Effects of Hydrophilic Excipients and Compression Pressure on Physical Properties and Release Behavior of Aspirin-Tableted Microcapsules

Aspirin ethylcellulose microcapsules were tableted by compression with or without excipients (lactose or polyvinylpyrrolidone [PVP]). The effects of the amount of the excipients and microcapsule size on the crushing strength and release rate of aspirin from tableted microcapsules were investigated. Tablets without excipients had a crushing strength that was independent of the applied pressure and microcapsule size. An increase in compression pressure from 15 to 60 MPa resulted in an increase in the crushing strength of tablets containing 20% or 40% w/w lactose, but the reverse results were obtained for the tableted microcapsules containing 20% or 40% w/w PVP. Results showed that the release rate of aspirin from microcapsules containing lactose or PVP was independent of the compression pressure with the exception of tablets containing 40% w/w lactose. In vitro release profiles of aspirin from tableted microcapsules containing lactose or PVP showed that increasing the concentration of the excipients resulted in an increase in the release rate of aspirin. Values of n were changed by the compression pressure and the added excipients.     

The influence of different plasticizers and polymers on the mechanical and thermal properties, porosity and drug permeability of free shellac films

The effect of triethyl citrate (TEC) and different molecular weights and concentrations of polyethylene glycol (PEG), in addition to the effect of different water-soluble polymers and dispersions at different levels, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), methylcellulose (MC), carbomer 940, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), ethyl cellulose (EC), on the mechanical and thermal properties, drug permeability, and porosity of free shellac films were investigated. Shellac films were cast from aqueous solutions, and their mechanical properties were studied by tensile test. Thermal analyses were performed using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).

The results showed that the addition of plasticizer caused a decrease in both elastic modulus and glass transition temperature (T_g) and an increase in elongation at break of free shellac films. This effect was related to the concentrations of plasticizers. Different molecular weights of PEGs have different plasticization mechanisms.

Moreover, the incorporation of different amounts of HPMC, MC, or carbomer in free shellac films caused an increase in the flexibility, decrease in T_g, and a marked increase in drug permeability of free shellac films, whereas the addition of PVA caused a decrease in flexibility and drug permeability and an increase in T_g. Addition of EC resulted in a slight decrease of the elasticity and a small decrease in drug permeability. However it does not show a considerable effect on the T_g. In addition, it was found that the drug permeability is directly related to the mechanical properties and T_g of shellac films.     

Influence of surfactants in aqueous-based polymeric dispersions on the thermomechanical and adhesive properties of acrylic films

Good adhesion between a polymeric film and the surface of a solid substrate is critical to the performance of coated pharmaceutical products. Previous research has shown that tablet wettability by an organic-based cellulosic solution could predict the extent of film-tablet adhesion. Using an aqueous-based acrylic polymeric dispersion, the current study investigated the relationship between film adhesion and tablet wettability. Up to 10% (w/w based on dry polymer weight) polysorbate 80 or sorbitan monooleate was incorporated into the film-coating formulations. While the contact angle between the polymeric dispersion and the tablet surface was dependent on the type and concentration of surfactants added to the coating formulation, no correlation between tablet wettability and polymer adhesion could be established. The addition of surfactants to formulations containing the hydrophobic plasticizer tributyl citrate (TBC) caused lowering of the glass transition temperature of the polymer. Increased force of adhesion, elongation at adhesive failure, and adhesive toughness, however, were noted only in the TBC-plasticized films containing polysorbate 80. These findings demonstrate that our understanding of the mechanisms involved in film-tablet adhesion is still quite limited.     

分子沉积膜的力学特性研究

在金衬底上制备了分子沉积膜。用原子力显微镜研究了它的摩擦力,结果表明沉积膜能明显地减小摩擦力。用纳米压痕仪研究它的纳米力学特性,结果表明在金表面沉积一层膜后,弹性模量、硬度和载荷都减小,说明分子沉积膜能改善金衬底的纳米力学特性。     

Processing and characterization of functionally graded materials through mechanical properties and glass transition temperature

Functionally graded materials (FGMs) were prepared by construction based layering method through dispersion of carbon nanoparticles in the styrene butadiene rubber matrix. The gradation of material property i.e., ‘glass transition temperature’ was brought in the nanocomposite by varying the concentration of process oil. Glass transition temperature (T_g) of FGMs was varied from − 56 to − 80 °C along the span of 3 mm thick sheet. The gradation of oil in FGMs also changes other properties like tensile strength, elongation at break, modulus, etc. Tensile strength and modulus at 100% drops down while elongation at break continuously increases while moving from one end to other end along the sheet thickness. Thermal analysis of FGMs verifies the compositional changes as well as the change in T_g along the thickness.     

