Nanoclay reinforced UV curable waterborne polyurethane hybrids

Waterborne polyurethane (PU)/clay nanocomposites were synthesized by incorporating the chemically modified clay into the main chain of PU by UV cure where modification was made using vinyltrimethoxysilane (VTMS) via sol-gel reaction. It was found that VTMS modified clay gave dual effects of multifunctional cross-link as well as reinforcing filler and significantly augmented hardness, tensile modulus and strength, rubbery modulus, gel content and swelling resistance, glass transition temperature and thermal stability of the waterborne PU.