Surface modification of Fe2O3 nanoparticles with 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS): An attempt to investigate surface treatment on surface chemistry and mechanical properties of polyurethane/Fe2O3 nanocomposites

Fe2O3 nanoparticles were modified with various amounts of 3-amino propyl trimethoxy silane (APTMS). Modified and unmodified nanoparticles were introduced into the polyurethane matrix at different concentrations. Fourier transform infrared radiation (FT-IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectrophotometer (XPS) were employed in order to investigate the APTMS grafting on the nanoparticles field emission-scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) was utilized in order to investigate nanoparticles dispersion in the polyurethane coating matrix as well as the fracture behavior of the nanocomposites. The mechanical properties of the nanocomposites were investigated by dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) and tensile test. The FTIR spectra and XPS analysis clearly showed that APTMS was grafted on the surface of nanoparticles successfully and formed chemical bonds with the surface. Also, surface treatment of the nanoparticles by silane resulted in the significant improvement of the mechanical properties of the polyurethane coating. The improvement was most pronounced when the nanoparticles were modified with 3 gr silane/5 g nanoparticles.