Thermal and mechanical properties of phosphorylated multiwalled carbon nanotube/polyvinyl chloride composites

The fabrication of carbon nanotube/polyvinyl chloride (PVC) composites and a study of their thermal and mechanical properties are reported. Phosphorylated multiwalled carbon nanotube (p-MWCNT) and pristine MWCNT were used. The MWCNT were embedded in the polymer matrix through melt mixing. The phosphorylation of the MWCNT and their dispersion in the PVC matrix were characterized by scanning and transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Thermal analysis by thermal gravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry, showed an increase in glass transition temperature and melting temperature for the composites with respect to pure PVC. The modulus of the MWCNT/PVC composites increased while there was a reduction in their tensile strength, indicating a decrease in polymer toughness.     

Improving the migration resistance against phthalate plasticizer in polyvinyl chloride/graphene oxide composites

Phthalic plasticizer plays an important role in processing and manufacturing one of the universal polymer materials, poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC), which has been widely applied in every aspect of our lives. However, there still exists the intrinsic problem in migration resistance of phthalic plasticizer in long-term use. In this work, we take a facile and convenient approach by incorporating commercial graphene oxide (GO) into PVC matrix to prepare polyvinyl chloride/graphene oxide (PVC/GO) composites, forming a sheet structure for improving the migration resistance of phthalic plasticizer. The advantages of GO that has abundant oxygen-containing groups on its surface, including carboxyl groups at the sheet edges, epoxy groups, and hydroxyl groups on its basal planes. Especially, these oxygen-containing groups in GO are beneficial to blend with long molecular chain of PVC and the sheet structure of GO can prevent phthalic plasticizer migrating from interior PVC. Addition of GO not only effectively enhanced the mechanical properties of PVC/GO composites but also improve their migration resistance due to the sheet structure. This strategy provides an attractive way to solve the problem of migration of plasticizer with simple incorporation GO into the matrix of PVC, reinforcing the composite properties and broadening its applied fields.     

Effect of the fiber content and plasticizer type on the rheological and mechanical properties of poly(vinyl chloride)/green coconut fiber composites

A series of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC)/green coconut fiber (GCF) composites, with dioctyl phthalate (DOP) or thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) as a plasticizer, were prepared by melt mixing. Their properties were studied in the molten state with an advanced nonlinear harmonic testing technique; in the solid state, the hardness and impact resistance were evaluated, and scanning electron microscopy was used for fractured surfaces. The effect of the fiber loading was investigated, as well as the role of the plasticizer. PVC–GCF composites are heterogeneous materials that, in the molten state, exhibit essentially a nonlinear viscoelastic character, in contrast to pure PVC, which has a linear viscoelastic region up to 50–60% strain. The complex modulus increases with the GCF content but in such a manner that the observed reinforcement is at best of hydrodynamic origin, without any specific chemical (i.e., permanent) interaction occurring between the polymer matrix and the fibers. As expected, PVC offers good wetting of GCFs, as reflected by the easy mixing and the rheological and mechanical properties. Fibers can be incorporated into PVC up to a 30% concentration without any problem, with the PVC/plasticizer ratio kept constant. Higher GCF levels could therefore be considered. Replacing DOP in part with TPU gives some benefit in terms of impact resistance, likely because of the viscoelastic nature of the latter and the associated energy absorption effects. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2007     

Thermodynamic interactions and nonlinear rheological properties of plasticized polyvinyl chloride

The nature of thermodynamic interactions in plasticized semicrystalline materials has a profound effect on the rheological properties. In this work we investigated the effect of mixing thermodynamics on the linear and nonlinear rheological properties of plasticized poly(vinyl chloride). The stress-dependent creep compliance has been modeled in terms of stress, temperature, concentration, and thermodynamic interaction strength.     

