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     

Rheological properties,oil, and thermal resistance in sulfur‐cured CPE/NR blends

The use of natural rubber (NR) for partly substituting elastomeric chlorinated polyethylene (CPE) was carried out. Sulfur curing was used to vulcanize NR phase in the blends. Mechanical, rheological, and thermal aging properties as well as oil resistance of the blends were investigated. The amount of NR in blends significantly affects properties of the blends. With NR content in blends up to 20 wt %, tensile properties are similar to those of the pure CPE, even after either oil immersion or thermal aging. Rheological properties of CPE/NR blends determined from the rubber process analyzer (RPA 2000) and parallel‐plate rheometer are controlled strongly by the blend composition. The viscoelastic behavior of pure CPE and the blends with CPE as a major component is governed by the viscous response, which could be seen from the high damping factor, particularly at high strain, the short linear viscoelastic range, and the high degree of pseudoplasticity. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 1129–1135, 2004     

Oil and thermal aging resistance in compatibilized and thermally stabilized chlorinated polyethylene/natural rubber blends

Influences of EPDM-g-MA as a compatibilizer and a phenolic antioxidant on oil and thermal aging resistance in 50/50 CPE/NR blends were investigated. It has been found that EPDM-g-MA could decrease phase size of the blend system, indicating compatibilizing effect. The optimal concentration of EPDM-g-MA is 1 phr. Beyond this concentration, phase size starts to increase. The addition of phenolic antioxidant apparently decreases the phase size in blends. This is probably due to the improvement in a thermal stabilization of NR phase in blends provided by the antioxidant, which leads to a reduction in phase coalescence during blending. In addition, the results of oil and thermal aging resistance are in good agreement with the morphological results, indicating that the oil resistance and thermal aging properties based on relative tensile strength in the 50/50 CPE/NR blends are strongly controlled by the size of the NR dispersed phase in CPE matrix. The smaller the dispersed phase size, the higher the resistance to oil and thermal aging.     

Morphology,mechanical properties,and durability of poly(lactic acid) plasticized with Di(isononyl) cyclohexane‐1,2‐dicarboxylate

Di(isononyl) cyclohexane‐1,2‐dicarboxylate (DINCH) was used as a new plasticizer for poly(lactic acid) (PLA), and the effects of DINCH and tributyl citrate ester (TBC) on the morphology, mechanical and thermal properties, and durability of PLA were compared. DINCH has limited compatibility with PLA, leading to PLA/DINCH blends with phase separation in which DINCH forms spherical dispersed phase. TBC is compatible with PLA and evenly distributed in PLA. Plasticized PLA with 10 and 20 phr DINCH have a constant glass transition temperature (T_g) of 50°C and are stiff materials with high elongation at break and impact strength. TBC could significantly decrease the T_g and increase the crystallinity of PLA, and PLA/TBC (100/20) blend is a soft material with a T_g of 24°C. The durability of plasticized PLA was characterized by weight loss measurement under water immersion, mechanical properties, and thermal analysis. The results reveal that PLA/DINCH blends have better water resistance and aging resistance properties than PLA/TBC blends, which is attributed to the relatively high hydrophobicity of DINCH and high T_g of PLA/DINCH blends. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2009. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Natural rubber/ethylene propylene diene blends for high insulation iron crossarms

This research studied the composition and behavior of natural rubber (NR) and ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) blends at various carbon black concentrations (0–30 phr) in terms of electrical resistivity, dielectric breakdown voltage testing, and physical properties. The blends having electrical properties suitable for application in high‐insulation iron crossarms were selected for investigation of compatibility and increased physical properties. The effect of the homogenizing agent concentration on improvement of compatibility of blends was studied by scanning electron microscopy, pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and rheology techniques. We also examined mechanical properties such as tensile strength, tear strength, elongation at break, and hardness. The NR/EPDM blends filled with a fixed concentration of silica were investigated for ozone resistance. A carbon black content as high as 10 phr is still suitable for the insulation coating material, which can withstand electrical voltage at 10 kVac. Addition of the homogenizing agent at 5 phr can improve the mechanical compatibility of blends, as evidenced by the positive deviation of shear viscosity of the rubber blend, that is, the calculated shear viscosity being higher than that of experimental data. Moreover, the pulsed NMR results indicated that the spin‐spin relaxation (T₂) of all three components of the rubber blend was compressed upon the addition of the homogenizing agent. The ratio of NR/EPDM in the blend to best resist the ozone gas is 80/20 with the addition of silica of 30 phr into the blend. Also, the NR/EPDM filled with silica had a decreased change in thermal and mechanical properties of blends after thermal aging. The synergistic effect of silica content and high NR content (80) in 20 phr EPDM could improve antioxidation by ozone in the absence of a normal antioxidant for natural rubber. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 92: 3401–3416, 2004     

