Scalable, hydrophobic and highly-stretchable poly(isocyanurate-urethane) aerogels
Sadeq Malakooti1, Saman Rostami1, Habel Gitogo Churu2
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson TX 75080 USA hongbing.lu@utdallas.edu +1 972 883 4647.
RSC Advances
|May 11, 2022
Summary
We developed scalable, low-density poly(isocyanurate-urethane) aerogels with excellent mechanical properties. These flexible, hydrophobic materials demonstrate high compressibility and stretchability, suitable for engineering applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
Background:
- Scalable, low-density, and flexible aerogels possess unique mechanical properties and manufacturability.
- Organic aerogels are of interest for advanced engineering applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate and characterize a family of low-density, ambient-dried, and hydrophobic poly(isocyanurate-urethane) aerogels.
- To investigate the mechanical behavior of these aerogels under various conditions.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of poly(isocyanurate-urethane) aerogels from a triisocyanate precursor.
- Measurement of bulk densities, porosities, and mechanical properties (tensile, compressive, dynamic).
- Analysis of mechanical behavior under quasi-static and dynamic (Hopkinson pressure bar) conditions.
Main Results:
- Aerogels with bulk densities from 0.28 to 0.37 g cm-3 and porosities >70% were produced.
- High stretchability (>100% tensile strain) and compressibility (>80% strain) with rapid shape recovery were observed.
- Dynamic mechanical properties showed significant frequency- and rate-dependence, with strengths three orders of magnitude higher under dynamic impact.
Conclusions:
- The study provides fundamental understanding of the mechanical behavior of scalable organic aerogels.
- The developed aerogels exhibit promising properties for applications in damping, energy absorption, and flexible device substrates.
