‐butanediol as chain extender. PU nanocomposites containing variable amount (0.3, 0.5, 1, and 3 wt %) of amino‐grafted multiwalled carbon nanotubes (NH₂‐MWNT) were prepared via in situ polymerization. The dispersion of NH₂‐MWNT into polymer matrix was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR) confirmed the urethane‐urea chemical bonding between the PU chains and the NH₂‐MWNT. Thermal stabilities of the nanocomposites were examined with thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and the results indicated a remarkable improvement with increasing NH₂‐MWNT contents. The results of dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) including storage modulus (E′) and glass transition temperature (T_g), as well as tensile properties demonstrated that the yield strength, strain‐at‐break, and young modulus were enhanced by increasing NH₂‐MWNT content. Rheological behavior including complex viscosity and storage and loss moduli of the PU nanocomposites improved with increasing NH₂‐MWNT loading, as well. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 44411.     

Sea‐island polyurethane/polycarbonate composite nanofiber fabricated through electrospinning

Sea‐island polyurethane (PU)/polycarbonate (PC) composite nanofibers were obtained through electrospinning of partially miscible PU and PC in 3 : 7 (v/v) N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF) and tetrahydrofuran (THF) mixture solvent. Their structures, mechanical, and thermal properties were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric (TG), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The structures and morphologies of the nanofibers were influenced by composition ratio in the binary mixtures. The pure PC nanofiber was brittle and easy to break. With increasing the PU content in the PU/PC composite nanofibers, PU component not only facilitated the electrospinning of PC but improved the mechanical properties of PU/PC nanofibrous mats. In a series of nanofibrous mats with varied PU/PC composition ratios, PU/PC 70/30 showed excellent tensile strength of 9.60 Mpa and Young's modulus of 55 Mpa. After selective removal of PC component in PU/PC composite nanofibers by washing with acetone, the residual PU maintained fiber morphology. However, the residual PU nanofiber became irregular and contained elongated indents and ridges along the fiber surface. PU/PC composite fibers showed sea‐island nanofiber structure due to phase separation in the spinning solution and in the course of electrospinning. At PC content below 30%, the PC domains were small and evenly dispersed in the composite nanofibers. As PC content was over 50%, the PC phases became large elongated aggregates dispersed in the composite nanofibers. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

A novel synthesis of reactive nano‐clay polyurethane and its physical and dyeing properties

This study is about polyurea prepolymer, which was synthesized from the extender (N‐(2‐hydroxyethyl) ethylene diamine, HEDA or ethylene diamine, EDA) with 4,4′‐diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI), as an intercalative agent to intercalate the organic modified montmorillonite clay. Then, it is further reacted with the polyurethane prepolymer, which is polymerized from the polytetramethylene glycol (PTMG) and MDI, to proceed the intercalative polymerization to form a polyurethane/clay nanocomposite polymer. The experimental parameters contain the use of polyurea intercalative prepolymer extender and also the contents of organo‐clay in the prepolymer etc. We expect to get better mechanical property and also to improve the dyeing properties of nano‐clay polyurethane. The polyurethane/clay polymer is synthesized using two‐step method: synthesizing the polyurethane prepolymer from PTMG and MDI and then extended with the polyurea prepolymer modified with the organo‐clay. Because the extender HEDA contains side chain of hydroxyl groups, the modified PU can further react with the reactive dye. From the experimental results of the fine structure (X‐ray and FT‐IR) and mechanical analysis, it is found that the intercalation is successfully achieved. Thedistance of interlayer spacing is manifestly enlarged. The mechanical properties are significantly improved as the content of organo‐clay is increased. Besides, although thedye up‐take is decreased with the increasing content oforgano‐clay, but the water‐resistant fastness is improved. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007     

Characteristics of the degradation and improvement of the thermal stability of poly(siloxane urethane) copolymers

This work investigates the characteristics of the thermal degradation of poly(ether urethane) (E‐PU) and poly(siloxane urethane) (S‐PU) copolymers by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and thermogravimetric analysis/Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (TG–FTIR). The stage of initial degradation for E‐PU was demonstrated as a urethane‐B segment consisting of 4,4′‐diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) and 1,4‐butanediol. Moreover, the urethane‐B segment in the copolymers had the lowest temperature of degradation (ca. 200°C). The degradation of E‐PU was determined by TGA and TG–FTIR analyses and had three stages including seven steps. Although the soft segment of S‐PU possessed the thermal stability of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), the unstable urethane‐B segment existed in S‐PU. Therefore, the initial degradation of S‐PU appeared around 210°C. The four stages of degradation of S‐PU involved eight steps, as revealed by TG–FTIR, which identified the main decomposition products: CO₂, tetrahydrofuran, and siloxane decomposition products. The imide group with high thermal stability was to replace the urethane‐B segment of S‐PU, which had the lowest thermal stability herein. The poly(siloxane urethane imide) (I‐PU) copolymer around 285°C exhibited a high initial temperature of degradation, and the initial degradation occurred at the urethane‐S segment consisting of MDI and PDMS. The degradation of I‐PU was similar to that of S‐PU and had four stages including six steps. Moreover, the degradation region of the imide group between 468 and 625°C was merged into the degradation stage of the siloxane decomposed products. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Structure analysis in polyurethane foams at interfaces

