Development of hardened PVF : PMMA polyblend: effect of gamma and electron irradiation

Specimens of poly(vinyl formal) (PVF) : poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) polyblends with different weight percentage ratios were subjected to gamma irradiation (1 to 50 Mrad) and electron irradiation (1 to 20 Mrad). The effect of irradiation on the strength of the blend specimens was studied by measuring the surface microhardness using a Vickers microhardness tester attached to a Carl Zeiss NU 2 Universal research microscope. Significant changes were observed in the Vickers microhardness number, H_v. The H_v values of gamma irradiated specimens are found to be higher than the unirradiated specimens indicating an occurrence of radiational crosslinking. The maximum value of H_v is obtained at the gamma radiation dose of 15 Mrad. In case of electron irradiation the radiational crosslinking is found to take place for the blend specimens having lower wt% content of PMMA (0 and 1 wt%) in PVF matrix. On the other hand degradation of polymeric system is observed for the blends having PMMA content more than 1 wt‰ The maximum value of H_v is obtained for all the blend specimens at the electron irradiation dose of 8 Mrad. The degree of crosslinking in polyblends due to gamma irradiation is found to be more than electron irradiation. The scissioning mechanism is found to predominate in the polyblend system in case of electron irradiation.     

Surface modification on PMMA : PVDF polyblend: hardening under chemical environment

The influence of chemical environment on polymers include the surface alteration as well as other deep modifications in surface layers. The surface hardening, as an effect of organic liquids on poly(methyl methacrylate): poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PMMA: PVDF), which is one of the few known miscible blends, has been detected using microhardness testing. Organic liquids like acetone, toluene, xylene and benzene were introduced on the surface of blend specimens for different durations. Vickers microhardness (H _v) was measured for treated and untreated specimens. The study reveals both hardening and plasticization of specimens at different exposure times. The degree of surface hardening is maximum under acetone treatment. All the specimens exhibit surface hardening at an exposure time of 1 h with all the four liquids. This feature is prominent with longer exposures for specimens with increasing content of PVDF. However, the degree of hardening decreases with the time of exposure in the respective environments. In general, acetone and toluene impart surface hardening, whereas, xylene and benzene soften the specimen. PMMA: PVDF (83 : 17) blend exhibits surface hardening under all the four treatments when compared with the respective untreated specimens.     

Study on the interfacial micro-voids of poly(vinylidene difluoride)/polyurethane blend membrane

The poly(vinylidene difluoride)/polyurethane (PVDF/PU) blend membrane was prepared using the method of immersion-precipitation process. The influence of the miscibility of the two polymers on the formation of the interfacial micro-voids (IFMs) of the blend membranes was analyzed by the theory of thermodynamics and discussed with DMA, DSC and SEM. The effect of working pressure on the pure water flux (PWF) of the IFMs was also studied using membrane instrument. Results show that the IFMs are formed due to the miscibility of PVDF and PU. The existence of IFMs attributes much to the PWF of the PVDF/PU blend membrane, and the PWF of the IFMs is related not only to the miscibility of PVDF and PU but also to the deformation of IFMs under working pressure.     

Modification on crystallization of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) by solvent extraction of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) in PVDF/PMMA blends

The crystallization modification of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) was investigated for the blend films of PVDF and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). The mass crystallinity (χ_c) and further, the β-phase content (F_(β)) of PVDF, were studied for the as-prepared blend films with different mass ratios. In addition, the variations of χ_c and F_(β) were systematically probed once the PMMA component was removed from the related blend systems. DSC, FTIR and XRD measurements all indicated that 1) χ_c, F_(β) and even the content of α-phase (F_(α)) decreased with the addition of PMMA; 2) with the extraction of PMMA, both χ_c and F_(β) increased while F_(α) decreased. It is worth noting that the increase of χ_c and F_(β) depended on the relative amount of extracted PMMA (E_PMMA), i.e., the more PMMA was removed, the more χ_c and F_(β) increased. These results reveal the hindrance effect from the PMMA constituent to the crystallization of PVDF, and consequently, this restriction would be released when the PMMA was extracted.     

Preparation of polyurethane/poly(vinylidene fluoride) blend hollow fibre membrane using melt spinning and stretching

Melt spinning and stretching process was used to prepare polyurethane/poly(vinylidene difluoride) (PU/PVDF) blend hollow fibre membrane in this study. Rheological properties of melts of PU, PVDF and their blends were studied by observing their melting viscosity changing with shear rate and temperature. Morphologies of PU/PVDF blend hollow fibre membranes with different mass ratios were also observed by SEM and results showed that PU/PVDF mass ratio of 3:1 was relatively better condition for membrane preparation. The forming mechanism of the interfacial microvoids in PU/PVDF blends was also investigated and PU/PVDF blend hollow fibre membrane with water flux of ～2174 L m^?2 h^?1 was finally obtained under the pressure of 0·1 MPa.     

