Preparation and properties of segmented thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers with two different soft segments

Thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers were prepared from 4,4‐diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI)/1,4‐butanediol (BD)/poly(propylene glycol) (PPG) and MDI/BD/poly(oxytetramethylene glycol) (PTMG). The MDI/BD‐based hard‐segment content of polyurethane prepared in this study was of 39–65 wt %. These polyurethane elastomers had a constant soft‐segment molecular weight (M_n , 2000), but a variable hard‐segment block length (n, 3.0–10.1; M_n , 1020–3434). The effects of the hard‐segment content on the thermal properties and elastic behavior were investigated. These properties of the PPG‐based MPP samples and the PTMG‐based MPT samples were compared. The polyurethane prepared in this study had a hard‐segment crystalline melting temperature in the range of 185.5–236.5°C. With increasing hard‐segment content, the dynamic storage modulus and glass transition temperature increased in both the MPP and MPT samples. The permanent set (%) increased with increasing hard‐segment content and successive maximum elongation. The permanent set (%) of the MPP samples was higher than that of MPT samples at the same hard‐segment content. The value of K (area of the hydrogen‐bonded carbonyl group/area of the free carbonyl group) increased with increasing hard‐segment content in both the MPP and MPT samples, and the K value of the MPT samples was higher than that of the MPP samples at the same hard‐segment content. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 73: 345–352, 1999     

Development of Functional Polyurethane–ZnO Hybrid Nanocomposite Coatings from Thevetia peruviana Seed Oil

The present article reports eco‐friendly multi‐functional polyurethane–ZnO hybrid nanocomposite coatings obtained from Thevetia peruviana seed oil (TPSO). Initially, the polyols were prepared by treating TPSO with glycerol and the formation was supported by Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) and ¹H‐NMR studies. In the next stage, siloxane functionalized ZnO nanoparticles were added to the polyol mixture in different weight percentages (0, 1 and 2 %) and then treated with excess 4,4′‐diisocyanatodicyclohexylmethane (H₁₂MDI) in order to synthesize isocyanate terminated polyurethane nanocomposites. The polyurethane hybrids were then casted as thin films and cured under atmospheric moisture. After complete curing they were characterized by using FT‐IR, ¹H‐NMR, ¹³C‐NMR, X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis techniques. The hybrid nanocomposites showed superior thermo‐mechanical and anti‐corrosive properties compared to pristine polyurethane. Also, due to the presence of nano ZnO in the polyurethane matrix, the composite coatings are showing excellent resistance towards various bacterial and fungal stains.     

Preparation and properties of polyurethane/montmorillonite nanocomposites cured under room temperature

The polyurethane/C₁₆C₁₈‐MMT (the montmorillonite modified with cetyloctadecyldimethyl ammonium bromide) nanocomposites were synthesized by intercalative polymerization and cured under room temperature. The d‐spacing and the dispersion of the C₁₆C₁₈‐MMT in the nanocomposites were measured by X‐ray Diffraction (XRD) and Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM). The mechanical and thermal properties of the nanocomposites were measured by Universal Testing System, Electric Anti‐fold Instrument, Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). It was found out that introducing C₁₆C₁₈‐montmorillonite (MMT) in the polyurethane (PU) displayed good mechanical properties and thermal stability. Rheology behavior in liquid state showed that the addition of the C₁₆C₁₈‐MMT to PU resulted in low gel time and high viscosity. POLYM. COMPOS. 27:470–474, 2006. © 2006 Society of Plastics Engineers.     

Synthesis of thermoplastic polyurethane and its physical and shape memory properties

In this article, thermoplastic polyurethane (PU) with a shape memory property was synthesized. First, the PU prepolymer was prepared by reacting poly(tetramethylene glycol) with 4,4′‐diphenylmethane diisocyanate, then extended with various extenders such as linear aliphatic 1,4‐butanediol, benzoyl‐type 4,4‐bis(4‐hydroxyhexoxy)‐isopropylane and naphthalate‐type bis(2‐phenoxyethanol)‐sulfone or naphthoxy diethanol. The experimental results showed that the tensile strength, elongation at break, and initial modulus at 300% of these copolymer films were in the range of 31–64 Mpa, 42%–614%, and 8.26–11.5 MPa, respectively. Thermal analysis showed that the glass‐transition temperature of these copolymers was in the range of ?73°C to ?50°C for the soft segment (T_gs) and 70°C–106°C for the hard segment (T_gh) and that the melting point was in the range of 14.6°C–24.2°C for the soft segment and 198°C–206°C for the hard segment. The extender with a benzoyl or naphthalate group was better able to promote its shape memory property than was the regular polyurethane. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 607–615, 2006     

