Mechanical and dynamic mechanical properties of waste rubber powder/HDPE composite

Mechanical and dynamic mechanical properties of a waste rubber powder‐filled high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) composite are investigated. Rubber powder is surface‐modified with acrylamide (AAm) using ultraviolet. Rubber powder and HDPE are extruded using a single‐screw extruder and maleic anhydride‐grafted polypropylene is added as a compatibilizer to improve the adhesion between rubber powder and HDPE. The tensile stress and strain of AAm‐grafted rubber powder/compatibilizer/HDPE composites always exhibit higher values than those of unmodified rubber powder/HDPE composites. Surface modification of rubber powder is shown to decrease the magnitude of the tan δ of the HDPE composite. Higher values of the notched Izod impact strength of a surface‐modified rubber‐filled composite is observed compared to those of unmodified rubber‐filled composite. Experimental results show that acryl amide‐grafted rubber powder reacts with maleic anhydride and it results in improved mechanical properties of the HDPE composite. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 77: 2595–2602, 2000     

Interfacial adhesion between polyurethane binder and poly(tetrafluoroethylene) powder in bonded solid lubricant films

Poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) powder was irradiated with ⁶⁰Co γ-rays to improve its dispersing ability in polyurethane (PU) as a binder. The bonded solid lubricant films of the irradiated PTFE were prepared on an AISI 1045 steel block by spraying and curing at ambient temperature, with PU as the binder. The tribological properties of bonded solid lubricant films with the PTFE pigment volume fraction were examined on a ring-on-block friction and wear tester. The interfacial adhesion between the PU binder and PTFE powder was investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), immersion heat, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It was found that γ-ray irradiation increases the activity of the PTFE powder surface and improves the interfacial adhesion between the PTFE powder and the PU binder, which is helpful for improving the wear resistance of the corresponding bonded solid lubricant films.     

Modification of polyurethane by superfine protein powder

Physical blending was employed to prepare blend films, using superfine wool powder and polyurethane (PU) resin. Scanning electronic microscope photos showed that wool powder had good compatibility with PU in the solvent N,N‐dimethylformamide. The wool powder was uniformly distributed in the films without apparent agglomeration. In the X‐ray diffraction results, the height of the X‐ray diffraction peak decreased gradually with the addition of the wool powder, which implied that the addition of the wool powder could increase the amorphous ratio of the films. Thermogravimetric analysis indicated that the thermal stability of the PU resin decreased with the increase in the wool powder ratio in it. Additionally, the dynamic mechanical analysis result indicated that the ratio of the wool powder had no significant influence on the soft‐segments, but the dynamic storage modulus of the PU films would increase with the increase in wool powder ratio. In addition, the crystal of the PU was destroyed by the wool powder during the drying process at a certain temperature, and this increased the moving probability of the macromolecule chains in PU. With the increase in the ratio of the wool powder, there was an evident decrease in the stress at break, elongation at break, and breaking energy of the blend films, but the water vapor permeability and moisture regain of the blend polyurethane films increased significantly. POLYM. ENG. SCI. 46:617–622, 2006. © 2006 Society of Plastics Engineers.     

水溶性PVA薄膜的制备及其改性研究进展

综述了近年来水溶性聚乙烯醇(PVA)薄膜的制备工艺进展,介绍了其在共聚改性、共混改性、复合改性方面的研究进展,以及在制备工艺、改性方法上的优缺点.共混改性可简单通过材料混合显著提高性能;与共混改性相比,共聚改性的组分混合较为均匀,但是条件较难控制;复合改性可以综合共聚改性和共混改性的优点.     

Facile preparation and strong adhesive strength of honeycomb polyurethane films with small pore diameter