Influence of various wood modifications on the properties of polyvinyl chloride/wood flour composites

Aminosilane, melamine and acetic anhydride treated wood flour were added to polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in order to process improved PVC/wood flour composites. The influence of wood treatment on water absorption and mechanical properties were evaluated. Treatments with amino-alkyl functional oligomeric siloxane and melamine in suitable concentration as well as acetylated wood flour composites showed decreased equilibrium moisture content and reduced speed of water absorption. Tensile strength, elongation at break and unnotched impact strength were considerably improved by the aminosilane treatments. The increase in strength and elongation was mainly influenced by the chemical structure and concentration of the used aminosilanes. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Morphology and mechanical properties of virgin and recycled polyethylene/polyvinyl chloride blends

In this study, blends of virgin and recycled polyethylene (PE) and poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), with a methylmethacrylate-ethylacrylate copolymer as a processing aid, were prepared in the molten state. Different additives such as ethylenevinylacetate copolymers, ethylene-methacrylic acid ionomer, and two peroxides (dibenzoyl and dicumyl), in the presence of a coupling agent, were used to compatibilize the blend or possibly induce graft structures. The blends' morphologies, tensile properties, and impact properties were studied. For blends with low copolymer concentration (below 3 wt%) the mechanical test data indicated a good performance. In the case of blends with ethylene methacrylic acid ionomer, improvements in the mechanical properties were obtained also at higher additive concentrations. Of the two peroxides, better results were obtained using the dibenzoyl one. The morphological studies indicated that the blends that showed good mechanical properties were better dispersed and had improved interphase adhesion.     

Changes in rheological properties of polyvinyl chloride plastisols with storage time

In this study, the changes in the rheological curves of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastisols with increasing storage time and the factors affecting these changes were studied. The results show that with increasing storage time, all the “viscosity–temperature” and “viscosity–time” rheological curves of PVC plastisols exhibit nonnormal distribution change trends, that is, the viscosity first decreases, and then changes from slow increasing to rapid increasing, forming a shoulder peak, reaches to the maximum value and gradually decreases. With increasing storage time, the complex viscosities of PVC plastisols increased generally in the first, the second, and the fourth stages, and the gelation process shortened in the third stage. The first and second stages of the viscosity changes reflect the “time–temperature” equivalence principle of PVC plastisol in suspension stage. However, the maximum viscosity of PVC plastisol corresponding to temperature Tη_max does not change with increasing storage time.     

The effect of physical aging on properties of rigid polyvinyl chloride

This paper describes the effects of physical aging on properties of rigid PVC, such as tensile strength, tensile modulus, Izod impact, coefficient of thermal expansion, specific gravity, differential scanning calorimetry, and heat deflection temperature.     

Effects of lubricants on the rheological and mechanical properties of wood flour/polypropylene composites

The lubricant is an indispensable agent used in wood plastic composites (WPCs) to improve the processing flowability, especially with high wood content. Here, the effects of different lubricating systems on the rheological and mechanical properties of wood flour/polypropylene (WF/PP) composites are investigated. Additionally, several theoretical models are used to describe the rheological behavior. The results show that stearic acid (SA), semirefined paraffin wax (Wax), and zinc stearate (ZnSt) can decrease the equilibrium torque, complex viscosity, relaxation time, and flow activation energy of the composite melts. Compared to a single lubricant, the combination of Wax and SA lubricants exhibits lower values and the composite with 3 wt % SA and 1 wt % Wax has the best lubricating effect. The synergistic effect of the combined SA and Wax lubricants further decreases the interactive force between the molecules, indicating that multifunctional lubricating systems play a predominant role in WPCs and improve the overall processing properties. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47667.     

Effects of surface modification on rheological and mechanical properties of CNT/epoxy composites

Despite superior properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), physical properties of the CNT/epoxy composites are not improved significantly because interfacial bonding between the CNTs and the polymer matrix is weak. CNTs were treated by an acidic solution to remove impurities and modified subsequently by amine treatment or plasma oxidation to improve interfacial bonding and dispersion of nanotubes in the epoxy matrix. The functional groups on the surface of treated CNTs were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The surface modified CNTs were embedded in the epoxy resin by ultra-sonication and the cured nanotube containing composites were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy. Rheological properties of nanotube containing epoxy resin and mechanical properties of the modified CNT/epoxy composites were improved because the modification of CNTs improved dispersion and interaction between the CNT and the epoxy resin.     