Compatibility study of chlorinated polyethylene/ethylene methacrylate copolymer blends using thermal,mechanical, and chemical analysis

Blends of chlorinated polyethylene (CPE) elastomer and ethylene methacrylate copolymer (EMA) in various compositions were studied for their compatibility using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy techniques. Irrespective of measurement techniques used, all blends showed a single glass transition temperature (T_g) lying in between the T_g of control polymers in both DSC and DMA. Glass transition temperatures of blends obtained from DSC were in consistency with Couchman–Karasz equation. Also, the T_g obtained from both DSC and DMA are above the “rule of mixing” line of the two control polymers. These results from thermal analysis clearly indicate some compatibility between the two polymers. Furthermore, compatibility of CPE/EMA blends were also been investigated by FTIR spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopic analysis. A shifting of characteristic C? Cl stretching peak of CPE and C?O stretching peak of EMA toward lower wave number indicate the presence of specific interaction between the two polymers. Mechanical properties like tensile strength, modulus at 100% elongation, elongation at break, and hardness were observed above the line of additivity drawn between the two control polymers, which corroborate compatibility between CPE and EMA. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40316.     

Boiling water aging of polycarbonate and polycarbonate/acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene resin and polycarbonate/low‐density polyester blends

The effects of boiling water on the mechanical and thermal properties and morphologies of polycarbonate (PC), PC/acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene resin (PC/ABS), and PC/low‐density polyester (PC/LDPE) blends (compositions of PC/ABS and PC/LDPE blends were 80/20) were studied. PC and the PC/ABS blend had a transition from ductile to brittle materials after boiling water aging. The PC/LDPE blend was more resistant to boiling water aging than PC and the PC/ABS blend. The thermal properties of glass‐transition temperature (T_g) and melting temperature (T_m) in PC and the blends were measured by DSC. The T_g of PC and PC in the PC/ABS and PC/LDPE blends decreased after aging. The T_g of the ABS component in the PC/ABS blend did not change after aging. The supersaturated water in PC clustered around impurities or air bubbles leading to the formation of microcracks, which was the primary reason for the ductile–brittle transition in PC, and the microcracks could not recover after PC was treated at 160°C for 6 h. The PC/ABS blend showed slightly higher resistance to boiling water than did PC. The highest resistance to boiling water of the PC/LDPE blend may be attributed to its special structural morphology. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 589–595, 2003     

Influence of precipitated silica on dynamic mechanical properties and resistance to oil and thermal aging in CPE/NR blends

Blends of 80/20 CPE/NR filled with various silica loadings were prepared, and their properties were determined. It was found that cure properties are influenced significantly by the addition of precipitated silica. Scorch time and cure time decrease with increasing silica loading, which could be explained by the thermal history attributed to the shear heating in the blending stage. An increase in crosslink density as a function of silica loading is believed to be caused by a migration of curatives to the NR phase. In terms of phase morphology, with increasing silica loading, the NR dispersed phase size decreases due to the increase in compound viscosity and, thus, the shear stress available for efficient blending. An increase in silica loading also enhances resistance to oil due to the decrease in the NR dispersed phase size associated with the dilution effect, but gives no significant impact on thermal aging resistance. According to the change in damping peak height associated with the shift in T_g of the CPE phase, silica appears to preferentially migrate to the CPE phase due to the strong interaction between CPE and silanol groups of the silica surfaces. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 96: 2218–2224, 2005     

Study on thermal enhancement mechanism of POSS‐containing hybrid nanocomposites and relationship between thermal properties and their molecular structure