With the continuous development of bionics, such as, geckos and virginia creeper with both superhydrophobic and super-adhesive, the surface wetting and super-adhesive properties of various porous materials have attracted extensive attention of the scientific and medical communities. Here, the honeycomb polyurethane (PU) porous films with strong adhesion were successfully prepared by microphase separation method and the effects of growth parameters on their microstructure and adhesive strength to ice were investigated. It was found that a high relative humidity (e.g., 100%) and a low solution concentration (e.g., 2%) facilitated the formation of ordered honeycomb PU porous films, and as-prepared PU pores with average pore diameter as small as 5 μm are better ordered and more uniform than these in related documents. Although the contact angle of water droplets on the surface of PU porous films increased from the premodification value of 85–130° to more than 160° after surface modification with polydopamine (PDA), the corresponding rolling angle remained approximately constant (180°), indicating that the surface of PU porous films has strong adhesion similar to geckos and virginia creeper. Furthermore, at lower temperature, the PU porous films exhibited the high adhesive strength of 142.13 kPa on ice, which was strongly dependent on the porous microstructures and surface compositions. The improved adhesive behavior to ice of honeycomb PU porous films modified with PDA provides new strategies for surface modification of materials and potential applications in medical domain.     

Layer-by-layer self-assembly of collagen and chitosan biomolecules on polyurethane films

Polyurethane (PU) films used in wound dressing applications often have appropriate properties. Still, surface modification is necessary to increase the biocompatibility. In this research, the surface of the PU films was modified with collagen and chitosan biomolecules through layer by layer (LbL) self-assembly process. The PU films were synthesized from castor oil and hexamethylene diisocyanate. Then, they were treated with low-pressure nitrogen plasma to graft with poly(acrylic acid). Before performing the LbL process, the surfaces of the PU films were modified using three different reagents, including (A) NaOH solution, (B) EDC/NHS solution, or (C) hexamethylene diamine. Then, the collagen and chitosan deposited in three and five layers on the surface. The images of FESEM, confocal microscopy, and AFM showed that the best performance of the LbL deposition process was after the surface modification with hexamethylenediamine (HMDA). The MTT assay showed that the presence of these biomolecules had boosted the proliferation of fibroblast cells. Increasing the number of the deposited layer from three to five, decreased the cell viability and antibacterial activity of the films. The obtained results propose the modification with HMDA and the deposition of three layers of collagen and chitosan on the PU films to improve its biocompatibility.     

二苯甲酮引发丙烯酸在聚氨酯表面接枝的研究

首次将光敏引发剂二苯甲酮(BP)用于聚氨酯表面的紫外光引发丙烯酸(AA)和丙烯酰胺(AAm)的接枝聚合,用ATR-FTIR、光电子能谱、接触角及接枝率对接枝的PU膜表面进行表征。结果表明,利用BP能有效地在PU表面接枝聚丙烯酸(PAA)和聚丙烯酰胺(PAAm)。研究了引发剂浓度、紫外灯与PU膜表面距离等条件对接枝的影响。     

An approach to the uniform dispersion of a high volume fraction of carbon nanotubes in aluminum powder

A slurry based process was developed to achieve the uniform dispersion of a high volume fraction of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in aluminum powder. Al powder was subjected to surface modification to introduce a hydrophilic polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) membrane on its surface, which has good wettability and strong hydrogen bonding interactivity with functionalized CNTs. It was found that, when mixed with a CNT aqueous suspension, the PVA-modified Al (Al@PVA) powder resulted in much better adsorption uniformity of CNTs than the untreated Al powder. The adsorption capacity of CNTs was greatly enhanced by using nanoflake Al powder, which has better geometric compatibility with the CNTs and a larger surface area than spherical powder. Consequently, a uniform dispersion of 20 vol.% CNTs was achieved in the nanoflake Al@PVA powders. The advantage of this approach is that it provides easy control over adsorption uniformity and capacity of CNTs in a metal matrix, through the combination of surface modification and thickness adjustment of the metal flake powders.     

Surface modification of acrylonitrile copolymer membranes by grafting acrylamide. I. Initiation by ceric ions

Surface modification of membranes of an acrylonitrile copolymer (PAN) containing 5.5% methyl methacrylate (MMA) and 4.0% sodium methylpropylenesulfonate by grafting acrylamide (AAm) with cetric ammonium nitrate as initiator in the aqueous medium has been studied. Results showed that the extent of grafting was varied with some parameters, such as dimethyl formamide and Tween-20 amount in the reaction solution, concentration of AAm, and reaction time. The grafted copolymer was verified by infrared spectra and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Both of these methods also showed that the ester group of MMA unit on the surface of PAN membranes may be partially hydrolyzed into carboxyl group in the copolymerization condition. Surface and pore structures of PAN membranes after grafting were viewed under a scanning electron microscope (SEM). From SEM photos we know that AAm homopolymer branches were grafted onto the surface of the membrane and the morphology of membrane did not change. Results of contact angle of isooctane on the membrane under water showed that the wettability of the modified membrane was improved. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 66: 1521–1529, 1997     

