Effects of CaCO3 and Kaolin Filler Loadings on Some Mechanical Properties of Poly Urethane Foams

Abstract

In Nigeria, the foam industries basically use CaCO 3 as filler in polyurethane (PU) foam manufacture. This has contributed to the high importation of this mineral, thereby, increasing dependency on imported goods. It is for this reason that, kaolin, a clay deposit commonly found on the upper Plateau in Central Nigeria is utilized as a potential filler in replacement or as a supplement for CaCO 3 .Various masses (0,2,4,6,8,10,12,14, and 16 g) of the fillers (CaCO 3 or kaolin) were used in curing of PU foams and mechanical properties such as density, tensile strength, elongation at break, creep recovery and compression set were determined. Tensile strength values for CaCO 3 and kaolin filled conventional polymer (CPO) are far higher than for CaCO 3 and kaolin filled polymer polyol (PPO), generally. However, kaolin filled CPO foam display higher peaks at 2 g and 4 g compared to CaCO 3 filled CPO within the same range. Similarly, CaCO 3 filled CPO foams show higher peaks between 6 g and 12 g compared to kaolin filled CPO within the same concentration which seems to suggest that CaCO 3 exhibits better filler acceptance (compatibility) at higher concentration to a limiting value. In the same vein, kaolin filled PPO foams exhibit tensile strength properties higher than CaCO 3 filled PPO within the same concentration. Creep recovery for kaolin filled CPO are far higher than those of PPO, demonstrating that kaolin