The influence of plasticizer molecular weight on spreading droplet size of HPMC aqueous solutions using an indirect method

Film coating is a complex process that involves many factors. To ensure spreading and/or film capability, plasticizers are added. The role of different molecular weights of polyethylene glycol on the behavior of hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) with different grades was determined and compared with values for the film without the plasticizer using a real method for spreading. The droplet size, distribution, and shape were analyzed as the criterion. The results show that the polymer grades and plasticizer types are important in droplet size formation.     

The mechanical properties of oxyfluorinated hybrids of glass fibre and polypropylene fibre

The mechanical properties of a low-cost system comprising orthophthalic polyester resin reinforced with hybrids of glass and polypropylene fibres were investigated. The fibres were oxyfluorinated to overcome the poor surface adhesion properties of polypropylene. Interlaminar shear tests, Izod-type impact tests and tensile tests were considered. It would be expected that increasing polypropylene fibre content corresponds with a decrease in mechanical properties due to the poor properties of polypropylene. Oxyfluorinated laminates containing approximately 25% and 50% polypropylene in the warp direction were, however, found to exhibit significant improvements in interlaminar shear strength, in peak shear stress under impact loading as well as in impact resistance over untreated glass fibre laminates. Scanning electron microscope images show that the reason for this improvement is that the interfacial bond between the polypropylene fibres and the resin is strengthened to such an extent that failure occurs within the polypropylene fibres rather than at the interface.     

Optical,electrical and mechanical properties of Ga-doped ZnO thin films under different sputtering powers

We present the optical, electrical and mechanical properties of Ga-doped zinc oxide (GZO) thin films prepared by radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering at room temperature under different RF powers (80–180 W). The thickness, electron concentration, and electron mobility of the GZO thin film were determined by fitting the visible-to-near-infrared transmittance spectrum of GZO film/glass using the transfer matrix method. The bending force per unit width was measured by a home-made Twyman–Green interferometer with the fast Fourier transform method. The obtained results show that the optical, electrical and mechanical properties of GZO thin film are subject to the RF power. At an RF power of 140 W, the local minimum of bending force per unit width corresponds to the highest electron mobility in GZO thin film. This study demonstrates that the optical, electrical and mechanical properties of GZO thin film can be fully resolved by non-contact optical methods.     

AlN/TiSiN纳米多层膜的微观组织和力学性能研究

采用TiSi复合靶和Al靶,用射频磁控溅射工艺沉积不同TiSiN层厚度的AlN/TiSiN纳米多层膜。采用X射线衍射仪(XRD)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、高分辨透射电子显微镜(HRTEM)和纳米压痕仪研究了不同TiSiN层厚度对AlN/TiSiN纳米多层膜的微观组织和力学性能的影响。结果表明,随着TiSiN层厚度的增加,AlN相的结晶程度先增加后降低,涂层的硬度先提高后降低,当TiSiN层厚度为0.5nm时具有最高的硬度和弹性模量。HRTEM观测可知,在TiSiN层厚度为0.5nm时,TiSiN层在AlN层的模板作用下呈密排六方结构,并与AlN层呈共格外延生长,薄膜的强化主要与共格外延生长结构有关。     

The research on aggregation structure of PP materials under different condition and the influence on mechanical properties

In this article, the study of the aggregation structure of PP material with the IAS4 Image Analysis System is reported. The result indicates that the morphology of spherulite or filling particle in the matrix of crystalline polymer can be quantitatively described by the IAS4 Image Analysis System. Through the measurement of the aggregation structure, the transformation of mechanical properties was explained. With the increase of filling quantity of nucleating agent, the crystallinity (X_c) tends to increase, the spherulite size (D_n) and its distribution (C_d) tends towards decline. The different heat treatment technology influenced only the crystallinity but not the spherulite size or its distribution. The effects of X_c, D_n and C_d on mechanical properties were investigated. It was shown that, with the decrease of X_c, D_n or C_d, the notch impact strength increases. To the PP/talc composite, the aggregation of talc particle has relation with the original size of particle, filling quantity and the surface treatment level. With the decrease of particle size or uniform distribution, the notch impact strength rises up.     

