Preparation and properties of dynamically cured PP/MAH‐g‐EVA/epoxy blends

A method concerning with the simultaneous reinforcing and toughening of polypropylene (PP) was reported. Dynamical cure of the epoxy resin with 2‐ethylene‐4‐methane‐imidazole (EMI‐2,4) was successfully applied in the PP/maleic anhydride‐grafted ethylene‐vinyl acetate copolymer (MAH‐g‐EVA), and the obtained blends named as dynamically cured PP/MAH‐g‐EVA/epoxy blends. The stiffness and toughness of the blends are in a good balance, and the smaller size of epoxy particle in the PP/MAH‐g‐EVA/epoxy blends shows that MAH‐g‐EVA was also used as a compatibilizer. The structure of the dynamically cured PP/MAH‐g‐EVA/epoxy blends is the embedding of the epoxy particles by the MAH‐g‐EVA. The cured epoxy particles as organic filler increases the stiffness of the PP/MAH‐g‐EVA blends, and the improvement in the toughness is attributed to the embedded structure. The tensile strength and flexural modulus of the blends increase with increasing the epoxy resin content, and the impact strength reaches a maximum of 258 J/m at the epoxy resin content of 10 wt %. DSC analysis shows that the epoxy particles in the dynamically cured PP/MAH‐g‐EVA/epoxy blends could have contained embedded MAH‐g‐EVA, decreasing the nucleating effect of the epoxy resin. Thermogravimetric results show the addition of epoxy resin could improve the thermal stability of PP, the dynamically cured PP/MAH‐g‐EVA/epoxy stability compared with the pure PP. Wide‐angle x‐ray diffraction analysis shows that the dynamical cure and compatibilization do not disturb the crystalline structure of PP in the blends. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Dynamically cured polypropylene/epoxy blends

The dynamic vulcanization process, usually used for the preparation of thermoplastic elastomers, was used to prepare polypropylene (PP)/epoxy blends. The blends had crosslinked epoxy resin particles finely dispersed in the PP matrix, and they were called dynamically cured PP/epoxy blends. Maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (MAH‐g‐PP) was used as a compatibilizer. The effects of the reactive compatibilization and dynamic cure were studied with rheometry, capillary rheometry, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The crystallization behavior and mechanical properties of PP/epoxy, PP/MAH‐g‐PP/epoxy, and dynamically cured PP/epoxy blends were also investigated. The increase in the torque at equilibrium for the PP/MAH‐g‐PP/epoxy blends indicated the reaction between maleic anhydride groups of MAH‐g‐PP and the epoxy resin. The torque at equilibrium of the dynamically cured PP/epoxy blends increased with increasing epoxy resin content. Capillary rheological measurements also showed that the addition of MAH‐g‐PP or an increasing epoxy resin content increased the viscosity of PP/epoxy blends. SEM micrographs indicated that the PP/epoxy blends compatibilized with PP/MAH‐g‐PP had finer domains and more obscure boundaries than the PP/epoxy blends. A shift of the crystallization peak to a higher temperature for all the PP/epoxy blends indicated that uncured and cured epoxy resin particles in the blends could act as effective nucleating agents. The spherulites of pure PP were larger than those of PP in the PP/epoxy, PP/MAH‐g‐PP/epoxy, and dynamically cured PP/epoxy blends, as measured by polarized optical microscopy. The dynamically cured PP/epoxy blends had better mechanical properties than the PP/epoxy and PP/MAH‐g‐PP/epoxy blends. With increasing epoxy resin content, the flexural modulus of all the blends increased significantly, and the impact strength and tensile strength increased slightly, whereas the elongation at break decreased dramatically. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 92: 1437–1448, 2004     

Dynamically cured polypropylene/Novolac blends compatibilized with maleic anhydride‐g‐polypropylene

In this article, the dynamic vulcanization process was applied to polypropylene (PP)/Novolac blends compatibilized with maleic anhydride‐grafted PP (MAH‐g‐PP). The influences of dynamic cure, content of MAH‐g‐PP, Novolac, and curing agent on mechanical properties of the PP/Novolac blends were investigated. The results showed that the dynamically cured PP/MAH‐g‐PP/Novolac blend had the best mechanical properties among all PP/Novolac blends. The dynamic cure of Novolac improved the modulus and stiffness of the PP/Novolac blends. The addition of MAH‐g‐PP into dynamically cured PP/Novolac blend further enhanced the mechanical properties. With increasing Novolac content, tensile strength, flexural modulus, and flexural strength increased significantly, while the elongation at break dramatically deceased. Those blends with hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA) as a curing agent had good mechanical properties at HMTA content of 10 wt %. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis showed that dynamically cured PP/MAH‐g‐PP/Novolac blends had finer domains than the PP/MAH‐g‐PP/Novolac blends. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) results indicated that the incorporation of Novolac into PP could improve the thermal stability of PP. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2007     

