Effects of copper amine treatment on mechanical properties of PVC/wood‐flour composites

Copper amine–treated wood flour was added to PVC [poly(vinyl chloride)] matrix in order to manufacture PVC/wood‐flour composites. Effects of copper treatments on the mechanical properties of PVC‐wood composites were evaluated. Unnotched impact strength, flexural strength, and flexural toughness of the composites were significantly improved by the wood‐flour copper treatment. The optimum copper concentration range was 0.2 to 0.6 wt% of wood flour. Fractured surfaces were examined by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) combined with energy‐dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). PVC/wood interfacial debonding was the main fracture mode of untreated wood‐flour composites, whereas wood‐particle pullout and breakage dominating the fractured surfaces of copper‐treated wood‐flour composites. On the fractured surfaces, more PVC could be found on the exposed copper‐treated wood particles than on untreated wood, a result suggesting improved PVC‐wood interfacial adhesion after copper treatments. J. Vinyl Addit. Technol. 10:70–78, 2004. © 2004 Society of Plastics Engineers.     

Mechanical properties of poly(vinyl chloride)/wood flour/glass fiber hybrid composites

Short glass fibers were added to poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC)/wood flour composites as reinforcement agents. Unnotched and notched impact strength of PVC/wood flour/glass fiber hybrid composites could be increased significantly without losing flexural properties by adding type L glass fibers and over 40% of PVC. There was no such improvement when using type S glass fiber. The impact strength of hybrid composites increased along with the increment of the type L glass fiber content at a 50% PVC content. At high PVC contents, impact fracture surfaces were characterized by wood particle, glass fiber breakage and pullout, whereas interfacial debonding was the dominant fracture mode at higher filler concentrations. The significant improvement in impact strength of hybrid composites was attributed to the formation of the three‐dimensional network glass fiber architecture between type L glass fibers and wood flour.     

Properties of Blends Prepared from Surface-modified Low-density Polyethylene and Poly(vinyl chloride)

Improvement of adhesion between low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) in their blends was attempted by plasma modification of their surfaces. A series of different plasma treatments, vinyl chloride or carbon tetrachloride plasma for PE and acetylene plasma for PVC, were employed. In addition, an oligomeric copolymer of PE–VC was also tested in the blend. After modification, different degrees of improvement were obtained in mechanical properties, ranging from slight for acetylene plasma-modified samples to high for the vinyl chloride plasma-modified samples and samples with added oligomeric copolymer. © of SCI.     

Surface modification strategies for multicomponent polymer systems. III: Effect of diblock copolymer‐modified rutile on the morphology and mechanical properties of LLDPE/PVC blends

Rutile pigment was surface‐modified by the adsorption of various diblock copolymers and used as a component in two‐ and three‐component polymer blends involving the incompatible pair of linear, low‐density polyethylene (LLDPE) and poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). Stress–strain analyses and electron microscopy show that the copolymer tethered to the rutile surface affects both mechanical and morphological properties of the blends. Inverse gas chromatography was used to evaluate dispersion surface energies and acid–base interaction parameters of the various solids. The mechanical and morphological characteristics of the blends can be rationalized by the concepts of acid–base and dispersion–force interaction. Of the copolymer modifiers used, the diblock based on polyisoprene and poly(4‐vinyl pyridine) (PIP‐P4VP) was best suited for use in LLDPE/PVC blends, ostensibly because of strong acid–base interaction between PVC and P4VP and mechanical interlocking between LLDPE and the PIP moiety. The properties of ternary blends were shown to be dependent on the method used for mixing the components. All mixing procedures used here resulted in time‐dependent variations of mechanical properties, suggesting that none gave rise to equilibrium morphology in the compounds. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 81: 1891–1901, 2001     

Effect of Wood Flour Content on the Thermal,Mechanical and Dielectric Properties of Poly(vinyl chloride)

