Preparation and properties of polyurethane/zeolite 13X composites

The pre-polymerization method was used to prepare polyurethane/zeolite 13X (PU/13X) composites. The effects of zeolite 13X content and its surface organic modification on the mechanical properties of composites were investigated. It was demonstrated that the mechanical properties of PU/13X composites were better than that of pure PU. The surface organic modification of zeolite 13X had no obvious effect on the mechanical properties of PU/13X composites. The optimal tensile strength and tear strength were obtained with 3–5% and 5–7% zeolite 13X loading, respectively. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) results showed that the decomposition temperature of PU/13X composites increased in comparison with pure PU. Dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA) suggested a lower glass transition temperature (Tg) and better micro-phase separation of soft and hard segments in PU/13X composites. Besides, PU/13X composites had excellent solvent resistance performance.

Research highlights
► We developed a series of composites with polyurethane and zeolite 13X.
► PU/13X composites had excellent solvent resistance performance.
► The effects of loading 13X on polyurethane were also investigated.