In Situ ceramic particle-reinforced aluminum matrix composites fabricated by reaction pressing in the TiO2 (Ti)-Al-B (B2O3) systems

Particulate TiB₂ reinforced aluminum-based metal matrix composites (MMCs) were successfully fabricated by means of the reaction processing method. TiB₂ particulates were formed in situ through the reaction of Ti and B in Ti-Al-B, TiO₂ and B in TiO₂-Al-B, and TiO₂ and B₂O₃ in TiO₂-Al-B₂O₃ systems. The results showed that in situ TiB₂ particulates formed in the Ti-Al-B system had a size of 5 μm and they exhibited block and rodlike structures. Moreover, coarse Al₃Ti blocks several tens of micrometers in size were also formed simultaneously. On the other hand, equiaxed Al₂O₃ and TiB₂ particulates with a size of less than 2 μm were formed in situ in the TiO₂-Al-B and TiO₂-Al-B₂O₃ systems. The Al₃Ti phase was completely eliminated in the TiO₂-Al-B system with increasing B content. Tensile tests revealed that the Al₂O₃ · TiB₂/Al composite fabricated from the TiO₂-Al-B system exhibits excellent mechanical properties. The yield strength of the Al₂O₃ · TiB₂/Al composite appeared to increase with increasing TiB₂ content. The yield strength of the Al₂O₃ · TiB₂/Al composite could be further increased by introducing CuO into the TiO₂-Al-B system. Such an increment in mechanical strength arose from the strengthening effect caused by the Al₂Cu precipitates. The incorporation of CuO had no effect on the in situ reaction process of the TiO₂-Al-B system. Finally, the effect of SiC addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the composites fabricated from the TiO₂-Al-B and TiO₂-Al-B-CuO systems was also investigated.     

One‐step synthesis and ring‐opening polymerization of novel macrocyclic(arylene multisulfide) oligomers

A series of macrocyclic(arylene multisulfide) oligomers were synthesized under high dilution conditions by reacting diphenyl ether/diphenyl/diphenyl disulfide/diphenyl methane with dichloro disulfide in the presence of a trace amount of iron powder by a one‐step reaction. From MALDI‐TOF mass spectra, it was established that the repeating units of the cyclization ranged from two to seven and the unit of macrocyclic(arylene multisulfide) oligomers had one to seven sulfur atoms. The macrocyclic oligomers readily underwent ring‐opening polymerization in the melt, resulting in linear, high molecular weight polymultisulfides. DSC thermograms demonstrated that the four polymultisulfides, derived from the macrocyclic(arylene multisulfide) oligomers, are amorphous in nature. The macrocyclic(arylene multisulfide) oligomers and polymers were analyzed by MALDI‐TOF‐MS, IR, HPLC, NMR, DSC, and TGA methods. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 735–741, 2004     

Tensile deformation mechanisms of polypropylene/elastomer blends reinforced with short glass fiber

Polypropylene hybrid composites reinforced with short glass fiber (SGF) and toughened with styrene–ethylene butylenes–styrene (SEBS) elastomer were prepared using extrusion and injection‐molding techniques. Moreover, hybrids compatibilized with SEBS‐grafted maleic anhydride (SEBS‐g‐MA) and hybrid compatibilized with PP grafted with maleic anhydride (PP‐g‐MA) were also fabricated. The matrix of the latter hybrid was designated as mPP and consisted of 95% PP and 5% PP‐g‐MA. Tensile dilatometry was carried out to characterize the fracture mechanisms of hybrid composites. Dilatometric responses showed that the elastic deformation was the dominant deformation mechanism for the SGF/SEBS/PP and SGF/SEBS‐g‐MA/PP hybrids. However, cavitation deformation prevailed over shearing deformation for both hybrids at the higher strain regime. The cavitation strain resulted from the debonding of glass fibers and from the crazing of the matrix in the SGF/SEBS/PP hybrid. In contrast, the cavitation was caused by the debonding of SEBS particles from the matrix of the SGF/SEBS‐g‐MA/PP hybrid. The use of PP‐g‐MA resulting in elastic deformation was the main mode of deformation in the low‐strain region for the SGF/SEBS/mPP and SEBS/SEBS‐g‐MA/mPP hybrids; thereafter, shearing appeared to dominate at the higher strain regime. This was attributed to the MA functional group improving the bonding between the SGF and PP. The correlation between fracture morphology and dilatometric responses also is presented in the article. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 87: 441–451, 2003     

反应热压(Al2O3+TiB2+Al3Ti)/Al复合材料的组织形成机制

采用B或B2O3、TiO2和Al粉反应热压制备了原位 (Al2O3 TiB2 Al3Ti)/Al复合材料,采用光学显微镜、扫描电镜和透射电镜分析了原位复合材料的显微组织.热压状态下,反应生成相Al3Ti呈大块不规则形状,尺寸约几十微米; Al2O3和TiB2为细小弥散质点,TEM分析发现TiB2颗粒呈六边形,而Al2O3颗粒呈等轴状.在以Al粉、TiO2粉和B粉为原料制备的复合材料中,除反应生成了大块的Al3Ti相外,还有细小针状Al3Ti相沉淀析出,且呈弥散分布.热挤压后大块的Al3Ti被破碎成细小弥散质点.Al2O3在TiO2和B2O3粉末表面生成; TiB2在B或B2O3粉表面形成,因而均呈弥散分布,且尺寸细小.自TiO2中还原出的Ti溶入液态Al中形成Al3Ti时,Ti可在液态Al中长距离扩散,因而Al3Ti呈大块不规则状.     