In this study, a series of poly(4‐acetoxystyrene) (PAS)‐octavinyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) blends and the polystyrene (PS)‐octavinyl POSS blends were prepared by the solution‐blending method and characterized with Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) techniques. The results show that the glass‐transition temperature (T_g) of the PAS‐POSS blends increases at a relatively low POSS content and then decreases at a relatively high POSS content. POSS can effectively improve the thermal stability of the PAS‐POSS blends at low POSS content, and T_g of PAS‐POSS blends decreases with the increase in POSS content at relatively high POSS content. However, the T_g of the PS‐POSS blends persistently decreases even at very low POSS content. T_g change mechanism was investigated in detail by XRD, TEM, and FTIR spectra. The influence mechanism of POSS content and dispersion in composites, and parent polymer structure on thermal properties of the blends was investigated in detail. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Comparison of viscoelastic properties of polydimethylsiloxane/poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) IPNs with their physical blends

Interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) were prepared by sequential method. The dynamic mechanical parameters of obtained IPNs and their variations with the structural composition were evaluated. The results for the IPNs were compared with corresponding physically blended systems. The tensile properties and damping factor (tan δ) were assessed by stress–strain measurement and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), respectively. The glass–rubber transition temperature (T_g) was assessed by DMTA and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results showed higher tensile strength and elongation at break for IPNs than those for physical blends. The shifts of T_g for that two components that make up the IPNs were greater than those for corresponding blends. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 86: 3480–3485, 2002     

Toughness improvement of poly(lactic acid) with poly(vinyl propionate)-grafted natural rubber

Natural rubber (NR) grafted with poly(vinyl propionate) (NR-g-PVP) was prepared by emulsion polymerization. The monomer content was set at 5, 10, 20, and 30 wt%. The chemical structure of NR-g-PVP was confirmed by ¹H-NMR and FTIR techniques. The grafting parameters of purified NR-g-PVP were evaluated. Binary (PLA/NR and PLA/NR-g-PVP) and ternary (PLA/NR/NR-g-PVP) blends were prepared by melt blending using a twin-screw extruder. The percentage of grafted PVP on NR affected morphology, thermal and mechanical properties of the blends. In binary blends, 5% grafting showed the greatest improvement of toughness and ductility with PLA, whereas there was no improvement in the mechanical properties of PLA/NR blend from using NR-g-PVP as a compatibilizer. The mechanical properties of the blends are related to mutual compatibility of the components. Good interfacial adhesion and proper particle size of NR were the key factors contributing to mechanical properties.     

Preparation and properties of foamed cellulose acetate/polylactic acid blends

In order to improve the foaming performance of pure cellulose acetate (CA), blends were prepared by mixing polylactic acid (PLA) in CA and foamed by supercritical CO₂ (ScCO₂) in this study. The effect of PLA content (percentage by mass of blend) on structure, thermal properties, rheological properties, foaming properties and mechanical properties of the blends was investigated. The results showed that the addition of PLA destroyed the original hydrogen bonds of CA, while the blends had good crystallization properties. At the same time, compared with pure CA, the glass transition temperature (T_g) of the blends decreased, and the initial decomposition temperature (T₀) was reduced from 349.41°C (pure CA) to 334.68°C (CA/20%PLA). In addition, the rheological properties of the blends were improved, and the viscosity was reduced, which was obviously beneficial to foaming process. The pore size and density of the foamed blends both reached the maximum value at 20%PLA. The presence of PLA could degrade the mechanical properties of the blends. However, the overall drop (1.01 KJ/m²) of impact strength of the blends after foaming is much smaller than that before foaming (12.11 KJ/m²), indicating that the improvement of foaming performance was beneficial to improve its impact strength.     

The Effect of Epoxidized Sunflower Oil on the Miscibility of Plasticized PVC/NBR Blends

Blends of plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) with several ratios of nitrile rubber (NBR) were studied. The effects of epoxidized sunflower oil (ESO) in combination with di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) in the PVC blends on the tensile strength, elongation, hardness, and dynamical mechanical analysis (DMA) were studied. The modulus and hardness results revealed that the addition of ESO to the blend favors the miscibility of PVC and NBR. The PVC/NBR/(DEHP-ESO) blends behave as a compatible system as is evident from the single T _g observed in DMA. The moderate level broadening of the T _g zone in blends is due to the presence of ESO in the plasticizer system. Blends of plasticized PVC and nitrile rubber showed promising properties. The ESO is suitable to partially replace DEHP in PVC/NBR blends.     

