Improved Aromatic-Hydrocarbon Liquid Permeability of Thermoplastic Polyurethane/Closite-۳۰B Nanocomposites through Preferential Clay Intercalation Behavior

The hydrocarbon solvent resistance and transport properties of TPU are improved by adding reinforcement nanoparticles. This research shows that hydrocarbon liquid permeability of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)/clay nanocomposites would depend on intercalation/exfoliation state of organomodified nanoclay in the TPU matrix. TPU/Closite-۳۰B nanocomposites with concentration of ۰.۲۵, ۰.۷۵, ۲.۲۵, ۴.۵, and ۷.۲۵ wt% Closite-۳۰B were prepared by solution mixing. XRD and DSC analysis show that the degree of clay exfoliation, crystallinity and Tg of TPU soft segments were increased in lower concentration of clay, where led to the formation of better exfoliated structure at ۰.۲۵ wt% Closite-۳۰B loading. The modeling of toluene (as an aromatic-hydrocarbon liquid) transport behavior illustrated that the permeability of nanocomposites significantly improved through preferential clay intercalation behavior in low content of Closite-۳۰B. These results implied that development of clay exfoliated structure and TPU crystallization promoted tortuous diffusion path of toluene molecules through TPU/Closite-۳۰B nanocomposites.