Thermal and mechanical properties of polyurethane rigid foam/modified nanosilica composite

Surface modification of fumed nanosilica was performed by using n‐(2‐aminoethyl)‐3‐aminopropyltrimethoxysilane as a coupling agent. Then, modified nanosilica was utilized in the preparation of polyurethane rigid foam. The characterization and the study of properties were done by some techniques, such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, dynamic mechanical analysis, and thermomechanical analysis. Also, tensile test was examined to evaluate the static mechanical properties. With the increasing of modified nanosilica, thermal and static mechanical properties were enhanced, but dynamic mechanical behavior was different from static mechanical behavior because of the different properties of interfacial domain and bulk matrix. The presence of functional groups on the nanosilica surface affected stoichiometry and reduced hard phase formation in bulk polymer. The decrease in glass transition temperature (T_g) confirmed this statement. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2010. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers