On Modulus and Fracture Toughness of Rigid Particulate Filled High Density Polyethylene

A Kaolin-filled, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) system was used to illustrate the influence of particulates on modulus and toughness of the bulk material. A variation of filler content, particulate size and coupling quality for two HDPE-matrix systems with different viscosity led to a strong dependency of elastic modulus and fracture toughness under various testing conditions, e.g. static loading, fatigue and impact.

A stiffness improvement with increasing filler content was achieved by all coupling qualities. The developed Kaolin reinforcement of HDPE with optimised coupling offers an improvement of the stiffness and toughness under all investigated loading conditions. The degree of improvement depends on the particulate size and matrix viscosity. The energy dissipation mechanisms were investigated by fractographic analysis.     

陶瓷材料断裂韧性测试新技术：静态爆破剂预制裂纹的研究

准确测试陶瓷材料断裂韧性Ｋ１Ｃ的关键是预制具有原生裂纹的试样。本文以单边切口梁法测试Ｋ１Ｃ为基础，提出了一种简便而有效的陶瓷材料原生裂纹的预制方法－静态膨胀法。研究结果表明：静态膨胀法中裂纹的扩展是稳态的；通过调节影响微裂纹产生与扩展的多种因素，可以准确地控制裂纹扩展的深度，预制出合适的原生裂纹，为准确评价结构陶瓷的断裂韧性提供了一种有效可行的方法。     

氮化硅反应烧结的研究进展

氮化硅作为高温功能陶瓷性能优越，但将其制备成陶瓷零件比较困难，目前一般用反应烧结法制备氮化硅陶瓷零件。此外，反应烧结制备氮化硅陶瓷还具有成本低、烧结温度低、产品成型好、陶瓷高温性能好等优点。综述了氮化硅陶瓷反应烧结工艺流程和工艺的优缺点，着重介绍了氮化硅反应烧结在成型工艺、烧结工艺、原材料影响、后处理和陶瓷增韧等方面所取得的进展。     

聚氯乙烯增韧改性的研究进展

在大量文献的基础上简述了国内外聚氯乙烯(PVC)增韧改性的研究状况,从弹性体、刚性粒子、纤维状填料等共混增韧改性,到纳米技术的出现,对PVC的增韧改性赋予了PVC材料良好的性能,扩大了PVC的应用领域。但目前纳米粒子与PVC之间在纳米尺度上的相容性较差,因此加强理论研究上的深度,使这一新材料真正发挥其潜能,是今后重要的任务。     

加快创新开发,开拓聚氯乙烯压力管道系统的新局面

近年来聚氯乙烯管道取得了重大进步。PVC-M管材(改性聚氯乙烯管材)、PVC-O管材(取向聚氯乙烯管材)兼有非凡的强度和韧度,和传统的硬聚氯乙烯管材比可以采用较高的设计应力,显著地节约材料。     

Enhanced Fracture Toughness in Layered Microcomposites of Ce-ZrO2 and Al2O3

Laminar composites, containing layers of Ce-ZrO₂ and either Al₂O₃ or a mixture of Al₂O₃ and Ce-ZrO₂, have been fabricated using a colloidal method that allowed formation of layers with thicknesses as small as 10 μm. Strong interactions between these layers and the martensitic transformation zones surrounding cracks and indentations have been observed. In both cases, the transformation zones spread along the region adjacent to the layer, resulting in an increased fracture toughness. The enhanced fracture toughness was observed for cracks growing parallel to the layers as well as for those that were oriented normal to the layers.     

Phase morphology and impact toughness of impact polypropylene copolymer

Factors influencing the impact toughness of two impact polypropylene copolymers (IPC) with almost the same ethylene content, molecular weight and molecular weight distribution were studied by temperature gradient extraction fractionation (TGEF), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results indicate that poor interfacial adhesion between the disperse phase and the continuous matrix, larger dimensions and non-uniform distribution of disperse phases are main reasons for the low impact toughness of IPC B that possesses of a low content of ethylene-propylene segmented copolymer with long crystallizable PE and PP sequences as a compatibilizer between the disperse phase and the matrix.     

Statistical properties of interparticle/void distance for amorphous plastics toughening

Statistical properties of interparticle/void distance (ID) for various particle/void and dispersion types are studied in relation with toughening of plastics using computer‐generated three‐dimensional models. Particle/void size groups adopted were either of constant diameter or of log‐normal distribution. Particles/voids were dispersed at uniform‐random or flocculated with multiple clusters. It was found that IDs are (a) of approximately Gaussian distribution for particles/voids of either a constant diameter or a log‐normal distribution, when they are dispersed at uniform‐random, but (b) not of Gaussian distribution for particle/void sizes of bimodal log‐normal distribution, nor for flocculated log‐normal distribution of particles/voids dispersed with multiple clusters. It was also found that the degree of ID uniformity for a single group of log‐normally sized particles/voids is not sensitive to standard deviation of particle/void size. Mixing effect on ID properties using two groups of log‐normally distributed particles/voids with similar mean particle/void diameters was simulated. It was found that, when a significant amount (36 vol %) of particles/voids of a small mean and standard deviation of ID was mixed with a group of particles/voids of a large mean and standard deviation of ID, mean and standard deviation of ID for the mixture were not substantially lower than those of the group of particles/voids of the large mean and standard deviation of ID. It was also found that the degree of ID uniformity for the mixture of the two groups was lower than those of individual groups, indicating that the mixing has deleterious effect on toughening. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 101: 4256–4262, 2006     

Study on the structure and properties of cyanate ester/bentonite nanocomposites

Cyanate ester (CE)/bentonite (BT) nanocomposites were prepared by melt blending of CE with NH₄⁺‐BT. The nanostructure of CE/BT nanocomposites was studied by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It was found that partially intercalated and partially exfoliated structures coexisted in CE/BT nanocomposites containing 2.5 wt % BT with respect to that of bulk CE. Below 2.5 wt % BT content, a totally exfoliated and disordered structure was formed in the nanocomposites. The exfoliated BT enhanced the toughness of CE/BT nanocomposites. The impact strength showed a maximum of 7.1kJ/m² at 1 wt % BT, compared to 3.8kJ/m² of pure CE. Furthermore, results of thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) suggest that CE/BT nanocomposites have higher thermal stability. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 96: 632–637, 2005     

Compatibilization of Poly(ethylene terephthalate)/Polypropylene Blends with Maleic Anhydride Grafted Polyethylene-Octene Elastomer

Blends of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and polypropylene (PP) at composition 80/20 with and without a compatibilizing agent were studied. Both materials are widely used in the soft drink bottle industry. The compatibilizing agent was a maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene-octene elastomer (POE-g-MA). The olefinic segment of POE is compatible with PP, whereas the maleic anhydride is affined with PET carbonyl groups. The effectiveness of the compatibilizing agent was evaluated using different techniques, such as Fourier transform IR spectroscopy, mechanical analysis, scanning electron microscopy, dynamic mechanical analysis, and rheological analysis. The results show that the addition of POE-g-MA promotes a fine dispersed-phase morphology, and improves process ability and toughness of these blends. Shifts in the glass-transition temperature of the PET phase and the increase in the melt viscosity of the compatibilized blends indicated enhanced interactions between the discrete PET and PP phases induced by the functional compatibilizer.