Bias effect on microstructure and mechanical properties of magnetron sputtered nanocrystalline titanium carbide thin films

Nanocrystalline titanium carbide (TiC) thin films were prepared by magnetron sputtering deposition at 473 K. The effect of substrate bias on microstructure and mechanical properties was studied in details using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, indentation and scanning microscratch. The TiC films exhibit a (111) preferential orientation. Substrate bias decreases grain size and deposition rate of the TiC films. The TiC films have columnar structure which becomes finer at high substrate bias. Nanoindentation hardness, Young's modulus, and toughness of the films are increased as the substrate bias goes up. However, the adhesion peaks at substrate bias of − 100 V and drops when bias is increased further.     

The Influence of Different Plasticizers and Polymers on the Mechanical and Thermal Properties,Porosity and Drug Permeability of Free Shellac Films

ABSTRACT

The effect of triethyl citrate (TEC) and different molecular weights and concentrations of polyethylene glycol (PEG), in addition to the effect of different water-soluble polymers and dispersions at different levels, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), methylcellulose (MC), carbomer 940, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), ethyl cellulose (EC), on the mechanical and thermal properties, drug permeability, and porosity of free shellac films were investigated. Shellac films were cast from aqueous solutions, and their mechanical properties were studied by tensile test. Thermal analyses were performed using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).

The results showed that the addition of plasticizer caused a decrease in both elastic modulus and glass transition temperature (T_g) and an increase in elongation at break of free shellac films. This effect was related to the concentrations of plasticizers. Different molecular weights of PEGs have different plasticization mechanisms.

Moreover, the incorporation of different amounts of HPMC, MC, or carbomer in free shellac films caused an increase in the flexibility, decrease in T_g, and a marked increase in drug permeability of free shellac films, whereas the addition of PVA caused a decrease in flexibility and drug permeability and an increase in T_g. Addition of EC resulted in a slight decrease of the elasticity and a small decrease in drug permeability. However it does not show a considerable effect on the T_g. In addition, it was found that the drug permeability is directly related to the mechanical properties and T_g of shellac films.     

The effect of thermal treatment on the properties of PP films and laminates

Films of polypropylene, co-extruded polypropylene/nylon/polypropylene and clear polyester laminated to polypropylene have been subjected to thermal treatment over a temperature range of 118–120°C. The mechanical, optical, thermal and chemical resistance of these films have been studied before and after the thermal treatment. The improvement in properties has been explained on the basis of enhancement of crystallinity. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Morphology, mechanical and thermal properties of graphene-reinforced poly(butylene succinate) nanocomposites

Graphene nanosheets (GNSs) reinforced poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) nanocomposites are facilely obtained by a solution-based processing method. Graphene nanosheets, which are derived from chemically reduced graphite oxide (GO), are characterized by AFM, TEM, XRD and Raman spectra. The state of dispersion of the GNSs in the PBS matrix is examined by SEM observations that reveals homogeneous distribution of GNSs in PBS matrix. A 21% increase in tensile strength and a 24% improvement of storage modulus are achieved by addition of 2.0 wt% of GNS. The electrical conductivity and thermal stability of the graphene-based nanocomposite are also improved. DSC measurement indicates that the presence of graphene sheets does not have a remarkable impact on the crystallinity of the nanocomposites. Therefore, the high performances of the nanocomposites are mainly attributed to the uniform dispersion of GNSs in the polymer matrix and strong interfacial interactions between both components.     

Effect of organoclay platelets on morphology and properties of LLDPE/EMA blends

Blends of linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) and ethylene-co-methyl acrylate (EMA) and their nanocomposites with two types of modified montmorillonite (organoclay) were explored in order to achieve an improved balance between stiffness and toughness. The nanocomposites were prepared in a HAAKE RHEOMIX at three different mixing sequences. The compression molded nanocomposites were utilized to evaluate the morphology and the properties like mechanical, dynamic mechanical and thermal. The results reveal that the morphology and the properties of the nanocomposites are dependent on the blending sequence as well as the type of nanoclay used. The addition of organoclay slightly increases the tensile modulus for all the nanocomposites. On the other hand, a drastic improvement of the impact strength was observed when the organoclay located at the dispersed EMA phase. The effects of clay concentration on the properties of the nanocomposites were also studied. The optimum dispersion as well as property was found for the nanocomposite at 5 wt% of the nano clay.     