MISCIBILITY OF POLY(VINYLIDENE FLUORIDE) WITH C60-CONTAINING POLY(ETHYL METHACRYLATE), POLY(METHYL ACRYLATE), OR POLY(ETHYL ACRYLATE)

C₆₀ was incorporated onto poly(ethyl methacrylate), poly(methyl acrylate) and poly(ethyl acrylate). The miscibility of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) with the C₆₀-containing polymers was examined. PVDF is miscible with all the six C₆₀-containing polymer samples as shown by the optical clarity of the melt and the existence of a single glass transition temperature in each blend. The polymer-polymer interaction parameters of various blend systems were evaluated by the melting point depression method.     

Latex derived blends of poly(vinyl acetate) and natural rubber: thermal and mechanical properties

Poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) and natural rubber blends (NR) were prepared by low shear blending of the corresponding lattices. Thin films were cast using a doctor blade technique. SEM and DMA confirmed the essential immiscibility of the two polymers. Even when the poly(vinyl acetate) forms the matrix phase, it still contains domains encapsulated by a rubber phase where particles that resemble the original latex are visible. This incomplete droplet coalescence of the poly(vinyl acetate) is attributed to the fact that the rubber latex droplets were an order of magnitude smaller than the poly(vinyl acetate) latex droplets. Tensile testing revealed a nonlinear dependence of tensile strength and elongation on blend composition. Surprisingly good tensile yield strengths were obtained at intermediate to high PVAc contents. Thermogravimetric analysis of degradation in air and nitrogen atmospheres indicated independent degradation of the parent polymers.     

Synthesis and characterization of films based on cross linked blends of poly (vinylalcohol) and poly (vinylpyrrolidone) with glutaraldehyde for tissue engineering application

In these recent years, polymer blending is one of the significant interests by tissue engineering experts, since blending could produce biomaterials with enhanced physical and biological properties compare to the parent materials. In this context, present study aims at formation and characterization of polymeric blend of poly (vinylalcohol) and poly (vinylpyrrolidone) produced for tissue engineering application. Both polymers are blended at different concentrations to obtain films and nanofibers using solvent casting and electrospinning method respectively. The successful blending is confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Field emission scanning electron microscope analysis and X‐ray diffraction. Later glutaraldehyde was added to chemically cross link the polymers and its effect was investigated on swelling and solubility properties of the blend. Experimental results reveal a relevant enhancement in the properties of poly (vinylalcohol) and poly (vinylpyrrolidone) blend when glutaraldehyde was added.     

MISCIBILITY OF POLY(VINYLIDENE FLUORIDE) WITH C60-CONTAINING POLY(ETHYL METHACRYLATE), POLY(METHYL ACRYLATE), OR POLY(ETHYL ACRYLATE)

C₆₀ was incorporated onto poly(ethyl methacrylate), poly(methyl acrylate) and poly(ethyl acrylate). The miscibility of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) with the C₆₀-containing polymers was examined. PVDF is miscible with all the six C₆₀-containing polymer samples as shown by the optical clarity of the melt and the existence of a single glass transition temperature in each blend. The polymer-polymer interaction parameters of various blend systems were evaluated by the melting point depression method.     

Mechanical study of poly(vinylidene fluoride)-poly(methyl methacrylate) amorphous blends

Amorphous films of poly(vinylidene fluoride)-poly (methyl methacrylate) were prepared by initial precipitation from a solvent and rapid solidification at ≈ 15 °C from the molten state. The PVDF/PMMA compositions studied were 25/75, 45/55, 50/50, 55/45, 60/40 and 75/25. X-ray scattering analysis suggests that mixture of the two components throughout the composition range studied occurs at a molecular level. The parallel decrease of the microhardness, which obeys a simple expression:H _blend =H _PMMA (1−φ) (φ being the PVDF concentration) and the glass transition temperature,T _g, following the predictions, of Gordon and Taylor, reveals that the depression of microhardness is caused by the shift ofT _g towards lower temperatures. It is pointed out that the effect of PVDF molecules is to act as a softening agent within the PMMA component.     

