Characterization of graphite polyurethanes composite from renewable based oils

• Main Author: Kamarudin, Mohamad Saddam
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English; English; English
• Published: 2020
• Subjects: TA401-492 Materials of engineering and construction. Mechanics of materials
• Online Access: http://eprints.uthm.edu.my/1015/

This thesis aims to evaluate the characterization of graphite polyurethane composite from renewable based oils. Virgin cooking oil (VCO) as a renewable resource is the main substance in fabricating the renewable polyurethane (PU) and its graphite as called polyurethane graphite (PG). The fabricating sample have two methods that is open casting and heat press method. PU and PG with different percentage of graphite as filler were investigated for structural, morphological, physical and mechanical properties that going through a several testing including Optical Microscope (OM), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis), Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR), Density Test, Tensile test and cross-link density. The renewable polyurethane is namely as PU and polyurethane graphite is namely as PG2, PG4, PG6, PG8, PG10 with subscript numbers indicate the weight loading of graphite content was varied in the renewable polyurethane from 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10wt%. The result of SEM and OM showed that the graphite particles are randomly distributed and homogeneously scattered well in the PU due to interconnected interface within the matrix of polymeric composites. UV- Vis technique is used to characterize the absorption, transmission and reflectivity of the PU and PG’s otherwise the FT-IR is used for determine the composition and characterize the polymer structure of PU and PG’s. As expected, the mechanical properties of composites proven that the addition of graphite can change the matrix properties of PU to improve modulus and consequent lowered the tan delta with respected of increasing the temperature. The calculated cross-linked density of PU and PG composites revealed the increment of graphite particle loading gives highest result of cross-linking and this is due to the PG10 is the highest graphite content and the highest value of storage modulus, highest value of tensile strength and the highest value of young modulus. Therefore, the result shows the renewable polymer graphite composite is suitable to be used in various composites applications.