不同厂家的CPE对PVC制品流变性能的影响

比较了7个厂家生产的CPE的质量指标及对PVC制品流变性能的影响,建议下游加工厂家在采用不同厂家的CPE时,应适当地调整配方及工艺。     

偶联剂对线性低密度聚乙烯/水滑石体系力学和流变性能影响

采用钛酸酯偶联剂NDZ-201、硅烷偶联剂KH-570、硬脂酸和硬脂酸-稀土偶联剂,对水滑石(LDHs)进行表面改性处理,通过X射线衍射和红外光谱表征了改性前后LDHs的结构变化;并研究了不同种类偶联剂及其含量对LDHs填充LLDPE复合体系的力学性能和流变性能的影响.结果表明:4种偶联剂均可以实现LDHs表面改性,并且不会改变LDHs层状结构;改性后LLDPE/LDHs复合材料的断裂伸长率和流变性能得到提高;其中用4%硬脂酸改性LDHs时,LLDPE/LDHs复合材料的断裂伸长率为160%,平衡扭矩为8 N·m.     

Electrical,rheological, and mechanical properties copolymer/carbon black composites

This work aims to evaluate the electrical conductivity and the rheological and mechanical properties of copolymer/carbon black (CB) conductive polymer composites (CPCs). The copolymers, containing ethylene groups in their structure, used as matrix were polyethylene grafted with maleic anhydride (PEgMA), ethylene-methyl acrylate–glycidyl methacrylate (EMA-GMA), and ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA). For comparison purposes, bio-based polyethylene (BioPE)/CB composites were also studied. The electrical conductivity results showed that the electrical percolation threshold of BioPE/CB composite was 0.36 volume fraction of CB, whereas the rheological percolation threshold was 0.25 volume fraction of CB. The most conductive CPC was BioPE/CB. Among the copolymer/CB CPCs, PEgMA/CB showed the highest conductivity, which can be attributed to the fact that the PEgMA copolymer had higher crystallinity. It also has a higher amount of ethylene groups in its structure. Torque rheometry analysis indicated that EMA-GMA copolymer may have reacted with CB. Rheological measurements under oscillatory shear flow indicated the formation of a percolated network in BioPE/CB and copolymer/CB composites. Morphology analysis by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicated the formation of a percolated network structure in BioPE/CB composite and finely dispersed CB particles within the PEgMA copolymer. Wetting of CB particles/agglomerates by the copolymer matrix was observed in EVA/CB and EMA-GMA/CB composites. Conductive CB acted as reinforcing filler as it increased the elastic modulus and tensile strength of BioPE and the copolymers.     

The effect of the inorganic nanomaterials on the UV-absorption,rheological and mechanical properties of the rapid prototyping epoxy-based composites

Polymer Bulletin - We here report the photosensitive nanocomposites as the new rapid prototyping materials. The nanocomposites are prepared using the properly surface-modified sepiolite nanofibers,...     

Functionalized polyvinyl chloride/layered double hydroxide nanocomposites and its thermal and mechanical properties

In this work, to inquire the impact of layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanoclay on functionalized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) through solution intercalation method, four kinds of nanocomposites were prepared. Mg-AL LDH and the obtained functionalize PVC composites were characterized through FT-IR, UV–Vis spectroscopy, TEM, XRD, contact angle, DSC, and UTM. Obtained results revealed that the functionalized PVC uniformly dispersed in the layer of LDH nanoclay. It is revealed that partially intercalated and disordered structure formed in PVC/LDH, PVC-TS (thiosulfate)/LDH, and PVC-S (sulfate)/LDH nanocomposites, whereas fully exfoliated structures formed in the PVC-TU (thiourea)/LDH nanocomposites. Further, it has been observed that the ultimate tensile strength for all the polymer nanocomposites enhanced with increased in the LDH content. These nanocomposites further exhibited higher thermal stability by at least by 51°C higher than the pristine PVC. Along with these, further it has been found that the functionalized PVC/LDH nanocomposites are proved to be effective as thermal stabilizer for PVC processing. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48894.     