紫外辐照对超低介电常数SiCOH薄膜组成与机械性能的影响

采用紫外光辐照超低介电常数多孔SiCOH薄膜,研究不同照射时间对薄膜结构和性能的影响。采用动态纳米压入技术测量薄膜的力学性能,发现随照射时间增加,薄膜的模量（Er）和硬度（H）不断提高。当辐照时间增至6h时,薄膜力学强度分别达到Er约7.4GPa,H约1.0GPa。傅里叶变换红外光谱（FT-IR）、X射线光电子能谱（XPS）分析表明紫外辐照处理能够使薄膜样品中发生键的断裂与重新结合,从而改变了薄膜骨架的交联密度和刚性,进而提高力学性能。但介电性能并未受到明显影响,紫外辐照6h后,k值仅从2.0增至2.2。     

相变光透射特性具有窗口结构的VO2薄膜

利用无机溶胶凝胶法制备出具有优良热致相变光学特性的VO2薄膜,通过改变制备过程中的条件,发现在一定的制备参数下,可得到光透射性具有窗口形状的热致相变薄膜,该类薄膜相变前后在600～850nm范围出现显著透光度窗口状态化现象。利用XRD、XPS对相变光学特性具有窗口结构的薄膜和具有典型相变特性的薄膜进行对比分析,结果显示利用无机溶胶-凝胶法得到的薄膜表面没有衬底离子出现,衬底扩散离子主要存在于薄膜和衬底界面之间。通过对引起相变过程中光透射窗口状变化的原因进行讨论,得到薄膜在相变过程中出现透射光谱窗口状的变化是来源于V^3 和衬底扩散离子Na^ 的共同作用。     

The effect of molecular weight on the interfacial properties of GF/PP injection molded composites

It is well established that the molecular weight of recycled PP decreases significantly as compared to the virgin material. Hence this study involved 2 PP grades of different molecular weights in order to simulate the recycling process. The effect of weight–average molecular weight on interfacial adhesion between GF and PP was investigated. Tensile test was done and the fiber length distribution around the fracture zone in both composites was compared with the distributions from similar locations of unstressed composites. The effect of PP-grafted maleic anhydride coupling agent was also studied. It was found that a decrease in weight–average molecular weight of PP improved interfacial adhesive strength between GF/PP. The lower molecular weight matrix has a lower viscosity that enables its molecules to penetrate easily into the silane interphase. In that case, the interfacial area that is available for coupling is higher, leading to a more effective coupling. The higher interfacial shear strength between the glass fiber and the lower molecular weight matrix induced more breakage of the glass fiber during tensile test.     

Hybridization effect on the mechanical and dynamic mechanical properties of curaua composites

This study aims to evaluate the performance of curaua/glass hybrid composites focusing on mechanical and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Composites with distinct glass/curaua fiber loading ratios were studied. Flexural strength and modulus, impact strength and Barcol hardness increased for higher glass fiber content. The same was found for storage and loss modulus. The activation energy of the relaxation process in the glass transition region showed a maximum for the all-glass composite, corroborating with the results of concentration of elastic chains (υ_e). Cole-Cole plots were obtained and found to follow the same trend regardless of the glass content, whereas peak height and peak width at half-height were maximum for the all-glass composite.     

Tropical wood polymer nanocomposite (WPNC): The impact of nanoclay on dynamic mechanical thermal properties

In this study, wood polymer nanocomposites (WPNCS) were manufactured from five Malaysian tropical wood species by vacuum-impregnation attended by in situ polymerization using phenol–formaldehyde resin and montmorillomite nanoclay. Percentage weight gain and density of wood polymer nanocomposites depended on wood species. Thermo-mechanical properties of wood samples were investigated by the dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) over the temperature range of −100 °C to 200 °C. The intrinsic properties of the components, morphology of the system and the nature of interface between the phases were also determined through DMTA test. Storage modulus (E′) of WPNC samples exhibited significant improvement over the temperature range, in both glassy region and rubbery plateau in relation to their corresponding raw wood samples and wood polymer composites (WPCs). Furthermore, damping (loss tan δ) peaks of all wood species were lowered by PF-Nanoclay system treatment, an indication of improved surface interphase of wood. Dynamic Young’s modulus (E_d) of wood was also calculated using free–free vibration testing. A significant increment was obtained for the PF-Nanoclay impregnated WPNC samples.