Effect of Micro- and Nano-Particle Fillers at Low Percolation Threshold on the Dielectric and Mechanical Properties of Polyurethane/Copper Composites

Author: Putson C.  

Publisher: Springer Publishing Company

ISSN: 1574-1443

Source: Journal of Inorganic and Organometallic Polymers and Materials, Vol.22, Iss.6, 2012-11, pp. : 1300-1307

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Abstract

Polymeric composites based on polyurethane (PU) as the matrix and copper (Cu) particles as the filler were prepared by using solution casting. The effects of micro- and nano-particles size and content on the dielectric and mechanical properties depend upon the interface between metal filler and polymeric matrix. The dispersion of the fillers within the polymeric matrix was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The SEM results showed a relatively homogeneous dispersion for the micro-particle size and the existence of the aggregation and poor compatibility for the nano-particle size. Differential scanning calorimetric measurements showed that the glass transition temperature (Tg) in case of micro-particles is quite similar to that of the neat PU, but the increase in Tg was observed when nano-particles were used. The dielectric properties of the composites as a function of the filler concentration and filler size was investigated in the frequency range of 100 Hz-10 kHz, showing an increase in dielectric constant with increasing filler content. This increase was more significant when using the nano-particles. The mechanical properties of the composites were obtained by using a tensile tester (ASTM D412). The tensile modulus generally increased with increasing Cu content, but the extent of increase was lower in case of micro-particles. The tensile strength of composite filled with nano-particle slowly decreased when filler content increased, while there was a significant in case of micro-particle as fillers. In addition, the elongation at break decreased with increasing Cu content, but the effect was more significant when micro-particle were employed. AFM image was used to investigate a topology of the tensile fractured surface, showing the mechanism of failure of the composites.

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