Preparation and characterization of polyethylene–clay nanocomposites by using chlorosilane‐modified clay

Clay was modified by trimethylchlorosilane; after modification, hydroxyl groups at the edge of layers were reacted and CEC value was drastically decreased. Polyethylene–clay composites were prepared by melt compounding. Wide angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that intercalated nanocomposites were formed using organoclay ion‐exchanged from chlorosilane‐modified clay, but conventional composites formed using organoclay directly ion‐exchanged from crude clay. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) of PE and PE–clay composites was conducted; the results demonstrated that nanocomposites were more effective than conventional composites in reinforcement and addition of organoclay resulted in the increase of glass transition temperature (T_g), but crude clay had no effect on T_g of PE–clay composites. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 676–680, 2004     

Synthesis and characterization of elastomeric polyurethane and PU/clay nanocomposites based on an aliphatic diisocyanate

This investigation reports preparation of polyurethane and polyurethane/clay nanocomposites based on polyethylene glycol, isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), an aliphatic diisocyanate and 1,4‐ Butanediol as chain extender by solution polymerization. In this case PU/clay nanocomposites were prepared via ex‐situ method using 1, 3, and 5 wt % of Cloisite 30B. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that the maximum decomposition temperature (T_max) of the PU/clay nanocomposite is much higher than the pristine PU. The tensile properties improved upon increasing the organoclay (Cloisite 30B) content upto 3 wt %, and then decreased to some extent upon further increasing the nanoparticle loading to 5 wt %. Optical properties of the nanocomposites were studied by UV‐vis spectrophotometer. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to study the morphology of the nanocomposites. It was observed that with the incorporation of 3 wt % nanoclay the crystallinity in PU nanocomposite increases, then diminishes with further loading. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 3328–3334, 2013     

Preparation of novel hydrophobic magnetic Fe3O4/waterborne polyurethane nanocomposites

Magnetic Fe₃O₄/waterborne polyurethane nanocomposites were synthesized based on waterborne polyurethane (WPU) and amino-functionalized Fe₃O₄ by in situ polymerization. The Fe₃O₄ nanoparticle was found to be uniformly distributed in Fe₃O₄/WPU nanocomposites with linear or crosslinked structure. In addition, the formation mechanism and magnetic conduction mechanism of stable inorganic–organic nanocomposites were discussed. The experimental results showed that the thermal stability, magnetic, and mechanical properties of magnetic Fe₃O₄/waterborne polyurethane nanocomposites were improved by amino functionalized Fe₃O₄. Furthermore, the defoaming property of the emulsion and the hydrophobic property of magnetic Fe₃O₄/waterborne polyurethane nanocomposites were improved by the 1-hexadecanol-terminated prepolymer. What more, polycaprolactone (PCL)-based Fe₃O₄/WPU nanocomposites have excellent mechanical properties (The tensile strength is over 30 MPa, the elongation rate is above 300%.) and magnetic properties. Magnetic Fe₃O₄/waterborne polyurethane nanocomposites will be used in the field of hydrophobic and microwave absorbent materials. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48546.     

Preparation and characterization of polyurethane–organoclay nanocomposites

Nanocomposite polyurethane (PU)–organoclay materials have been synthesized via in‐situ polymerization. The organoclay is first prepared by intercalation of tyramine into montmorillonite (MMT)‐clay through ion exchange process. The syntheses of polyurethane–organoclay hybrid films containing different ratios of clay were carried out by swelling the organoclay into diol and diamine followed by addition of diisocyanate and then cured. The nanocomposites with dispersed and exfoliated structure of MMT were obtained as evidenced by X‐ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope. X‐ray diffraction showed that there is no peak corresponding to d₀₀₁ spacing in organoclay with the ratios up to 20 wt%. SEM images confirmed the dispersion of nanometer silicate layers in the polyurethane matrix. Also, it was found that the presence of organoclay leads to improvement in the mechanical properties. The tensile strength was increased with increasing the organoclay contents to 20 wt% by 221% in comparision to the PU with 0% organoclay. POLYM. COMPOS. 28:108–115, 2007. © 2007 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Alkali reduction and reactive dye dyeing of T/N nonwoven fabrics dipped into silicon‐containing,water‐borne polyurethane

