Lightweight,Elastomeric, and Flame‐Retardant Foams from Expanded Chlorinated Polymers

Intrinsically flame‐retardant polymers based on lightweight and elastomeric microcellular foams are successfully prepared from flexible chlorinated polyethylene (CPE)/chlorinated polyvinylchloride (CPVC) compounds through compression molding foaming technology. The incorporation of CPVC to CPE at once improves the foam characteristics, and enhances the mechanical and fire performances. Due to the plausible intermolecular and intramolecular crosslinking among the polymer chains, the dense network structure of CPE/CPVC with enhanced strength results in increased cell size, reduced cell density, and improved dimensional stability of CPE/CPVC foams (CCFs). These improvements are noticed to be enhanced with increasing CPVC content in the CCF. Also, the flame‐retardant properties of the foams (i.e., limiting oxygen index and cone calorimeter combustion) are found to be increased with the increase of CPVC content. For instance, a highly flame‐retardant CCF at CPE/CPVC ratio of 60/40 shows a shorter combustion period, as derived from the respective heat release rate vs time curve. Corresponding peaks of heat release rate, total heat release rate, peak of mass loss rate, total smoke release, and char residue are recorded to be 8.4%, 5.8%, 3.0%, 6.6%, and 1000.1% of those recorded for the pristine CPE foam.     

Graphene nanoplatelets composite membranes for thermal comfort enhancement in performance textiles

The advent of 2D nanostructured materials as advanced fillers for polymer matrix composites has opened the doors to a plethora of new industrial applications requiring both electric and thermal management. Unique properties, in fact, can arise from accurate selection and processing of 2D fillers and their matrix. Here, we report an innovative family of nanocomposite membranes based on polyurethane (PU) and graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs), designed to improve thermal comfort in functional textiles. GNP particles were thoroughly characterized (through Raman, atomic force microscopy, high-resolution TEM, scanning electron microscope), and showed high crystallinity (I_D/I_G = 0.127), low thickness (D50 < 6–8 layers), and high lateral dimensions (D50 ≈ 3 μm). When GNPs were loaded (up to 10% wt/wt) into the PU matrix, their homogeneous dispersion resulted in an increase of the in-plane thermal conductivity of composite membranes up to 471%. The thermal dissipation of membranes, alone or coupled with cotton fabric, was further evaluated by means of an ad hoc system designed to simulate a human forearm. The results obtained provide a new strategy for the preparation of membranes suitable for technical textiles, with improved thermal comfort.     

Formation of SBS triblock copolymers using waste soybean oil as coupling agent

Triglyceride in the waste soybean oil (WSO) was used as coupling agent to synthesize a linear styrene‐butadiene‐styrene (SBS) triblock copolymer. The reaction occurred via a living anionic polymerization of styrene‐butadiene block copolymer (SB) using n‐butyllithium as initiator and cyclohexane as solvent and followed by the coupling reaction with the added WSO. Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) showed that for all SB‐Li precursors except the one with the M_n of 1000 g/mol, the resultant products consisted of two different sizes, one with the nearly comparable size with the precursor, the other with a M_n two‐fold higher than the precursor. On the other hand, the reaction of the SB‐Li precursor with the M_n of 1000 g/mol and the WSO only resulted in forming the molecule with a M_n two‐fold higher than the precursor. The results from the GPC and spectral analysis supported that upon the nucleophilic attack the ester group of the triglyceride in the WSO was broken, giving the SB‐C(O)‐fatty acid susceptible to the second the nucleophilic attack, thus forming the coupled product. The size of the SB‐Li precursor, the SB‐Li : WSO molar ratio, the S:B weight ratio and the coupling time were found to influence on the coupling efficiency. However, the size of the SB‐Li precursor showed highest impact on the coupling efficiency at which the larger the SB‐Li precursor, the lower the coupling efficiency. Regardless of the low coupling efficiency of the WSO, the WSO was found to be a potential coupling agent for the formation of the linear triblock copolymer. This was because the SBS triblock copolymer containing high SB diblock copolymers and prepared by the WSO showed slightly higher tensile strength than the one with less SB diblock copolymers prepared by a traditional coupling agent. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40684.     

