Abstract :
Polyurethane foam nanocomposite material in the absorption of microwaves is very
important in the military world and as a protection from interference caused by the
development of microwave electronics and telecommunications systems that are
wireless. Zeolites are natural materials are quite abundant and has the largest content
of silica and alumina. In this study, the nanocomposite polyurethane as microwave
absorption material prepared using natural nanozeolit Sarulla North Sumatra and
commercial iron oxide as filler. The percentage weight of the polyurethane filler varied
by 10, 20 and 30% by weight. Nanozeolit formed by using a planetary ball mill and the
size and distribution of particles identified by using Particle Size Analyzer.
Nanocomposite, prepared using in-situ reaction of polyethylene glycol and toluene
diisocyanate, then characterized the mechanical properties using tensile test and
thermal properties (using TGA and techniques DSC), as well as the morphology and
chemical compound using SEM and EDS as well as the magnetic properties by using
VSM. Microwave absorption characteristics characterized by using a Vector Network
Analyzer at a frequency of 8-12 GHz. The results of TGA thermal characterization
techniques stating that the polyurethane foam nanocomposite has a residual 16.89% at
a temperature of 580.01 ° C and nanocomposite polyurethane foams have residual
34.22% at a temperature of 589.82 ° C. Results of analysis using DSC techniques
showed that the decomposition of the polyurethane foam is 344.80 ° C and
decomposition of the polyurethane foam nanocomposite is 380.18 ° C. Improved
thermal properties of the nanocomposite polyurethane foam caused by the nanozeolite
filler and iron oxide which results in increase of the polyurethane foam nanocomposite
thermal characteristics. Tensile test properties results showed the best tensile test is
5.83 MPa with polyurethane foam nanocomposite composition was polyurethane foam:
nanozeolite: iron oxide = (90: 6: 4) %wt, the addition of filler will reduced
polyurethane foam nanocomposite materials tensile test characteristic. The microwave
absorption properties, which investigated by Vector Network Analyzer, of the
nanocomposite filled in the polyurethane foam with composition of polyurethane foam :
nanozeolite : iron oxide = (80:12:8) %wt have reflection loss -40,588 dB (> 99,9%
microwave absorption) at frequency 10,920 GHz. NRW calculation method obtained
that the relative permeability (?r) of polyurethane foam nanocomposite higher than the
polyurethane foam nanocomposite relative permittivity (?r). This shows that the
polyurethane foam nanocomposite with Sarulla natural nanozeolite filler material and
iron oxide is a promising microwave absorbing material.