Study on Cyclic Compressive and Dynamic Mechanical Properties of Porous Polyurethane Composites Prepared with Hollow Silica Microspheres

Porous polycaprolactone-based polyurethane composites containing hollow silica microspheres were synthesized by one-step bulk polymerization. The effects of incorporated hollow silica microspheres on the cyclic compressive and dynamic mechanical properties of the composites were examined. Cyclic compression testing was carried out to record the accumulated stress versus strain profiles during 100 continuous loading and unloading cycles and to study the compressive behavior and time-dependent recovery of the composites. The effects of frequency on the dynamic mechanical properties of the composites was also investigated using a dynamic mechanical analyzer. Cole–Cole and Wicket plots were drawn to check the validity of the time-temperature supposition of the composites in the temperature and frequency ranges considered. Master curves of the composites were constructed based on the time-temperature superposition principle to obtain the long-term dynamic mechanical behavior of the composites.