Original Article
Tangboriboon N, Mulsow L and S
Abstract
Calcium sodium aluminosilicate (CaNaAlSi2O7) powder was prepared from eggshells as a calcium carbonate (CaCO3) source to react with fumed silica (SiO2) and sodium aluminosilicate via the sol-gel process at room temperature. The obtained CaNaAlSi2O7 ceramic particles were used as a dispersed phase and loaded into the polyurethane (PU) foam matrix to make the thermosetting composites. The CaNaAlSi2O7 powder has high specific surface area 38.89 m2g-1 and fine particle size 13.27 μm. While PU foams are low specific surface area 1.00 m2g-1 and lightweight. When adding 10 vol% CaNaAlSi2O7 powder into PU, the thermosetting composite has high specific surface area 6.0 m2/g, lightweight, bulk density 0.213 gcm-3 ± 0.012 gcm-3, high decomposition temperature up to 790°C, and high compressive Young’s modulus 346.0 kPa ± 76.5 kPa. The CaNaAlSi2O7/PU thermosetting composites are good physical-thermal-mechanical properties and good microcellular interconnecting cells. The green CaNaAlSi2O7/PU thermosetting composites are potentially candidate materials suitable for using in various applications i.e., construction, catalysts, insulation, adsorbents, and friendly environmental materials.