Several composite formulations of poly(vinyl chloride)/olive wood flour (PVC/WF) were manufactured by dry‐blending PVC, wood flour, plasticizer and other processing additives in a high‐intensity mixer. The dry‐blended compounds were calendered into film samples (T = 180°C, calendered time = 8 min). The films obtained are cut into normalized samples for thermal, mechanical, and dielectric characterization. The results obtained show that stress as well as strain at break decrease sharply as the wood flour content increases. On the other hand, this filler content has little influence on the glass transition temperature. It decreases the temperature of decomposition setting and retards the PVC thermal decomposition. It increases permittivity as well as dielectric losses. The thermal stability, as measured by thermogravimetry (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) methods, is good enough to permit processing of these types of PVC compounds using conventional processing techniques and temperatures under 210°C.     

Poly(vinyl chloride)‐b‐poly(hydroxypropyl acrylate)‐b‐Poly(vinyl chloride): Understanding the synthesis of an amphiphilic PVC block copolymer on a pilot scale

The aim of this work was to develop an understanding of the major difficulties associated with the scale‐up of the technology for the synthesis of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) block copolymers that contain hydrophilic segments, thus providing important directions to be followed in order to produce such new materials on the industrial scale. The synthesis was carried out in a two‐step process. First, the macroinitiator α,ω‐di(iodo)poly(hydroxypropyl acrylate) was synthesized in an aqueous medium by (single electron transfer)/(degenerative chain transfer) living radical polymerization (SET‐DTRP) catalyzed by Na₂S₂O₄. The block copolymer was then prepared by SET‐DTRP of vinyl chloride (VC) from the iodine‐terminal active chain ends of the macroinitiator, thereby leading to the formation of the block copolymer poly(vinyl chloride)‐b‐poly(hydroxypropyl acrylate)‐b‐poly(vinyl chloride). This report covers important aspects related to the characterization of the block copolymer produced and to the identification of the major limitations that must be overcome in order to produce this new material on the industrial scale. The results clearly show the differences between the theoretical predictions and the block copolymer compositions obtained by using a suspension polymerization method, which is the most‐used polymerization process in the PVC industry. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 19:94–104, 2013. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Wood/plastic composites co‐extruded with multi‐walled carbon nanotube‐filled rigid poly(vinyl chloride) cap layer

Wood/plastic composites (WPCs) can absorb moisture in a humid environment due to the hydrophilic nature of the wood in the composites, making products susceptible to microbial growth and loss of mechanical properties. Co‐extruding a poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC)‐rich cap layer on a WPC significantly reduces the moisture uptake rate, increases the flexural strength but, most importantly, decreases the flexural modulus compared to uncapped WPCs. A two‐level factorial design was used to develop regression models evaluating the statistical effects of material compositions and a processing condition on the flexural properties of co‐extruded rigid PVC/wood flour composites with the ultimate goal of producing co‐extruded composites with better flexural properties than uncapped WPCs. Material composition variables included wood flour content in the core layer and carbon nanotube (CNT) content in the cap layer of the co‐extruded composites, with the processing temperature profile for the core layer as the only processing condition variable. Fusion tests were carried out to understand the effects of the material compositions and processing condition on the flexural properties. Regression models indicated all main effects and two powerful interaction effects (processing temperature/wood flour content and wood flour content/CNT content interactions) as statistically significant. Factors leading to a fast fusion of the PVC/wood flour composites in the core layer, i.e. low wood flour content and high processing temperature, were effective material composition and processing condition parameters for improving the flexural properties of co‐extruded composites. Reinforcing the cap layer with CNTs also produced a significant improvement in the flexural properties of the co‐extruded composites, insensitive to the core layer composition and the processing temperature condition. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Thermal and structural effects of poly(vinyl chloride)/(wood flour) compound gelation in the Brabender mixer

The processing of two unplasticized compounds of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) with and without wood flour (WF) was performed in a Brabender mixing chamber, at various chamber temperatures between 130 and 200°C and at a shear rate of 12.61 s^?1. The test was carried out up to the time corresponding to the equilibrium state of the torque, and the variations of torque and real melt temperature as functions of time were analyzed. It was found that the addition of WF led to fusion at lower chamber temperature and that during gelation, stronger self‐heating effects occurred in the WF‐filled PVC compound. Various characteristics of the real temperature gelation curves of PVC with and without the WF filler were observed and are discussed. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Coextruded PVC/wood‐flour composites with WPC cap layers

