Incorporation of postconsumer polyurethane foam into a polymer/clay aerogel matrix

The feasibility of incorporating ground recycled polyurethane (PU) foam into clay/polymer aerogels was demonstrated, and a range of compositions were prepared and characterized to determine the effect of variation in the formulations on density and mechanical properties of the resulting materials. This study followed a modified combinatorial approach. Initially, experiments were performed in water using either sodium exchanged montmorillonite or laponite clay, poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVOH) solution as the polymer binder, and the recycled PU foam. Freezing and freeze‐drying the aqueous gels produced aerogels, which were characterized through density and mechanical testing, scanning electron microscopy, and thermal gravimetric analysis. The study was expanded by exploring alternative binder chemistries, including the use of an alginate polymer in place of the PVOH or adding a polyisocyanate as a crosslinking agent for PVOH. The effect of recycled PU foam content, clay type and level, and binder type and level on the mechanical properties of the aerogels were determined and will be discussed herein. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42586.