Thermoplastic polyurethane/graphene nanocomposites: the effect of graphene oxide on morphological and functional properties

Thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) have been widely used for a variety of applications such as fibers, coating, adhesives, and biomedical items because of their melt processability and versatile properties essentially related to their intrinsic two-phase segmented structure. However, their low stiffness and tensile strength as well as their weak barrier properties still limit their use. Currently, improvements of functional properties of plastics are usually obtained by the inclusion of nanofillers which, in this case, should be able to modify the segregated hard/soft domains of TPU matrix. In this frame, noteworthy results have been already achieved by using carbon based fillers as carbon nanotubes, graphene, graphene oxide, carbon nanofibers and so on. In this frame, this research was focused on blown films based on TPU composites including 0.2%, 0.5% and 1% of a commercial graphene oxide (GO). These latter were obtained according to a two-step procedure: a co-solvent methodology to obtain a concentrated TPU/graphene master followed by a dilution with the neat TPU matrix by extrusion melt compounding. Film samples were analyzed in terms of thermal, structural and barrier properties. Preliminary results indicated structural modifications of the TPU matrix as a result of the GO included with consequent influences on the water vapor barrier properties.