Preparation and properties of polyurethane‐coated talcum/polypropylene composite materials

In order to improve the toughness of polypropylene (PP) and expand its applications, a layer of polyurethane (PU) elastomer was coated on the surface of ultrafine talcum powder by an in‐situ synthesis method. In this way, an organic‐inorganic composite particle was formed. Then the surface‐treated talcum powder was mixed with melted PP to prepare PP composite materials through extrusion, granulation, and injection molding. Infrared spectral characterization and energy‐dispersive X‐ray analysis showed that there was a layer of PU elastomer on the surface of the talcum powder. Impact fracture analysis indicated that there was good compatibility between the talcum powder and the PP matrix. With the incorporation of PU elastomer coated on the surface of talcum powder, the toughness of PP was significantly improved, while the tensile strength decreased slightly. The optimum properties of the composite material were obtained when the weight fraction of talcum powder was 20% and the PU coating coverage was 25%. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 2010. © 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Fractal surface analysis and thermodynamic properties of moisture sorption of calcium–sucrose powders

Fractal analysis, using water adsorption and an image analysis technique, was applied to investigate the effect of surface irregularities on the thermodynamic properties of matrix calcium–sucrose powder moisture sorption. The sorption isotherms were evaluated at 15, 25, and 35°C for calcium–sucrose powders obtained by a cryogenic process (CP) and spray drying (SD). Solubilization of the powders was observed after 20 days of storage at 25°C, and the powder CP had greater physical stability than SD. There was good agreement among the fractal dimension computed by scanning electron microscopy analysis and water adsorption isotherm. The surface fractal dimensions were between 2.19 and 2.44 for CP and were larger than those obtained for SD, which were between 2.11 to 2.26. The differential and integral enthalpies increased as the surface geometry became more irregular, also increased the interactions between the powder surface and water molecules. These results suggested that the increase in the matrix irregularities for a product can displace the minimum integral entropy toward high water activity, thereby improving the storage stability.     

Effect of nano ZnO on the phase mixing of polyurethane hybrid dispersions

In the present study series of aqueous polyurethane (PU)/ZnO hybrid dispersions were prepared using dimethylolpropionic acid (bis-MPA) as an ionic center. For this, NCO terminated PU prepolymers with pendent acid groups were prepared first, then different concentrations of nano ZnO powder was incorporated into the PU matrix. The hybrid dispersions were prepared by adding required amount of triethylamine (TEA), water and chain extender. The prepared PU/ZnO hybrid dispersions were casted in a Teflon petri dish and the dried films were used for TGA, DMTA, SEM, gel content and contact angle measurements. The phase mixing behavior was studied from FT-IR peak deconvolution technique and DMTA analysis and the result suggests that phase mixing increases with ZnO content. The DMTA data suggest that the phase mixing and soft segment glass transition increases but storage modulus decreases with increasing with ZnO content. The FT-IR deconvolution result supports to the DMTA analysis. The coating properties like adhesive strength, water absorption, contact angle, gel content and corrosion resistance of the hybrid coatings were also evaluated.     

Dispersivity of modified ZnO and characterization of polyurethane/ZnO composites

The properties of inorganic nanoparticles/polymer composites depend on the dispersivity of nanoparticles in a polymer matrix. The effect of surface modification on the dispersivity of ZnO nanoparticles in a polyurethane (PU) resin matrix was investigated. The nanocomposites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis, and X‐ray diffraction. The scanning electron micrographs show that ZnO nanoparticles (CDI–SA–APS–ZnO), which were modified by aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APS) and activated stearic acid (SA) by N,N′‐carbonyldiimidazole (CDI), can be homogeneously dispersed and had been encapsulated in the PU phase. The interfacial compatibility between ZnO nanoparticles and PU matrix was significantly improved by hydrophobically modifying ZnO nanoparticles with APS and SA. The tensile strength and elongation at break of PU/CDI–SA–APS–ZnO nanocomposites increased by 82 and 64% respectively, compared with the pure PU material. The thermal stability and ultraviolet‐shielding properties were also improved by incorporating ZnO nanoparticles into the PU matrix. POLYM. COMPOS., 35:237–244, 2014. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers     