Wood‐plastic composites (WPCs) can absorb moisture in a humid environment owing to the hydrophilic nature of the wood, thereby making the products susceptible to microbial growth and loss of mechanical properties. In this study, rigid poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC)/wood‐flour composites (core layer) were coextruded with either unfilled rigid PVC (cap layer) or rigid PVC filled with a small amount (5–27.5%) of wood flour (composite cap layers) in order to decrease or delay the moisture uptake. The thickness of the cap layer and its composition in terms of wood flour content were the variables examined during coextrusion. Surface color, moisture absorption, and flexural properties of both coextruded and noncoextruded (control) composite samples were characterized. The experimental results indicated that both unfilled PVC and composite cap layers can be encapsulated over rigid PVC/wood‐flour composites in a coextrusion process. The moisture uptake rate was lower when a cap layer was applied in the composites, and the extent of the decrease was a strong function of the amount of wood flour in the cap layer but insensitive to cap layer thickness. Overall, coextruding PVC surface‐rich cap layers on WPCs significantly increased the flexural strength but decreased the flexural modulus as compared with those of control samples. The changes in bending properties were sensitive to both cap layer thickness and wood flour content. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Deviation from the theoretical predictions in the synthesis of amphiphilic block copolymers in a wide range of compositions based on poly(vinyl chloride) by single electron transfer: Degenerative chain living radical polymerization in suspension medium

This work deals with the synthesis of different poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) based block copolymers, containing poly(hydroxypropyl acrylate) segments having different compositions and molecular weights. These copolymers were synthesized via single electron transfer‐degenerative chain living radical polymerization. The block copolymers prepared showed deviations from the theoretical predictions in terms of molecular weight and polydispersity, which were ascribed to the heterogeneous nature of the reaction mixture. The technical problems addressed are important to the establishment of the required technological improvements for the industrial implementation. It has been shown that the control over the composition of the block copolymers is only achieved when the amount of vinyl chloride used in the second step of the polymerization was relatively high. The adhesion performance of these block copolymers in PVC‐wood flour composite formulations was studied by assessing the mechanical performance of such composites, when the copolymers were included in the composite formulations. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Poly(vinyl chloride)–Acacia bark flour composite: Effect of particle size and filler content on mechanical,thermal, and morphological characteristics

This article describes the effect of filler [obtained from bark of Acacia (Babool)] content and its particle size (ranging from 100 to 150 μm and <50 μm) on the properties of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) composites. Bark of the fast‐growing species Acacia was used as powder for making PVC composites, which may find applications as a substitute to high‐cost wood and to avoid deforestation. A two‐roll mill was used for mixing varying amounts of bark flour with PVC formulation. Samples for testing were prepared by compression molding. Tensile strength and percentage of elongation at break decreased, whereas modulus increased with an increasing amount of bark flour. A significant increase in storage modulus (E′) was observed upon incorporation of filler. Improvement in properties was significant in the presence of filler, having a particle size <50 μm as compared to filler, having a particle size ranging from 100 to 150 μm. Morphological characterization was conducted by using scanning electron microscopy. A uniform dispersion of filler was observed in PVC matrix. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Stabilizations of molecular structures and mechanical properties of PVC and wood/PVC composites by Tinuvin and TiO2 stabilizers

