Preparation and Characterization of <i>In Situ</i> Nanocomposites of Graphene Nanosheets/Polyurethane

Graphene nanosheets/polyurethane (GNS/PU) was prepared in situ by polymerization technique for the manufacture of PU safety shoes soles. The graphene nanosheets/polyurethane composites were characterized for their mechanical properties, thermal conductivity and abrasion resistance, and comparison is made with those of the neat polyurethane. The microstructural properties of GNS/PU were characterized by SEM. The results show that with the increase of the amount of graphene within the range of weight-percentages analyzed, the tensile strength of the composites gradually increases. The tensile strength of the GNS/PU composites increased to 64.14 MPa with 2 wt% GNS, compared with 55.1 MPa for neat PU. When the graphene sheets reached 2 wt%, the abrasion volume reached 71 mm 3 . Compared with the pure PU, the wear performance of GNS/PU composites was significantly improved.