Amine treatment of polyvinyl chloride/wood flour composites

Ethanolamine and L ‐arginine treated wood flour were added to polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in order to improve the interphase between PVC and wood. The influence of the treatment on pH‐value changes and nitrogen fixation of the wood and mechanical properties of the composite were evaluated. The treatments changed the pH of wood from acidic to basic. The highest nitrogen fixation was measured for monoethanolamine and L ‐arginine treated wood flour at high concentrations. Tensile strength, elongation at break, and unnotched impact strength were improved by ethanolamine and L ‐arginine treatments considerably. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

聚氨酯弹性体/纳米二氧化硅协同改性聚氯乙烯及其力学性能

用聚氨酯(PU)弹性体/纳米SiO2复合材料协同改性聚氯乙烯(PVC),用反应挤出一步法成型工艺制备了PU弹性体/纳米SiO2/PVC复合材料,对挤出速率和温度进行了考察,并对复合材料力学性能的影响因素进行了研究。结果表明,制备该复合材料的最佳工艺条件是螺杆转速为40～50r/min、挤出机均化段温度为180～190℃;用分散于液化二异氰酸酯中的纳米SiO2制备的复合材料的性能优于用分散于聚醚二元醇中的纳米SiO2;PU弹性体和纳米SiO2能协同增韧PVC,两者质量比为5/1时增韧改性的效果最佳。当PU弹性体/纳米SiO2/PVC(质量比)为5/1/20时,复合材料的综合力学性能最优,冲击强度达到45.6kJ/m2,拉伸强度为50.3MPa。     

The effect of graphene dispersion on the mechanical properties of graphene/epoxy composites

The effect of dispersion state of graphene on mechanical properties of graphene/epoxy composites was investigated. The graphene sheets were exfoliated from graphite oxide (GO) via thermal reduction (thermally reduced GO, RGO). Different dispersions of RGO sheets were prepared with and without ball mill mixing. It was found that the composites with highly dispersed RGO showed higher glass transition temperature (T_g) and strength than those with poorly dispersed RGO, although no significant differences in both the tensile and flexural moduli are caused by the different dispersion levels. In particular, the T_g was increased by nearly 11 °C with the addition of 0.2 wt.% well dispersed RGO to epoxy. As expected, the highly dispersed RGO also produced one or two orders of magnitude higher electrical conductivity than the corresponding poorly dispersed RGO. Furthermore, an improved quasi-static fracture toughness (K_IC) was measured in the case of good dispersion. The poorly and highly dispersed RGO at 0.2 wt.% loading resulted in about 24% and 52% improvement in K_IC of cured epoxy thermosets, respectively. RGO sheets were observed to bridge the micro-crack and debond/delaminate during fracture process due to the poor filler/matrix and filler/filler interface, which should be the key elements of the toughening effect.     

Role of the degree of acetalization on dynamic mechanical properties of polyvinyl butyral/carbon nanotube composites

In this work, polyvinyl butyral (PVB) nanocomposites reinforced with 0.1–1.0 wt % of pristine [carbon nanotube (CNT)] or oxidized (CNTO) multiwalled CNTs were synthesized via in situ polymerization. It was found that the presence of the reinforcement during the synthesis altered the degree of acetalization of PVB. Dynamic mechanical analyses showed that PVB nanocomposites containing 0.5 wt % of pristine CNT had the best adhesion factor, with increases of about 30% in the storage modulus. On the other hand, PVB/CNTO 1.0 wt % nanocomposites achieved the best reinforcement efficiency factor (“C” coefficient). It is concluded that the in situ polymerization improves dispersion and final properties of the nanocomposite only if the nanoparticles are able to form relevant interfacial interactions during the PVB synthesis. In addition, it was verified that the presence of CNT or CNTO altered the degree of acetalization of PVB, which strongly influences the final properties of the nanocomposites. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 48146.