Investigation of Fe3O4/AEAP supermagnetic nanoparticles on the morphological, thermal and magnetite behavior of polyurethane rigid foam nanocomposites

Novel, magnetic, polyurethane, rigid foam nanocomposites were synthesized by incorporation of surface modified iron oxide nanoparticles with n-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (AEAP) via a one shot method. The resulting data showed remarkable improvements in the thermal, as well as magnetic, properties of the nanocomposites when nanoparticles were incorporated into the polymer matrix. The prepared nanocomposites were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Vibrating Sample Magnetometry (VSM), Thermomechanical Analysis (TMA) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). The effect of different amounts of Fe3O4/AEAP on the thermal and magnetic behavior of the resultant nanocomposite was investigated and the optimum percentage of the nanostructures in the foam formulation was defined.