Structural and morphological changes in Poly(caprolactone)/poly(vinyl chloride) blends caused by UV irradiation

Films made from a blend of poly(ε-caprolactone) and poly(vinyl chloride) (PCL/PVC) retained high crystallinity in a segregated PCL phase. Structural and morphological changes produced when the films were exposed to high potency ultraviolet (UV) irradiation for 10 h were measured by UV-Vis spectroscopy (UV-Vis), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). They were different to those observed with homopolymer PCL and PVC films treated under the same conditions. The FTIR spectra of the PCL/PVC blend suggest that blending decreased the susceptibility of the PCL to crystallize when irradiated. Similarly, although scanning electron micrographs of PCL showed evidence of growth of crystalline domains, particularly after UV irradiation, the images of PCL/PVC were fairly featureless. It is apparent that the degradation behavior is strongly influenced by the interaction of the two polymers in the amorphous phase.     

一种水泥混凝土用聚合物共混物的微观形态及其变化机理研究

一种水混凝土用聚合物共混物的微观形态及其变化机理研究表明,聚合物总浓度不超过20％时,等量酯比的共混物微观形态随聚合物总浓度的增大而逐渐由致密体结构变成网络状结构,聚合物总浓度为20％时,不同配比的共混物微观形态比等量配比的共混物的网络状诚结构均匀为特征,B聚合物在共混体系中兼起消泡剂作用,同时探讨了各共混物微观形态与两聚合物分子链在共混体系中的物理化学行为之间的关系。     

磺化聚苯醚/聚醚酰亚胺共混质子交换膜的制备与性能

以磺化聚苯醚(SPPO)和聚醚酰亚胺(PEI)为原料,采用溶液共混法制备了SPPO/PEI共混质子交换膜,并经扫描电镜(SEM)、热重分析、拉伸测试等对膜的结构和性能进行了表征。结果表明,共混膜较纯SPPO膜具有更高的热稳定性、力学性能和尺寸稳定性;SPPO与PEI之间的强烈氢键相互作用使两组分之间并未发生明显的相分离。PEI的引入虽使得共混膜的质子传导率有所下降,但对于PEI含量在40%以下的共混膜,其质子传导率仍维持在约10-2S/cm的数量级水平,能满足质子交换膜的要求。     

Effect of new poly 2-acryloyl-N,N'-bis (4-nitrophenyl) propandiamide and poly 2-acryloyl-N,N'-bis (4-methylphenyl) propandiamide and their synergistic action on the stability of nitrocellulose

The stability of nitrocellulose can be significantly improved by incorporating two novel polymeric compounds as new stabilizers, each has two p-substituted phenyl rings in its repeating unit. The two prepared polymers were used independently and in three different blend ratios in comparison with the conventional propellant stabilizer, diphenylamine. The efficiency of the prepared stabilizers and their synergistic effect were evaluated using thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), Bergmann-Junk test and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). It was found that both polymers and their 50%:50% blend ratio are more efficient nitrocellulose stabilizers than diphenylamine.     

Osteointegration of poly(<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">l</Emphasis>-lactic acid)PLLA and poly(<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">l</Emphasis>-lactic acid)PLLA/poly(ethylene oxide)PEO implants in rat tibiae

Natural or synthetic materials may be used to aid tissue repair of fracture or pathologies where there has been a loss of bone mass. Polymeric materials have been widely studied, aiming at their use in orthopaedics and aesthetic plastic surgery. Polymeric biodegradable blends formed from two or more kinds of polymers could present faster degradation rate than homopolymers. The purpose of this work was to compare the biological response of two biomaterials: poly(L: -lactic acid)PLLA and poly(L: -lactic acid)PLLA/poly(ethylene oxide)PEO blend. Forty four-week-old rats were divided into two groups of 20 animals, of which one group received PLLA and the other PLLA/PEO implants. In each of the animals, one of the biomaterials was implanted in the proximal epiphysis of the right tibia. Each group was divided into subgroups of 5 animals, and sacrificed 2, 4, 8 and 16 weeks after surgery, respectively. Samples were then processed for analysis by light microscopy. Newly formed bone was found around both PLLA and PLLA/PEO implants. PLLA/PEO blends had a porous morphology after immersion in a buffer solution and in vivo implantation. The proportion 50/50 PLLA/PEO blend was adequate to promote this porous morphology, which resulted in gradual bone tissue growth into the implant.     

