Nanostructured rigid polyurethane foams with improved specific thermo-mechanical properties using bacterial nanocellulose as a hard segment

Abstract

Rigid polyurethane foams (RPUFs) were synthesized with bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) at concentrations of up to 0.5 wt% using two insertion routes based on its reaction with the isocyanate precursor (ISO route) and the formation of a colloidal dispersion in the polyol precursor (POL route). The results indicated that, for BNC concentrations of only 0.1 wt%, drastic improvements of the specific elastic compressive modulus (+244.2%) and strength (+77.5%) were measured for foams with apparent density of 46.4+/− 4.7 Kg.m−3. The chemical reaction of BNC with the precursor was corroborated through the measurement of the isocyanate number and FTIR analysis. The BNC caused a significant nucleation effect, decreasing the cell size up to 39.7%. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis revealed that the BNC had a strong effect on post-cure enthalpy, particularly for the POL route. Dynamical mechanical thermal analysis under flexural conditions proved that, regardless of BNC concentration, the incorporation of BNC caused anisotropy and that the ISO route contributed to an enhanced damping factor at high temperatures. These results prove that the ISO route is a key aspect to achieve foamed nanocomposites with improved specific mechanical properties.