Two series of anionic water‐borne polyurethanes with alkali resistance and covalent bonds of a reactive dye were synthesized with different molar ratios of poly(tetramethylene glycol) (PTMG). They were classified with respect to PTMG 1000 and PTMG 2000. The fiber blends of polyester/nylon nonwoven fabrics were dipped into silicon‐containing, water‐borne polyurethane and squeezed to an 80% pickup ratio. Finally, the manmade leather was treated with alkali reduction and dyed with a reactive dye. The alkali reduction and the thermal, mechanical, and dyeing properties of the manmade leather were studied. For alkali reduction, different ratios of NaOH and Na₂CO₃ concentrations were used. Na₂CO₃ was used because of its better spreading and buffering properties. The softness and breaking load were measured and related to the weight reduction. For the dyeing properties, a reactive dye with vinyl sulfone groups was found to bond with the OH group of water‐borne polyurethane by covalent bonding. On the basis of alkali reduction, a mixture of NaOH and Na₂CO₃ with a concentration ratio of 0.1N/0.2N could lead to better softness and alkali reduction of leather. For the mechanical properties, leather of the PTMG 1000 series showed a higher breaking load than leather of the PTMG 2000 series. However, less elongation in the PTMG 1000 series resulted. Differential scanning calorimetry showed an endothermic peak at 50–100°C. This indicated that the glass‐transition temperature of the hard segment decreased with an increasing amount of the soft segment in leather; meanwhile, both the glass‐transition temperature of the soft segment and the melting temperature of the hard segment also decreased as the content of the soft segment increased. For the dyeing properties, the reactive blue dye could reach up to 96.1% dye uptake in the polyurethane part of the leather. Moreover, the washing fastness could be graded as high as 4–5, and the light resistance was also graded to 4–5, in the dyed leather. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 96: 2324–2335, 2005     

Novel polyurethane rigid foam/organically modified iron oxide nanocomposites

Magnetic polyurethane rigid foam nanocomposites were synthesized by incorporation of surface functionalized iron oxide nanoparticles with 3‐aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTS). Magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs) and Fe₃O₄@APTS were synthesized via co‐precipitation and sol–gel methods, respectively. The main purpose of the surface modification of MNPs was the formation of hydrogen bond between amino groups of Fe₃O₄@APTS with the urethane groups to improve magnetic and thermal properties of the nanocomposites. The effect of different amounts of Fe₃O₄@APTS on the thermal and magnetic behavior of resultant nanocomposite was investigated and the optimum percentage of nanostructure in foam formulation was defined. POLYM. COMPOS., 38:877–883, 2017. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Effect of particle size on the properties of Mg(OH)2‐filled rubber composites

A novel nanomagnesium hydroxide powder and three kinds of micro‐Mg(OH)₂, with different particle sizes, were chosen as fillers and mixed with ethylene–propylene–diene monomer rubber (EPDM) to form a series of composites by a traditional rubber‐processing technique. The results showed that the mechanical properties of composites improved with decreasing particle size. The nanocomposites were far stronger than the microcomposites, which also supported the view that rubber reinforcement requires nanoreinforcement. The effect of particle size on the fire resistance of composites was investigated by cone calorimetry and limiting oxygen index analysis, which showed that the particle size of powder had an impact on the fire resistance of composites. For the composites filled with untreated powder, the peak value of heat release rate decreased and T_ign increased with decreasing particle size. In conclusion, the fire resistance of nanocomposites was better than that of microcomposites. Surface modification of particles sometimes substantially improved the mechanical properties of nanocomposites, but had no effect on either the mechanical properties of microcomposites or the fire resistance of nanocomposites and flame retardance. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 94: 2341–2346, 2004     

Comparison of properties of thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers with two different soft segments

Two series of thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers [poly(propylene glycol) (PPG) based PP samples and poly(oxytetramethylene)glycol (PTMG) based PT samples] were synthesized from isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI)/1,4-butanediol (BD)/PPG and IPDI/BD/PTMG. The IPDI/BD based hard segments contents of polyurethane prepared in this study were 40–73 wt %. These polyurethane elastomers had a constant soft segment molecular weight (average M_n, 2000) but a variable hard segment block length (n, 3.5–17.5; average M_n, 1318–5544). Studies were made on the effects of the hard segment content on the dynamic mechanical thermal properties and elastic behaviors of polyurethane elastomers. These properties of PPG based PP and PTMG based PT samples were compared. As the hard segment contents of PP and PT samples increased, dynamic tensile modulus and α-type glass transition temperature (T_g) increased; however, the β-type T_g decreased. The permanent set (%) increased with increasing hard segment content and successive maximum elongation. The permanent set of the PT sample was lower than that of the PP sample at the same hard segment content. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 69: 1349–1355, 1998     