Selective location and conductive network formation of multiwalled carbon nanotubes in polycarbonate/poly(vinylidene fluoride) blends

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)-filled polycarbonate (PC), poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and PC/PVDF conductive composites were fabricated using melt mixing, respectively. The dynamic process of MWCNTs conductive network formation in the composites was in situ traced by recording the variation of electrical resistivity with time during annealing treatments. As a result, the percolation threshold for the MWCNTs-filled PC/PVDF system was much lower than those of MWCNTs-filled individual polymers and the MWCNTs were selectively located in the PC phase of PC/PVDF composite, which had been verified by scanning electron microscopy measurements. The activation energy of conductive network formation for PC/PVDF/MWCNTs composite was close to that of the PC/MWCNTs system, which further confirmed that MWCNTs were dispersed mainly in the PC phase. Furthermore, the assembly velocity of MWCNTs in the polymer melt increased with annealing temperature.     

MFC-structured biodegradable poly(l-lactide)/poly(butylene adipate-co-terephatalate) blends with improved mechanical and barrier properties

Both polylactide (PLA) and poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) are biodegradable polymers. They are thermoplastics which can be processed using conventional polymer processing methods. In this study, microfibrillar-reinforced composites (MFC) based on PLA/PBAT (PLA/Ecoflex^®) blends in different weight ratios were prepared under industry-relevant conditions by melt extrusion followed by continuous cold drawing of the extrudates. Strip-like specimens (films) and plates (laminates) of the drawn blends were prepared by compression molding (CM) at processing temperature above the melting temperature (T _m) of PBAT, but below T _m of PLA. SEM and WAXS observations show that the extruded blend components are isotropic, but become highly oriented after drawing, and they are converted into MFC-structured polymer–polymer composites after CM. An effect of PLA microfibrils on the non-isothermal crystallization of the Ecoflex during cooling from the melt, associated with the formation of crystalline regions of the matrix around the fibrils, was observed. Depending on the blend composition, the compression-molded samples possess a 3- to 7-time higher tensile strength as well as a 15–30 higher modulus than the neat Ecoflex. In addition, the MFC-structured plates exhibited superior barrier properties compared to the neat Ecoflex, e.g., the oxygen permeability decreased by up to 5 times.     

Effect of annealing on phase transition in poly(vinylidene fluoride) films prepared using polar solvent

The γ-phase poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) films are usually prepared using dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solvent, regardless of preparation temperature. Here we report the crystallization of both α and γ-phase PVDF films by varying preparation temperature using DMSO solvent. The γ-phase PVDF films were annealed at 70, 90, 110, 130 and 160°C for five hours. The changes in the phase contents in the PVDF at different annealing conditions have been described. When thin films were annealed at 90°C for 5 h, maximum percentage of β-phase appears in PVDF thin films. The γ-phase PVDF films completely converted to α-phase when they were annealed at 160°C for 5 h. From X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectrum (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Raman studies, it is confirmed that the PVDF thin films, cast from solution and annealed at 90°C for 5 h, have maximum percentage of β-phase. The β-phase PVDF shows a remnant polarization of 4.9 μC/cm² at 1400 kV/cm at 1 Hz.     

HECS-g-PDLLA共聚物的微波合成及与聚乳酸的相容性

在微波作用下,以辛酸亚锡为催化剂,羟乙基壳聚糖（HECS）为大分子引发剂引发D,L-丙交酯（D,L-LA）开环聚合制备羟乙基壳聚糖-g-聚乳酸（HECS-g-PDLLA）,通过红外（IR）、元素分析（EA）、氢核磁共振（1H-NMR）、X射线衍射（XRD）和差示扫描量热分析（DSC）对产物进行了表征。然后采用溶液共混法...     

Fabrication and characterization of carbon nanotube reinforced poly(methyl methacrylate) nanocomposites

Multiwall carbon nanotube (CNT) reinforced poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanocomposites have been successfully fabricated with melt blending. Two melt blending approaches of batch mixing and continuous extrusion have been used and the properties of the derived nanocomposites have been compared. The interaction of PMMA and CNTs, which is crucial to greatly improve the polymer properties, has been physically enhanced by adding a third party of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) compatibilizer. It is found that the electrical threshold for both PMMA/CNT and PMMA/PVDF/CNT nanocomposites lies between 0.5 to 1 wt% of CNTs. The thermal and mechanical properties of the nanocomposites increase with CNTs and they are further increased by the addition of PVDF For 5 wt% CNT reinforced PMMA/PVDF/CNT nanocomposite, the onset of decomposition temperature is about 17 degrees C higher and elastic modulus is about 19.5% higher than those of neat PMMA. Rheological study also shows that the CNTs incorporated in the PMMA/PVDF/CNT nanocomposites act as physical cross-linkers.