The interpretation of the English landscape garden between 1815 and 1840 through Xavier Kurten’s work in Piedmont (north-west Italy)

Xavier Kurten (?–1840) was a Prussian landscape gardener who worked for the Savoy family in the Piedmont region of Italy in the first half of the nineteenth century. He designed or redesigned all royal parks, creating a specific style based on the English naturalistic garden approach. This research was performed with the aim of investigating the development of the English landscape garden in Italy. Historical documents relating to Kurten’s biography and his work in Piedmont, including plans, were collected and analysed. We analyse and discuss the features that characterised his work: the relationship between the landscape—garden—house, the path system, the use of water, the vegetation, and the garden as a productive landscape. Kurten’s style is compared with the projects of William Kent and Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown.     

Thermal,morphological, and physicomechanical properties of (chlorinated polyethylene rubber)/(chloroprene rubber) blends

The effect of the blend ratio on the thermal, morphological, and physicomechanical properties of (chlorinated polyethylene rubber)/(chloroprene rubber) (CPE/CR) blends was studied. Two distinct glass transition temperatures (T_g) of all blends were observed in differential scanning calorimetry curves, falling between the T_g of the two pure rubbers. Analysis of the blends by scanning electron microscopy showed both dispersed and continuous phase morphology that depended on the blend composition. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that all the compounds underwent two stages of thermal degradation. The Mooney viscosity and optimum cure times increased with the increase in CPE contents, whereas the scorch times decreased. The tensile strength and elongation at break decreased, whereas the 100% modulus, hardness, and compression set increased with the increase of CPE content; the tear strength had the lowest value for the 50/50 CPE/CR blend because of the poor miscibility. The results from thermal aging and oil resistance tests showed that pure CPE possessed better thermal aging property and oil resistance than those of pure CR. Thus, considerable improvement in oil resistance of the blend compounds was achieved with the increase of CPE content. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 21:18–23, 2015. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Computational Analysis of Oxide Ion Conduction in Orthorhombic Perovskite Structured La0.9A0.1InO2.95 (A = Ca,Sr and Ba)

Oxide ion conduction in orthorhombic perovskite structured oxides, La_0.9A_0.1InO_2.95 (A = Ca, Sr and Ba) is analyzed using molecular dynamics simulation. Factors influencing oxide ion conductivity of the compositions considered are analyzed using radial distribution function, bond energies between dopant and oxide ions, and the diffusion path. It is known that perovskite oxides with smaller ion size mismatch between host and dopant ions have higher electrical conductivities. However, exceptions exist, such as a La_0.9A_0.1InO_2.95 (A = Ca, Sr and Ba) system, where high electrical conductivities occur with large ion size mismatches. Based on this study, a dopant with smaller ion than host ion results in the formation of strong ionic bonds with oxide ions, suggesting that the A‐site dopant should be larger than the host ion for forming weaker O–A bonds. Consequently, the trade‐off between ion size mismatch and O–A bond needs to be considered for enhancing oxide ion conductivity of perovskite oxides.     

A Process Pattern Model for Tackling and Improving Big Data Quality

Data seldom create value by themselves. They need to be linked and combined from multiple sources, which can often come with variable data quality. The task of improving data quality is a recurring challenge. In this paper, we use a case study of a large telecom company to develop a generic process pattern model for improving data quality. The process pattern model is defined as a proven series of activities, aimed at improving the data quality given a certain context, a particular objective, and a specific set of initial conditions. Four different patterns are derived to deal with the variations in data quality of datasets. Instead of having to find the way to improve the quality of big data for each situation, the process model provides data users with generic patterns, which can be used as a reference model to improve big data quality.     

Graphene: Materials to devices (invited)

Despite recent progress in understanding geometric structure, electronic structure, and transport properties in a graphene device (GD), role of point defects, edges, traps in a GD or a gate insulator has been poorly defined. We have studied electronic and geometric structures of these defects using scanning probe microscopy and try to link those with the transport properties of the GD. We perform scanning gate microscopy study to understand the local carrier scattering. It was found that geometric corrugations, defects and edges directly influence the local transport current. This observation is linked directly with a proposed scattering model based on macroscopic transport measurements. We suggest that dangling bonds in insulator-material SiO₂ mainly used in GDs produce charge puddles and they work as scattering centers.