Properties and morphologies of elastomer blends modified with EPDM‐g‐poly[2‐dimethylamino ethylmethacrylate]

The graft copolymerization of 2‐dimethylamino ethylmethacrylate (DMAEMA) onto ethylene propylene diene mononer rubber (EPDM) was carried out in toluene via solution polymerization technique at 70°C, using dibenzoyl peroxide as initiator. The synthesized EPDM rubber grafted with poly[DMAEMA] (EPDM‐g‐PDMAEMA) was characterized with ¹H‐NMR spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The EPDM‐g‐PDMAEMA was incorporated into EPDM/butadiene acrylonitrile rubber (EPDM/NBR) blend with different blend ratios, where the homogeneity of such blends was examined with scanning electron microscopy and DSC. The scanning electron micrographs illustrate improvement of the morphology of EPDM/NBR rubber blends as a result of incorporation of EPDM‐g‐PDMAEMA onto that blend. The DSC trace exhibits one glass transition temperature (T_g) for EPDM/NBR blend containing EPDM‐g‐PDMAEMA, indicating improvement of homogeneity. The physico‐mechanical properties after and before accelerated thermal aging of the homogeneous, and inhomogeneous EPDM/NBR vulcanizates with different blend ratios were investigated. The physico‐mechanical properties of all blend vulcanizates were improved after and before accelerated thermal aging, in presence of EPDM‐g‐PDMAEMA. Of all blend ratios under investigation EPDM/NBR (75/25) blend possesses the best physico‐mechanical properties together with the best (least) swelling (%) in brake fluid. Swelling behavior of the rubber blend vulcanizates in motor oil and toluene was also investigated. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Effects of polycaprolactone molecular weights on thermal and mechanical properties of polybenzoxazine

Polymer blends of polybenzoxazine (PBA‐a) and polycaprolactone (PCL) of different molecular weights (M_n = 10,000, 45,000, and 80,000 Da) were prepared at various PBA‐a/PCL mass ratios and their properties were characterized. The results from dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA) revealed two glass transition temperatures implying phase separation of the two polymers in the studied range of the PCL contents. Moreover, a synergistic behavior in glass transition temperature (T_g) was evidently observed in these blends with a maximum T_g value of 281°C compared with the T_g value of 169°C of the PBA‐a and about ?50°C of the PCL used. The blends with higher M_n of PCL tended to provide greater T_g value than those with lower M_n of PCL. The modulus and hardness values of PBA‐a were decreased while the elongation at break and area under the stress?strain curve were increased with an increase of the content and M_n of PCL, suggesting an enhancement of toughness of the PBA‐a. Scanning electron micrographs (SEM) of the sample fracture surface are also used to confirm the improvement in toughness of the blends. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 41915.     

Melt flow properties,mechanical properties,thermal properties and morphology of polycarbonate/highly branched polystyrene blends

A highly branched polystyrene (HBPS) was synthesized via the copolymerization of 4‐(chloromethyl) styrene with styrene using the self‐condensing atom transfer radical polymerization method. The addition of HBPS as a melt modifier for polycarbonate (PC) was attempted. Melt flow properties, mechanical properties, thermal properties and morphology of the blends were studied. The results showed that a significant drop in the blend viscosity occurs immediately on addition of HBPS. Impact strength, tensile strength and glass transition temperature (T_g) of all the blends have not been significantly reduced compared with those of pure PC. The TGA analyses showed that an initial weight loss temperature of all the blends is above 458 °C and slightly low compared with that of pure PC, but all the blends still have excellent thermal stability. Morphological studies using SEM showed that a two‐phase morphology is characteristic of all the blends, with more or less spherical droplets of the minor HBPS phase dispersed in the continuous PC phase. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

The effect of citrate ester plasticizers on the thermal and mechanical properties of poly(DL‐lactide)

Citrate esters triethyl citrate, tributyl citrate, and acetyl tributyl citrate were used as plasticizers for amorphous poly(D,L ‐lactide) (PDLLA). The resultant compositions were analyzed by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, and tensile testing to investigate the properties of the blends. Glass transition temperatures (T_gs) obtained by DSC were also compared to theoretically calculated T_gs. Increasing plasticizer content decreased the resultant T_g of the blend with plasticizer efficiency enhanced as the molecular weight of the citrate ester increased. However, in blends with high plasticizer content, a lack of miscibility also occurred with increased molecular weight. Theoretical results were comparable with those obtained experimentally at compositions, which were miscible. Increasing plasticizer content increased the ductility and decreased the strength of the polymer. The addition of 10 wt % plasticizer to PDLLA decreased tensile strength by over 50% with the deterioration larger at higher concentrations of plasticizer. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Effect of plasticizer and curing system on freezing resistance of rubbers

