TITLE:
Optimum Calcium Carbonate Filler Concentration for Flexible Polyurethane Foam Composite
AUTHORS:
M. A. Usman, S. O. Adeosun, G. O. Osifeso
KEYWORDS:
polyurethane, CaCO3, tensile strength, elongation at break, indentation hardness.
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Minerals and Materials Characterization and Engineering,
Vol.11 No.3,
March
20,
2012
ABSTRACT: The production cost of flexible polyurethane foam is significantly dependent on the cost of polyol, which constitute the largest percentage of materials used in foam production with the characteracterics to induce superior mechanical properties. Suitable fillers that are relatively cheap can be introduced in the foam matrix as replacement for polyol. However, certain compositions of filler have deleterious effect on some relevant mechanical properties of the foam. This paper investigates the effect of CaCO3 filler in flexible polyurethane foam matrix for the dual purposes of achieving sustained mechanical properties and reduction in production cost. The optimum CaCO3 composition was found to be 20 wt % representing a concomitant 18.54% reduction in cost of production.