Preparation and properties of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane functionalized graphene/polyurethane nanocomposite coatings

Silicone-modified graphene was successfully synthesized by treating graphene oxide with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (AMEO) and then reduced by hydrazine hydrate. Subsequently, the AMEO-functionalized graphene was incorporated into polyurethane (PU) matrix to prepare AMEO-functionalized graphene/PU nanocomposite coatings. The functionalized graphene could disperse homogenously by means of a covalent connection with PU. AMEO-functionalized graphene (AFG)-reinforced PU nanocomposite coatings showed more excellent mechanical and thermal properties than those of pure PU. A 227 % increase in tensile strength and a 71.7 % improvement of elongation at break were obtained by addition 0.2 wt% of AFG. Meanwhile, thermogravimetric analysis reveals that thermal degradation temperature was enhanced almost 50 °C higher than that of neat PU, and differential scanning calorimetry analysis demonstrates that glass transition temperature decreased by around 9 °C. The thermal conductivity of AFG/PU nanocomposite coatings also increased by 40 % at low AFG loadings of 0.2 wt%.