Open Access

ARTICLE

Influence of Moisture on Shape Memory and Mechanical Properties of Microwave-induced Shape Memory Polyurethane (PU)/graphene Nanoplatelets (GNPs) Composite

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1 Mechanical Engineering Department,Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology Bhopal, 462003 India.
2 Polymer composite lab,Advanced Materials and Processes Research Institute (CSIRAMPRI) Bhopal, 462024 India.

* Corresponding Author: e-mail:

Journal of Polymer Materials 2018, 35(4), 449-462. https://doi.org/10.32381/JPM.2018.35.04.4

Abstract

Microwave-induced shape memory polymer (Polyurethane)/Graphene nanoplatelets composite were prepared in micro-compounder. When samples exposed in moisture (immersed in water), the thermo-mechanical and shape memory properties such as Tensile strength, glass transition temperature, storage modulus, stretch and recovery strength were decreased. The surface morphology and dispersion of GNPs in PU matrix were characterized by using the Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM). Further, we found that the PU specimen has no shape recovery during MV irradiations without moisture exposed sample. But moisture exposed PU sample shows shape recovery. With increasing water immersion time (Days) of the PU and 1 GPU samples the MV-induced shape recovery was increased. Because the absorbed water molecules in samples act as a dielectric note heating source for MV irradiations. So that its novel approach which may treat as a self-responsive shape memory polymer components when exposed long days in moisture.

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Keywords

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