The aim of this study was to investigate the structure and morphology of polyurethane (PU) foams at the interface with a thermoplastic material. Fourier transform infrared/attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy was used to study the reaction of 4,4′‐diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) with polyether‐based polyols with water as a blowing agent via the absorption intensity of the ν(NCO, 2265 cm^?1) vibrational band of MDI in three different PU foam systems. The data revealed that MDI reacted simultaneously with two different species in the reaction mixture having different reaction rates. These were the reactions of isocyanate functional groups with water (fast reaction) and polyol (slow reaction). A structure analysis at the PU foam interface (i.e., PU formed a compact film 110 ± 30 μm thick at the interface) with a thermoplastic material plate was carried out with small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and neutron reflection (NR) techniques. From SAXS measurements, a typical hard‐segment–segment distance of 10 ± 0.3 nm was observed. The TEM and NR data of the compact PU film revealed an internal layered structure (parallel to the surface) with a typical layer thickness of 260–400 nm. The formation of a layered morphology (macrophase‐separated structures) was assumed to be due to the difference in the polarities of the hard and soft segments. Furthermore, the layer thickness increased when D₂O was used as the blowing agent instead of H₂O. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 98: 1280–1289, 2005     

Synthesis and characterization of poly(butyl acrylate‐co‐ethylhexyl acrylate)/ poly(vinyl chloride)[P(BA‐EHA)/PVC] novel core‐shell modifier and its impact modification for a poly(vinyl chloride)‐based blend

Synthesis of poly(butyl acrylate‐co‐ethylhexyl acrylate)‐core/poly(vinyl chloride)‐shell [P(BA‐EHA)/PVC] used as a modifying agent of PVC via semicontinuous seeded emulsion copolymerization is reported here. Diameter distributions and morphology of the composite latex particles were characterized with the aid of particle size analyzer and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The grafting efficiency (GE) and grafting ratio (GR) of vinyl chloride (VC) grafted onto the P(BA‐EHA) with varying content of crosslinking agent and core‐shell ratios were investigated. TEM studies indicated that the P(BA‐EHA)/PVC latex particles have core‐shell structure, and the P(BA‐EHA) rubbery particles in blending materials were uniformly dispersed in PVC matrix. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) results revealed that the compatibility between the P(BA‐EHA) and the PVC matrix was significantly improved due to the presence of the P(BA‐EHA)‐grafted‐VC copolymer. The notched impact strength of the blending material with 3 wt% of rubber content was seven times that of the PVC. Linear regressions of mechanical properties as loading of the modifier were made. The resulting data of notched impact strength and elongation at break for the blending materials deviated significantly from regression lines within 3–4.5 wt% of the P(BA‐EHA) content. The PVC blends modified by the modifier exhibited good toughness and easy processability. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2010. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Characterization and proof testing of the halochromic shape memory polyurethane

Polyurethane (PU) grafted with several well-known pH indicators (alizarin yellow, bromocresol green, bromocresol purple, or thymol blue) via spacer is characterized for thermal, spectroscopic, mechanical, and shape memory properties, as well as for PU color change to aqueous solution with various pH values. The PU polymer frame is composed of 4,4′-methylenebis(phenylisocyanate) (MDI), which acts as a hard segment, poly(tetramethyleneglycol) (PTMG) as a soft segment, and a covalently linked pH indicator. The four different PU series studied in this work display characteristic color dependent upon the grafted indicator type. The PU series also exhibit a small degree of cross-linking due to the grafting agent used to covalently link the indicator to the PU frame. The tensile mechanical strength and the shape recovery of the indicator-grafted PU remain high after repeated tests compared to that of the plain linear PU. Regarding the tensile mechanical properties, the maximum stress and the strain increase to 424 and 1,880 %, respectively, for indicator-grafted PU compared to the linear PU. Furthermore, the shape recovery is observed to reach 98 % and improves after each test cycle. A reversible color change is observed after repeated exposure to aqueous solutions with varying pH values and is confirmed with UV-VIS spectra results.     

Preparation and characterization of biodegradable polyurethanes composites filled with silver nanoparticles-decorated graphene

In this study, polyurethane (PU) was synthesized using 4,4,-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) as a hard segment, polycaprolactone diol (PCL) as the soft segments and 1,4-butandiol (1,4-BD) as a chain extender. Nanosilver/graphene (Ag/G) was added to the PU matrix to prepare Ag/G/PU nanocomposites. EDS, SEM and XRD are used for assaying the silver content and characterization of Ag/G. TEM, FT-IR, XRD and EDS were used to characterize the structure and morphology of the Ag/G/PUs nanocomposites. The TEM results show that Ag/G belongs to sheet structures and is dispersed in a PU matrix. The SEM showed that the strong interfacial adhesion between the Ag/G and PU is indicated. FT-IR spectra analysis shows that the functional group of PU is free of obvious changes by adding a small amount of Ag/G in the PU matrix. XRD results showed that the main crystalline peak (26°) of Ag/G became more apparent with increasing content of Ag/G, and EDS showed that the content of Ag increased with increasing content of Ag/G in the Ag/G/PUs nanocomposites. The thermal stability and mechanical properties of Ag/G/PUs nanocomposites are improved with increasing content of Ag/G. Contact angle and AFM results showed that the hydrophobicity and surface roughness increased with increasing content of Ag/G. Moreover, the Ag/G/PUs nanocomposites exhibit antibacterial activities toward Staphylococcus aureus as well as Escherichia coli and their antibacterial rates increase with increasing Ag/G. In addition, the electrical conductivity measurements showed that both surface and volume resistance of the Ag/G/PUs nanocomposites decreased as the amount of Ag/G increased.