Diffusion and sorption of benzene vapor through polybutadiene‐, polybutadiene/styrene‐, and polybutadiene/acrylonitrile‐based polyurethanes

A series of polyurethane (PU) films made from toluene diisocyanate (TDI), 1,4‐butanediol (BDO), and hydroxyl‐terminated polybutadiene (HTPB), hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene/styrene (HTBS), or hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene/acrylonitrile (HTBN) was synthesized by solution polymerization. The absorption of benzene vapor was found mainly in the soft phase. The equilibrium adsorption (M_∞) was reduced with increasing hard segment content for all the PUs. The values of M_∞ were in the sequence of HTBN‐PUs > HTBS‐PUs > HTPB‐PUs, which could be explained by the different interaction parameters between soft segments and benzene. The HTBN‐PU film showed the lowest degree of phase segregation and had more hard segments intermixed in the soft phase, restricting the movement of soft segments, and therefore resulted to non‐Fickian behavior, while the HTPB‐PU is antithetical. FTIR and atomic force microscopy were utilized to identify the hydrogen bonding behavior and morphology change of the PU films before and after the absorption of benzene vapor. The tensile strength of the HTBN‐PUs showed a greater decrease than that of HTBS‐PUs and HTPB‐PUs after absorbing benzene vapor. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 2984–2991, 2004     

Properties of segmented polyurethanes derived from different diisocyanates

Various segmented polyurethane materials with a polyurethane hard segment (HS) content of 40 wt % were prepared by bulk polymerization of a poly(tetramethylene ether) glycol with M_n of 2000, 1,4‐butanediol, and various diisocyanates. The diisocyanates used were pure 4,4′‐diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI), 2,4‐toluene diisocyanate (T100), toluene diisocyanate containing 80% 2,4‐isomer and 20% 2,6‐isomer (T80), isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), hydrogenated 4,4′‐diphenylmethane diisocyanate (HMDI), and 1,6‐hexane diisocyanate (HDI). The segmented polyurethane materials were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), tensile properties, tear strength, and Shore A hardness. The DSC and DMA data show that the thermal transitions are influenced significantly by the diisocyanate structure. In the segmented polyurethane materials with aliphatic HS, the polyether soft segment (SS) is immiscible with the HS. However, in the segmented polyurethane materials with aromatic HS, the SS is partially miscible with the HS. The diisocyanate structure also influences the mechanical properties significantly and is described as the effect of symmetry and chemical structure of the HS. Various solution polymerized polyurethane resins with solid content of 30 wt % were also prepared and their thickness retention, water resistance, and yellowing resistance were determined for the evaluation of their usage as wet process polyurethane leather. The polyurethane resin with aliphatic HS show poorer thickness retention but better yellowing resistance. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 75: 167–174, 2000     

Rectorite/thermoplastic polyurethane nanocomposites. II. Improvement of thermal and oil‐resistant properties

Organ‐rectorite/thermoplastic polyurethane (OREC/TPUR) nanocomposites were synthesized via melt intercalation. The dynamic mechanical properties by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), thermal and oil‐resistant properties were investigated. The results show that the storage modulus (E′), loss modulus (E″), and glass‐transition temperature (T_g) of the nanocomposites have an increase to some extent than those of pure TPUR. The thermal stability of nanocomposites was also studied in detail by thermal gravity analysis (TGA), which was higher than that of pristine TPUR matrix when the content of organic REC is at 2 wt %, and the decomposition temperature at 10% weight loss of OREC/TPUR is greatly increased up to 330°C from 315°C. Oil uptake of the composites is also significantly reduced in comparison with TPUR matrix, which is ascribed to the good barrier effect of nanosheets of OREC. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 96: 1165–1169, 2005     

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.     