Three different UV stabilizers, 2‐(2H‐benzotriazol‐2‐yl)‐4,6‐ditertpentylphenol (Tinuvin XT833), 2‐(2H‐benzotriazol‐2‐yl)‐p‐cresol (Tinuvin P), or rutile–titanium dioxide (TiO₂) were incorporated into poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) and wood/PVC (WPVC) composite, and mechanical and physical properties and photostabilities were monitored. The polyene and carbonyl sequences of PVC increased with UV weathering time and with presence of wood flour. The yellowness index increased because of polyene and carbonyl productions, whereas the brightness increased because of the photobleaching of lignin in wood. The photostabilities of PVC and WPVC could be improved through the use of UV stabilizers. Tinuvin P was recommended in this work as the most effective stabilizer for PVC and WPVC composites. The stabilization effect was interfered by presence of wood particles. The mechanical property changes corresponded well to the structural changes under UV for neat PVC. For WPVC composites, the presence of wood particles played more significant effect on the mechanical properties during UV aging than the UV stabilizer. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Thermal and dynamic mechanical behavior of poly(vinyl chloride)/wood flour composites

Thermal and dynamic mechanical behaviors of wood plastic composites made of poly vinyl chloride (PVC) and surface treated, untreated wood flour were characterized by using differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic mechanical analysis. Glass transition temperature (T_g) of PVC was slightly increased by the addition of wood flour and by wood flour surface treatments. Heat capacity differences (ΔC_p) of composites before and after glass transition were markedly reduced. PVC/wood composites exhibited smaller tan δ peaks than PVC alone, suggesting that less energy was dissipated for coordinated movements and disentanglements of PVC polymer chains in the composites. The rubbery plateaus of storage modulus (E′) curves almost disappeared for PVC/wood composites in contrast to a well defined plateau range for pure PVC. It is proposed that wood flour particles act as “physical crosslinking points” or “pinning centers” inside the PVC matrix, resulting in the absence of the rubbery plateau and high E′ above T_g. The mobility of PVC chain segments were further retarded by the presence of surface modified wood flour. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Tensile properties,morphology, and thermal behavior of PVC composites containing pine flour and bamboo flour

Composites of unplasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) blended with bamboo flour and pine flour, respectively, were prepared in a batch mixer followed by compression molding. The effects of wood flour fillers on the morphology, static mechanical properties, and thermal properties of the composites were investigated. Compared with neat PVC resin, the introduction of both bamboo flour and pine flour significantly improved the stiffness of the composites, while decreasing the tensile strength to some extent. Tensile tests showed that pine flour–filled composites exhibited better mechanical properties than those filled with bamboo flour with the same particle size at the same loading level. Scanning electron microscopic examination revealed good dispersion and alignment tendency of short pine fiber within the composites at a lower loading level. Moreover, experimental results indicated that both bamboo flour and pine flour additions showed no obviously adverse effect on the thermal stabilities of these composites. Based on the comprehensive properties, these composites meet the need of woodlike material for use as wood structures. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 1804–1811, 2004     

Effect of poly(vinyl chloride) resin type in the preparation process of slush powder

During the preparation of the poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) slush powder, we found that PVC resins obtained by different polymerization methods affected many properties of slush powder and its products. Two types of commercial PVC resins were used for slush powder preparation: mass poly(vinyl chloride) (M‐PVC) and suspension poly(vinyl chloride) (S‐PVC). We used the Haake rheomix test to characterize the absorption of plasticizers into PVC resins, and the results showed that M‐PVC absorbed the plasticizers more quickly than S‐PVC. The fusion behavior of the two slush powders was studied by the thermal plate test and Haake rheomix test, and the results showed that the slush powder of M‐PVC was easier to fuse than that of S‐PVC. The different properties of the two resins and slush powder could be explained by the morphology, average size, and size distribution. Due to the “skin” of the particles' surfaces, the wider size distribution, and the large size of particles, S‐PVC absorbed the plasticizers more slowly and was more difficult to fuse. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 86: 3331–3335, 2002     

PVC/WF发泡材料的性能研究

采用NaOH溶液、丙烯酸丁酯、甲基丙烯酸甲酯和硅烷偶联剂KH-550分别对木粉(WF)进行表面处理,利用傅立叶变换红外光谱仪对其进行表征,并用处理过的WF增强聚氯乙烯(PVC)树脂,经一步模压法制备PVC/WF发泡材料.对其进行力学性能、物理性能测试,比较不同表面处理方法对该发泡材料各项性能的影响.结果表明,WF经表面处理后制备的PVC/WF发泡材料性能均有所提高,其中以NaOH处理后所得复合材料综合性能最优:拉伸强度提高112%,密度从205.4 kg/m3减小到102.3 kg/m3,吸水率、吸油率和线性收缩率均有大幅度改善.     