Performance characteristics of compatibilized ternary Nylon 6/ABS/LCP in-situ composites

Ternary Nylon 6/poly(acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene)(ABS)/liquid crystalline polymer (LCP) blends compatibilized by the maleic anhydride-grafted polypropylene (MAP) and solid epoxy resin (bisphenol type-A) were injection molded. Thermoplastic matrix consisting of Nylon 6/ABS (60/40) (wt%) was melt blended with various LCP (Vectra A950) contents. The effects of compatibilizer additions on the structure-mechanical property relationship of the in-situ composites reinforced with LCP were investigated. SEM observation revealed that the additions of epoxy and MAP compatibilizers to the Nylon 6/ABS/LCP blend were very effective to enhance the interfacial adhesion of its phase components. Consequently, extended long and fine LCP fibrils were formed in the skin section of in-situ composites. Tensile measurements revealed that uncompatibilized Nylon 6/ABS/LCP blend exhibited lower strength, stiffness and impact toughness. However, the incorporation of MAP and epoxy resin compatibilizers into Nylon 6/ABS/LCP blend improved its tensile strength, stiffness and impact toughness considerably. This was due to the compatibilizers effectively promoted stress transfer at the interfacial phase regions of ternary in-situ composites. The compatibilized composites exhibited mechanical anisotropy, especially for the tensile strength. Thermogravimetric measurements showed that the heat resistance and heat stability of the in-situ composites tended to increase with increasing LCP content.     

Structure and mechanical properties of the extruded blends of a liquid crystalline polymer with polypropylene

Blends of a thermoplastic, isotatic polypropylene (PP) and a liquid-crystalline polymer (LCP) based on a copolyester of hydroxynapthoic acid and hydroxybenzoic acid, were extruded. The LCP exhibited a higher viscosity than that of the PP under the extrusion conditions. Calorimetric, microscopic, static and dynamic mechanical tests were performed on these blends. Differential scanning calorimetry thermograms indicated that the crystallization temperature of PP increases slightly with increasing LCP content. Scanning electron microscopy examinations revealed that the LCP phase was elongated into microfibrils in the blends investigated. However, some undeformed spherical droplets were dispersed in the PP matrix in addition to microfibrils for the blends containing high LCP concentrations. Static tensile tests showed that the addition of LCP to PP results in an increase of the modulus of elasticity but a decrease in tensile strength. The storage modulus of the extruded blends was found to increase with the addition of LCP.     

Electrical conductivity and dielectric response of poly(vinylidene fluoride)–graphite nanoplatelet composites

Poly(vinylidene fluoride)/graphite nanoplatelets (PVDF/GNP) composites were fabricated using solution mixing followed by compression molding. The electric conducting and dielectric behavior of such nanocomposites were determined over a wide frequency range from 10² to 10⁷. The results showed that the electrical behavior of PVDF/GNP nanocomposites can be well described by the percolation theory. Both conductivity and dielectric constant were found to be greatly enhanced at the percolation threshold. A large dielectric constant of 173 and low loss tangent of 0.65 were observed in the PVDF/2.5 wt% GNP nanocomposite at 1 kHz. Moreover, dynamic mechanical analysis was also used to characterize the relaxations of polymers in PVDF/GNP nanocomposites. Dielectric and mechanical relaxations of PVDF/GNP nanocomposites showed strong dependence with frequency and temperature. The activation energy for glass transition determined from mechanical relaxation is considerably higher than that evaluated from the dielectric analysis. This resulted from different operating mechanisms for dielectric and mechanical relaxation processes.     

Microstructural and mechanical characteristics of compatibilized polypropylene hybrid composites containing potassium titanate whisker and liquid crystalline copolyester

Maleic anhydride (MA) compatibilized polypropylene (MPP) hybrid composites reinforced with potassium titanate whiskers (K₂Ti₆O₁₃) and liquid crystalline polymer (LCP) were prepared in a twin-screw extruder followed by injection molding. The surface of whiskers were treated with tetrabutyl orthotitanate before blending. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) examination showed that elongated LCP fibrils are formed in the skin section of hybrids reinforced with whiskers of various concentrations. Consequently, the hybrids reinforced with both LCP fibrils and whiskers exhibited anisotropic mechanical properties. Tensile test showed that longitudinal Young’s modulus and tensile strength of hybrids tend to increase with increasing whisker content. Moreover, the stiffness and tensile strength of hybrids were higher than those of MPP/K₂Ti₆O₁₃ composites. Such enhancement in mechanical properties resulted from the compatibilizing effect of MA-grafted-PP, and from the hybrid reinforcing effect of LCP fibrils and K₂Ti₆O₁₃ whiskers. Torque measurements revealed that LCP addition is beneficial in reducing the melt viscosity of MPP/K₂Ti₆O₁₃/LCP hybrids. The results of SEM observations generally correlate well with the mechanical measurements. The effects of MA compatibilization on the microstructure and mechanical properties of hybrids are discussed.     

基于透红外视觉传感的GMA-AM熔池图像质量评价

针对熔化极气体保护电弧(gas metal arc,GMA)增材制造(additive manufacturing,AM)图像感知,提出一种透红外熔池视觉传感方法. 为客观评价熔池图像质量,综合图像灰度、纹理、形状和频谱等四类特征定义了熔池图像质量评价参数φ. 结果表明,φ值越大,图像质量越好. 透红外熔池图像质量评价参数φ远大于近红外窄带熔池图像,熔池更清晰,对比度更高. 相比800,850和930 nm等透红外滤光片,990 nm透红外滤光片能过滤大部分电弧连续谱和特征谱,获得的熔池信息量最大,对比度更明显,边缘更清晰,细节信息更丰富,熔池图像质量最佳,是最佳取像窗口.