At glass transition temperature, T_g the rubber compound becomes stiff and brittle and it loses all its rubbery characteristics. This article deals with the changes in T_g of rubber blends based on natural rubber and polybutadiene rubber of varying vinyl content having different types and content of plasticizers, different curing systems and its effect on physico‐mechanical properties to improve its freezing resistance. The plasticizers used were dioctylphthalate (DOP), tricrecylphosphate (TCP), dioctyladipate (DOA), and oil type plasticizers like parafinic oil (P#2) and aromatic oil (A#2). Among the plasticizers, when DOP and DOA content was high, an appreciable decrease of T_g was found compared to TCP. Moreover, there was a remarkable decrease of T_g using DOA plasticizer, which shows more effective on freezing resistance. However, there was not much change in T_g with oil‐type plasticizers with high oil content compared to TCP plasticizer. The effect of cross‐linking systems such as conventional sulfur vulcanization (CV), efficient sulfur vulcanization (EV), and dicumyl peroxide (DCP) and rubber blends with varying vinyl content in polybutadiene rubber were also carried out. It was found that T_g in different cross‐linking system decreased in this order: CV < EV < DCP. It reveals that DCP cross‐linking system affect more for improving freezing resistance. Physico‐mechanical properties such as tensile strength, tear strength, hardness were also measured. The ratio of initial slope (M₀) to steady‐state slope (M₁), M₀/M₁ in tensile curves of different blends were verified, which in turn related to the physico‐mechanical properties and freezing resistance of rubber compounds. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 39795.     

Curing characteristics,morphology, thermal stability,mechanical properties,and irradiation resistance of methylethylsilicone/methylphenylsilicone rubber blends

Methylethylsilicone rubber (MESR)/methylphenylsilicone rubber (MPSR) blends were cured with 2,5‐dimethyl‐2,5‐di(tert‐butylperoxy)hexane. The curing characteristics, morphology, thermal behaviors, mechanical properties at different temperatures, radiation resistance, and thermal aging resistance of the MESR/MPSR blends were investigated. The results show that a high MPSR content could decrease the optimum curing time and improve the scorch safety. Dynamic mechanical analysis revealed that the glass‐transition temperature of the blends increased slightly with the addition of MPSR. Scanning electron microscopy showed that MESR and MPSR had good compatibility in the blends. Thermogravimetric analysis indicated that the thermal stability of the blends increased with increasing quantity of MPSR. The blends had excellent mechanical properties at low temperatures. However, these properties were significantly reduced when the temperature was increased. Moreover, changes in the mechanical properties decreased with increasing MPSR content at high temperatures, especially at temperatures higher than 100°C. In addition, the radiation resistance and thermal aging resistance of the blends increased with increasing MPSR content. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40529.     

Mechanical,thermal, and water uptake characteristics of woodflour‐filled polyvinyl chloride/acrylonitrile butadiene styrene blends

Woodflour‐filled composites based on polymeric blends of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and super high‐impact grade ABS were developed. Mechanical, thermal, and water uptake characteristics of the PVC/ABS matrix and their wood composites were evaluated. In the case of PVC/ABS matrix, the blend at a mass ratio of 50/50 rendered the impact strength with a very high value of up to 65 kJ/m², noticeably higher than those of the parent resins, that is, 6 kJ/m² of PVC and 35 kJ/m² of ABS. Dynamic mechanical analysis thermograms showed two distinct glass transition temperatures (T_gs) that shifted toward each other indicating partial miscibility of the blends. Water absorption of the blends after 24 h immersion was low, that is, within the range of 0.04–0.2 wt % and exhibits a behavior closed to pseudo‐Fickian type. The obtained PVC/ABS wood composites exhibited an increase of flexural modulus as well as T_gs with an increase of woodflour content. Finally, impact strength of the PVC/ABS composites was significantly higher than those of PVC composites or polyethylene composites comparing at the same woodflour content. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012