An investigation on flowability and compressibility of AA 6061100 − x-x wt.% TiO2 micro and nanocomposite powder prepared by blending and mechanical alloying

This work investigates the relationships between the components of powders, namely, the powder surface morphology, the flow characteristics and the compressibility of low-energy (microcomposite) and high-energy (nanocomposite) ball milled powders of Al 6061 alloy reinforced with TiO₂ particles. The morphology of the above powder as the function of reinforcement and the milling time was studied by using the scanning electron microscope (SEM). The changes in powder characteristics such as the apparent density, tap density, true density and flow rate were examined by the percentage of reinforcement and milling time. The cohesive nature of the powder was also investigated in terms of Hausner ratio and Kawakita plot. Further, the particle/agglomerate size of low-energy and high-energy ball milled powders was explained by the laser particle size analyzer. X-ray peak broadening analysis was used to determine structural properties of mechanically alloyed powders. The compressibility behavior was examined by the compaction equation proposed by Panelli and Ambrosio Filho to investigate the deformation capacity of the powder. The compressibility behavior, namely, the densification parameter (A) of the microcomposite powder (irregular morphology) was decreased significantly with increasing TiO₂ content due to the disintegration of TiO₂ particles and the cluster formation followed by its agglomeration. The compressibility behavior, namely, the densification parameter (A) of the nanocomposite powder (equiaxed and almost spherical) was decreased slowly with increasing TiO₂ content due to work hardening on the matrix powder. With increased milling time, the compressibility behavior of AA 6061-10 wt.% TiO₂ composite powders increased up to 30 h of milling due to embedding of TiO₂ particles with matrix and changes in powder morphology and finally decreased after 40 h due to work hardening effect.     

Preparation and properties of composite mineral powders

Mineral powders such as ground calcium carbonate (GCC) and wollastonite are widely used as fillers in plastics, rubber, paper, paints and other fields. The interface compatibility between the polymer matrix and the mineral particles is relatively weak, both because of the smooth cleavage surface and the sharp particle edges formed during pulverizing. It is beneficial therefore to modify the surface properties of mineral powders before they are used in a polymer composite. In this paper, we report the successful preparation of composite mineral particles, coated by nanoparticles of calcium carbonate of 20-100 nm particle size, by chemical reaction using the Ca(OH)₂-H₂O-CO₂ system. The degree of nanoparticle coverage can reach 100% if the operating parameters are effectively controlled, and the specific surface area can be increased to three times the value before modification. Mechanical testing of polypropylene containing composite wollastonite powder as a filler shows an increase in the impact strength of 65% compared to similar samples prepared using conventional filler powder.     

Synthesis,characterization, and mechanical property of poly(urethane‐glycidyl methacrylate‐methyl methacrylate) hybrid polymers

Hybrid particles of polyurethane (PU) containing a number of small poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanoparticles inside were prepared using glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) monomer as a linker between PU and PMMA; the resulting polymers were poly (urethane‐glycidyl methacrylate‐methyl methacrylate) (PUGM). It was found that the average particle size (D_p) of the PU particles decreased by the inclusion of PMMA particles possibly owing to the low‐solution viscosity of PU. However, D_p of the PUGM hybrid particles increased with increasing the number of covalent bonds between PMMA and PU, which might be due to decreasing the amount of ionic groups per PU chain. Subsequently, the tensile properties of the films made of the PUGM hybrid particles were investigated. It was observed that the modulus of the PU films increased upon the addition of PMMA particle because of a filler effect. In addition, it was seen that the modulus of PUGM hybrid films increased further with increasing the number of covalent bonds. This was attributed to “restricted mobility” of PU chains anchored to the PMMA particles. It was also observed that the tensile strength changed only slightly for PUGM particles, suggesting that the PU matrix was probably responsible for the necking behavior of the films. The elongation of the samples was found to depend on both the presence of covalent bonds between the PMMA particles and PU matrix and the reduced mobility of the PU chains anchored to PMMA particles. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Effects of polydimethylsiloxane grafting on the calcification,physical properties,and biocompatibility of polyurethane in a heart valve

