Nanocomposites made from thermoplastic waterborne polyurethane and colloidal silica. The influence of nanosilica type and amount on the functional properties

Novel waterborne polyurethane/silica nanocomposites were prepared via blending of two aqueous dispersions. Polyurethane water dispersion (PUD) was synthesized from polycarbonate diol (PC), 1,6-diisocyanatohexane (HDI) and butane-1,4-diol (BD) in order to provide solely linear character of PU chain. Two types of commercial colloidal silica, Ludox AS and Ludox TMA, differing in the size, shape and type of counter ions were used. The nanocomposites...