Flame retardancy,antifungal efficacies,and physical–mechanical properties for wood/polymer composites containing zinc borate

This work aimed to examine flame retardancy, antifungal performance and physical–mechanical properties for silane‐treated wood–polymer composites (WPCs) containing zinc borate (ZnB). ZnB with content from 0.0 to 7.0 wt% was added to WPCs, and silane‐treated wood contents were varied. The polymers used were poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) and high‐density polyethylene (HDPE). The decay test was performed according to the European standard EN 113. Loweporus sp., a white‐rot fungus, was used for antifungal performance evaluation. Antifungal performance was observed to decrease with wood content. Incorporation of ZnB at 1.0 wt% significantly increased the antifungal performance of WPCs. ZnB content of greater than 1.0 wt% lowered the antifungal properties of WPCs. The results suggested that the wood/PVC composite exhibited better antifungal performance than the wood/HDPE composite. The addition of wood flour to PVC and HDPE decreased flame retardancy, whereas the incorporation of ZnB retained the flame retardancy. ZnB was found to be more appropriate for wood/PVC than wood/HDPE as a result of hydrogen chloride generated from the dehydrochlorination reaction of PVC. The results indicated that the addition of ZnB did not affect the physical‐mechanical properties of neat polymers and the composites. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preparation and mechanical properties of poly(vinyl chloride)/bamboo flour composites with a novel block copolymer as a coupling agent

To improve the interfacial adhesion between poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) and bamboo flour in PVC/bamboo flour composites, a novel coupling agent, poly(styrene‐co‐maleic anhydride)‐block‐poly(styrene‐co‐acrylonitrile) {P[(SMA)‐b‐(SAN)]}, was synthesized through living free‐radical polymerization in a one‐pot reaction. P[(SMA)‐b‐(SAN)] was synthesized by a nitroxide‐mediated polymerization technique in the presence of 2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidin‐l‐oxyl with azobisisobutyronitrile. The conversion of maleic anhydride (>99%) and styrene (>65%) was relatively high and yielded P[(SMA)‐b‐(SAN)] with a narrow molecular weight distribution (weight‐average molecular weight/number‐average molecular weight <1.38). PVC was blended with bamboo flours in the presence of the synthesized coupling agent with a two‐roll mill. P[(SMA)‐b‐(SAN)] was added to the PVC matrix at a concentration of 55 or 20 wt %. As the content of P[(SMA)‐b‐(SAN)] in the wood–polymer composite increased, improved morphological and mechanical behaviors were observed. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Behavior of flexible poly(vinyl chloride)/poly(hydroxybutyrate valerate) blends

Blends of flexible poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) and a poly(hydroxybutyrate valerate) (PHBV) copolymer were prepared and characterized with different techniques. The tensile strength of PVC did not show a marked reduction at PHBV concentrations up to 50 phr, despite a lack of miscibility between the two polymers. The crystallization of the PHBV copolymer was markedly hindered by the presence of PVC, as calorimetric results revealed. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

聚氯乙烯／聚丙烯酸共混体系增容剂的合成及性能研究

利用聚氯乙烯的化学反应制备了丙烯酸代聚氯乙烯,用此与丙烯酸共聚,合成了聚氯乙烯接枝聚丙烯酸接枝共聚物;利用红外光谱仪表征了它们的化学结构,用此接枝共聚物作为ＰＶＣ／ＰＡＡ供混体系的增容剂;利用ＤＳＣ等实验方法研究了ＰＶＣ／ＰＡＡ增容体系的热性能及力学性能。实验结果表明,所合成的接枝共聚物能够显著提高聚氯乙烯与聚丙烯酸的相容性,当接枝率为０．５７时,增容效果最佳。