Hyperbranched polyurethane/triethanolamine functionalized multi‐walled carbon nanotube nanocomposites as remote induced smart materials

Triethanolamine functionalized multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (TEA‐f‐MWCNTs)/hyperbranched polyurethane nanocomposites were prepared by the in situ polymerization technique. The functionalization of the MWCNTs was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy studies. The homogeneous distribution and the strong interfacial interaction of TEA‐f‐MWCNTs with the polyurethane chains were confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy studies, respectively. Significant enhancements of tensile strength (6.5 ? 28.5 MPa) and scratch resistance (3–7 kg) with content of TEA‐f‐MWCNTs (0–2 wt%) were observed. Thermogravimetric analysis showed an increase in thermal stability from 240 to 287 °C by the formation of nanocomposites. X‐ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry studies confirmed an increment in the degree of crystallinity of the nanocomposites with increase in TEA‐f‐MWCNT content. The extent of shape recovery as well as recovery speed were enhanced with increase in the output power of the microwave. Thus the studied nanocomposites could be utilized as non‐contact microwave energy tunable shape memory materials. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry     

Waterborne anionomeric polyurethane–ureas from functionalized fluoropolyethers

A family of anionomeric segmented polyurethane–ureas made from α‐ω dimethylol‐terminated perfluoropolyethers (M_n = 1000–2000), isophorone diisocyanate, dimethylol propionic acid, and ethylenediamine was obtained in form of stable aqueous dispersions. The dispersions were characterized by viscometry and dynamic laser light scattering. The main compositive parameters explored were the amount of COOH groups and the length of the fluorinated macromer. The new polyurethane–ureas were characterized by dynamic mechanical analysis obtaining information on modulus, thermal transition, and phase segregation. Surface properties and chemical resistance were estimated through measurements of static contact angles and spot tests with different solvents. Although surface hydrophobicity was not affected by composition, water‐sorption behavior was sensitive to the ionic character (COOH level) of the polymer. Diffusion and permeability coefficients of polymer films, having different carboxyl contents, were estimated. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 136–144, 2004     

Fabrication of core–shell nanocomposites with enhanced photocatalytic efficacy

The current study establishes the unprecedented involvement in the evolution and production of novel core–shell nanocomposites composed of nanosized titanium dioxide and aniline‐o‐phenylenediamine copolymer. TiO₂@copoly(aniline and o‐phenylenediamine) (TiO₂@PANI‐o‐PDA) core–shell nanocomposites were chemically synthesized in a molar ratio of 5:1 of the particular monomers and several weights of nano‐TiO₂ via oxidative copolymerization. The construction of the TiO₂@PANI‐o‐PDA core–shell nanocomposites was ascertained from Fourier transform IR spectroscopy, UV–visible spectroscopy and XRD. A reasonable thermal behavior for the original copolymer and the TiO₂@PANI‐o‐PDA core–shell nanocomposites was investigated. The bare PANI‐o‐PDA copolymer was thermally less stable than the TiO₂@PANI‐o‐PDA nanocomposites. The core–shell feature of the nanocomposites was found to have core and shell sizes of 17 nm and 19–26 nm, respectively. In addition, it was found that the addition of a high ratio of TiO₂ nanoparticles increases the electrical conductivity and consequently lowers the electrical resistivity of the TiO₂@PANI‐o‐PDA core–shell nanocomposites. The hybrid photocatalysts exhibit a dramatic photocatalytic efficacy of methylene blue degradation under solar light irradiation. A plausible interpretation of the photocatalytic degradation results of methylene blue is also demonstrated. Our setup introduces a facile, inexpensive, unique and efficient technique for developing new core–shell nanomaterials with various required functionalities and colloidal stabilities. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis and characterization of poly(hydroxylic fluoroacrylate)/mSiO2 nanocomposite by in situ solution polymerization

In this study, vinyl‐group modified nanosilicas (mSiO₂) were prepared via sol–gel method using vinyltriethoxysilane (VTES) as modifier first, then the novel poly(hydroxylic fluoroacrylate)/mSiO₂ nanocomposite was successfully synthesized by in situ solution polymerization of mSiO₂ with dodecafluoroheptyl methacrylate (DFHMA), β‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), methyl methacrylate (MMA), and butyl acrylate (BA) initiated by 2,2‐azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) in the co‐solvents of ethyl acetate and butyl acetate. The chemical composition and structure of the nanocomposite were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). TEM observation indicated that mSiO₂ nanoparticles obtained a well dispersion in polymeric matrix. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) studies revealed that the temperature corresponding to 50% weight loss of the nanocomposite was improved by 21.5°C with the addition of 2.0 wt % mSiO₂. The synthesized nanocomposites were applied to use with hexamethylene diisocyanate trimer (HDIT) to prepare polyurethane materials. Tensile test revealed that polyurethane material with mSiO₂ content of 2.0 wt % showed an ultimate tensile strength of about 5.19 times higher than that without mSiO₂. The polyurethane films displayed surface energy of lower than 25 mN m^–1 and high light transmittance. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013