Fly ash/polyurethane thin film for the adsorption of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from air

Polyurethane (PU) films containing different amounts of fly ash particles (FAPs) were prepared by simple solution casting method. The morphological, thermal, and mechanical properties of the composite films were investigated by several characterization methods. Results show that sufficient amounts (up to 40 wt%) of FAPs can be incorporated throughout the film. The presence of FAPs within PU film not only acts as filler to increase the mechanical strength of the film but also increases its volatile organic compounds (VOCs) adsorption capacity. The VOCs adsorption capacity of FAPs/PU composite films were investigated on three different compounds (chloroform, toluene, and benzene). It showed consistent trend in the order of toluene > benzene > chloroform for all the samples. The VOCs adsorption capacity of PU film was found to be increased by two fold when 20 wt% of FA was incorporated through it. The present results suggest the potential use of FAPs as filler materials for PU films with improved VOCs adsorption from outdoor and indoor air.