Characterisation and impact resistance behaviour of polyurethane nanocomposite foam having poly (dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) decorated with hybrid filler GO/SiO ₂

Polyurethane (PU) nanocomposite foam with polydimethyl siloxane (PDMS) was prepared by solution casting method having 0.25 wt.%, 0.50 wt.%, and 1.0 wt.% of Graphene Oxide (GO)/Silica (SiO2) as combined nanofillers. PU-PDMS nanocomposite foam was characterised by different techniques. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) was employed to examine the microstructure in the study field. The crystallinity and phase separation of the PU-PDMS nanocomposite foam were determined using the X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique. Thermal and tensile properties of PU-PDMS nanocomposite foam were analysed. The impact property of the PU-PDMS nanocomposite foam was evaluated using a drop impact testing machine. The thermal stability as well as mechanical properties were improved after addition of GO/SiO 2 hybrid fillers in the composite. The tensile strength of PU-PDMS foam containing 1.0 wt% GO/SiO 2 was 216% higher than that of the base PU-PDMS foam. The impact results show that the PU-PDMS nanocomposite foam with 1.0 wt.% of the combined nanofillers exhibits higher peak load and energy absorption than lower wt% of the fillers in the polyurethane matrix. These nanocomposite foams can be used in impact and thermomechanical applications.