Investigation of the effect of perlite additive on the structure and mechanical properties of rigid polyurethane foam
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36910/6775-2410-6208-2025-14(24)-51Keywords:
polyurethane foam, modification, porosity, density, mechanical characteristics, deformationAbstract
This work investigates the influence of a perlite additive (expanded granulated perlite) on the structural characteristics and mechanical properties of rigid polyurethane foam (RPUF). Based on a two-component mixture of polyol and polyisocyanate (in a weight ratio of 20:40), six groups of RPUF were synthesized by the casting method with different quantitative contents of expanded perlite in the range of 0–10 parts by weight (pbw).
The study focused on determining the patterns of change in the structural and mechanical characteristics of РPU depending on the quantitative content of the modifying additive. It was established that the perlite additive is incorporated into the polyurethane matrix heterogeneously as a filler, forming a composite foam material.
Morphological studies of the structure were carried out to evaluate the foam porosity, and the density of the modified foam samples was determined. A correlation was found between the porosity and density of RPUF with the addition of the granulated perlite additive.
The investigation of the mechanical properties of rigid RPUF modified with the perlite additive was carried out based on compression tests using the static axial loading method. From the compression diagrams, the values of mechanical characteristics (Young's modulus, yield strength, relative plastic deformation) were determined depending on the perlite additive content. It was found that at a perlite content of 4–6 pbw, a decrease in the modulus of elasticity and yield strength occurs due to an increase in the RPUF porosity. At concentrations of this additive above 6 pbw, an opposite trend is observed due to the densification of the structure and the aggregation of perlite granules.
The research results indicate a correlation between structural changes and the mechanical behavior of RPUF composites. It is noted that the quantitative content of granulated perlite influences the non-uniformity of change and variation of mechanical characteristics, in particular, Young's modulus, yield strength, and relative plastic deformation.
A conclusion is drawn regarding the relevance of the conducted research and the obtained results in the context of applied aspects of using RPUF in construction and other engineering fields as thermal insulation and structural materials with adjustable properties.
Downloads
References
1. Ates, M., Karadag, S., Eker, A.A. and Eker, B. (2022), Polyurethane foam materials and their industrial applications. Polym Int, 71: 1157-1163. https://doi.org/10.1002/pi.6441
2. Gama, N. V., Ferreira, A., & Barros-Timmons, A. (2018). Polyurethane Foams: Past, Present, and Future. Materials, 11(10), 1841. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma11101841
3. Olena Mikulich, Olga Hulay, Tetiana Furs, Vasylyna Shemet. (January 2024), Strength and mechanical characteristics of modified polyurethane foams. Procedia Structural Integrity 59(21):460-465 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prostr.2024.04.065
4. Baferani, A.H., Keshavarz, R., Asadi, M. and Ohadi, A.R. (2018), Effects of Silicone Surfactant on the Properties of Open-Cell Flexible Polyurethane Foams. Adv. Polym. Technol., 37: 71-83. https://doi.org/10.1002/adv.21643
5. Mantha, S., Chao, H., Ylitalo, A., Fitzgibbons, T., Zhou, W., Ginzburg, V., & Wang, Z. G. (2021). Effect of silicone surfactant on the CO 2 bubble nucleation in polyol. In APS March Meeting Abstracts (Vol. 2021, pp. R04-012).
6. Stanzione, M., Oliviero, M., Cocca, M., et al.Tuning of polyurethane foam mechanical and thermal properties using ball-milled cellulose, Carbohydrate Polymers, 231, 2020, 115772, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2019.115772.
7. Lubczak R., DominikBroda D., Agata W., RenataKus M. (2018), Preparation and characterization of boron-containing polyurethane foams with carbazole. Polym. Test. 70:403–412. https://doi:org/10.1016/j.polymertesting.2018.07.027
8. Chai H., Duan Q., Jiang L., Sun J. (2019), Effect of inorganic additive flame retardant on fire hazard of polyurethane exterior insulation material. J. Therm. Anal. Calorim. 135:2857–2868. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-018-7797-3
9. Obiechefu Z., Chibuzor O., Naidoo D., Hendrica M., Selby M. (2024), Comparison of biowaste fillers extracted from fish scales and collagen on the mechanical properties of high-density polyurethane foams. Polymers. 16:2825. https://doi:org/10.3390/polym16192825