Segmented polyurethane (PU) has proven to be the best biomaterial for artificial heart valves, but the calcification of polyurethane surfaces causes serious problems in long‐term implants. This work was undertaken to evaluate the effects of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) grafting on the calcification, biocompatibility, and blood compatibility of polyurethane. A grafted polyurethane film was compared with virgin polyurethane surfaces. Physical properties of the samples were examined using different techniques. The hydrophobicity of the polyurethane films increased as a result of silicone modification. The effects of surface modification of polyurethane films on their calcification and fibroblast cell (L 929) and platelet behavior were evaluated in vitro. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy indicated the direct involvement of the polyether soft segments of the polymer in the calcification process. Scanning electron microscopy of films indicated that grafting of silicone rubber to the surface of polyurethane successfully prevented the calcification process. The morphology of fibroblast cells that adhered to the PU films and modified films was similar to that of controls and showed the same proliferation. On the other hand, grafting PDMS onto PU did not affect the amount of platelets that adhered to the polyurethane surfaces. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 98: 758–766, 2005     

Adhesion enhancement of thermally evaporated aluminum to surface graft copolymerized poly(tetrafluoroethylene) film

Surface modifications of Ar plasma-pretreated poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) film via UV-induced graft copolymerization with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) and 1-vinylimidazole (VIDz) were carried out to improve the adhesion with evaporated aluminum metal. The surface compositions of the graft copolymerized PTFE films were studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The adhesion strength of the evaporated aluminum to the surface graft copolymerized PTFE film was affected by the type of monomer used for graft copolymerization, the graft concentration, the plasma post-treatment of the graft copolymerized PTFE surface prior to metallization, and the extent of thermal treatment after metallization. The optimum T-peel adhesion strengths of the Al/PTFE laminates were in excess of 10 and 5 N/cm, respectively, for the GMA and VIDz graft copolymerized PTFE films. These adhesion strengths are significantly higher than those obtained between the evaporated aluminum and the pristine or plasma-pretreated PTFE film. The mechanism of adhesion enhancement and the failure of the metal-polymer assembly were also investigated. It was observed that the failure occurred within the PTFE film. The strong adhesion between Al and PTFE arises from the charge-transfer interaction between the Al atom and the epoxide moiety of the grafted GMA polymer, as well as from the fact that the graft chains are covalently tethered on the PTFE film surface as a result of the grafting process.     

The effect of surface modification of aluminum powder on its flowability, combustion and reactivity

Surface modification of aluminum powders for the purpose of flow improvement was performed and several samples were prepared. Correlations between the flowability and reactivity for these powders as well as for the initial untreated aluminum powder were established. The powders were characterized using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), particle size distribution, angle of repose flowability test, Constant Volume Explosion (CVE) combustion test, and Thermo-Gravimetric Analysis (TGA). The surface modification of micron-sized aluminum powders was done by: (1) dry coating nano-particles of silica, titania and carbon black onto the surface of spherical aluminum powders and (2) chemically and physically altering the surface properties of the same powders with methyltrichlorosilane. All surface modifications improved flowability of the powders. CVE measurements indicate that powders with an improved flowability exhibit improved combustion characteristics if the powder treatment does not add an inert component to aluminum. The TGA results do not show significant differences in the reactivity of various powders. Based on combined flowability and CVE characteristics, the silane modified material gave the best results followed by the powders dry coated with carbon, titania and silica, respectively.     

Self-curing behaviors of single pack aqueous-based polyurethane system

A di- or triaziridinyl compound served as the latent curing agent for the prepared carboxylic groups containing aqueous-based polyurethane (PU) dispersions. It was formulated as a single pack self-curable aqueous-based PU system. This system was stable under an alkaline environment and its curing reaction could be initiated by a pH control. A model reaction between a monoaziridinyl compound and formic acid was demonstrated and identified by infrared spectrophotometry. The stabilities of this convenient one-package PU system with a different dosage of di- or triaziridinyl latent curing agent were monitored by a particle sizer and fluorescence spectroscopy. The PU films were cast and self-cured from these single pack PU dispersions at ambient temperature. The physical and mechanical properties as well as thermal behaviors of each self-cured PU were evaluated. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 63: 1609–1623, 1997