Polyurethane (PU) is one of the most important engineering polymers that are widely used in commercial applications. One of its derivatives, Polycarbonate polyurethane (PCPU), is a novel thermoplastic urethane that has the ability to repair itself over time after mechanical breakage. Literature has shown the incorporation of nanomaterials into polymers for applications in surface treatment, due to their large surface area and size/shape-dependent physicochemical properties. It has been found that nanosilver is the most promising nanoparticle in polymer composites because it possesses antibacterial agents with potential to be used as coating for medical devices and food packaging. In this study we incorporated nanosilver into PCPU to develop a novel polymer nanocomposite. Silver polymer nanocomposites have been reported in literature, but it has not been incorporated into our novel polymer for research in material sciences. The nanosilver/PCPU composite was made to its maximum efficacy to adsorb nanosilver particles in a homogeneous manner. It was observed that an increase in nanosilver concentration changed the polymer’s thermal and mechanical properties. These polymer nanocomposites were characterized using Rheology, FTIR Spectroscopy, Antimicrobial Testing and UV/Vis Spectroscopy.

Processing and characterization of polycarbonate-polyurethane/nanosilver composites

251st National Meeting (2016)

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