Dynamically cured PP/MAH-g-SEBS/epoxy blends

Abstract

A new method concerning the simultaneous reinforcing and toughening of polypropylene (PP) is reported. Dynamic cure of the epoxy resin with 2-ethylene-4-methane-imidazole was successfully applied in the PP/maleic anhydride grafted styrene–ethylene–butylene–styrene (MAH-g-SEBS) triblock co-polymer, and the obtained blends were named as dynamically cured PP/MAH-g-SEBS/epoxy blends. The stiffness and toughness of the blends are in a good balance, and the smaller size of the epoxy particle in the PP/MAH-g-SEBS/epoxy blends shows that MAH-g-SEBS was also used as a compatibiliser. The structure of the dynamically cured PP/MAH-g-SEBS/epoxy blends is the embedding of the epoxy particles by MAH-g-SEBS. The cured epoxy particles as organic filler increase the stiffness of the PP/MAH-g-SEBS blends, and the improvement in the toughness is attributed to the embedded structure. The tensile strength and flexural modulus of the blends increase with increasing epoxy resin content, and the impact strength reaches a maximum of 342 J m^?1 at the epoxy resin content of 10wt-%. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis shows that the epoxy particles in the dynamically cured PP/MAH-g-SEBS/epoxy blends could have contained embedded MAH-g-SEBS, decreasing the nucleating effect of the epoxy resin. Wide angle X-ray diffraction analysis shows that the dynamical cure and compatibilisation do not disturb the crystalline structure of PP in the blends.     

Effect of the compatibilizer on the morphology and properties of dynamically cured PP/POE/epoxy blends

Dynamic vulcanization was successfully applied to epoxy resin reinforced polypropylene (PP)/ethylene‐octene copolymer (POE) blends, and the effects of different compatibilizers on the morphology and properties of dynamically cured PP/POE/epoxy blends were studied. The results show that dynamically cured PP/POE/epoxy blends compatibilized with maleic anhydride‐grafted polypropylene (MAH‐g‐PP) have a three‐phase structure consisting of POE and epoxy particles dispersed in the PP continuous phase, and these blends had improved tensile strength and flexural modulus. While using maleic anhydride‐grafted POE (MAH‐g‐POE) as a compatibilizer, the structure of the core‐shell complex phase and the PP continuous phase showed that epoxy particles could be embedded in MAH‐g‐POE in the blends, and gave rise to an increase in impact strength, while retaining a certain strength and modulus. DSC analysis showed that the epoxy particles in the blends compatibilized with MAH‐g‐PP were more efficient nucleating agents for PP than they were in the blends compatibilized with MAH‐g‐POE. WAXD analysis shows that compatibilization do not disturb the crystalline structure of PP in the blends. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Mechanism of morphology development in dynamically cured EPDM/PP TPEs. I. Effects of state of cure

Attempts were made to follow and correlate morphological development with the crosslinking density, or state of cure (SOC), and the surface tension (γ) of the rubber phase in dynamically cured thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) based on ethylene propylene diene rubber and polypropylene (PP) with 60/40 (w/w) ratios. Samples were taken from a hot running mixer without interruption and quickly quenched in liquid nitrogen both before and after the onset of vulcanization at various SOCs to carry out this process. The quick cooling of the samples prevented the coalescence and agglomeration of the dispersed rubber particles. A two‐phase morphology with the rubber particles dispersed throughout the PP matrix was observed for the uncured but frozen samples, whereas unfrozen blend samples showed a particulate cocontinuous morphology in the uncured state. An increase in the mixing torque with the SOC was observed after the addition of a curing system. This was understood to be caused by the increase in the rubber crosslinking density and also by the enhancement of the interfacial adhesion between the cured rubber phase and the PP matrix, leading to the better wetting of the two phases. Above a certain crosslinking density (SOC), γ of the rubber particles decreased through elastic shrinkage. This phenomenon, together with the breakdown of the agglomerate structure formed by the cured rubber particles, led to a decrease in the mixing torque after a maximum was passed and, finally, to a defined morphology. Based on the obtained results, a four‐stage model is proposed to describe the microstructural development in dynamically vulcanized TPEs. Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis and differential scanning calorimetry results are also used to support the model. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 81: 2531–2544, 2001     

动态固化聚丙烯／马来酸酐接枝聚丙烯／滑石粉／环氧树脂复合材料研究

将动态硫化技术应用于热塑性树脂／填料／热固性树脂复合体系，制备了动态固化聚丙烯(PP)／马来酸酐接枝PP(PP-g-MAH)/滑石粉(Talc)／环氧树脂(EP)复合材料。研究了动态固化PP／PP-g-MAH/Talc／EP复合材料的界面作用、形态结构、力学性能以及热稳定性。实验结果表明：PP／PP-g—MAH的加入，可明显增加PP/Talc复合材料的界面作用。在动态固化PP／PP-g-MAH/Talc／EP复合材料中，PP和Talc两相界面更加模糊，动态固化EP进一步增加了PP和Talc间的界面作用。当EP的用量超过5份时，部分EP呈颗粒状分布在PP基体中。与PP／PP-g-MAH/Talc／EP和PP／PP-MAH-Talc／EP复合材料相比，动态固化PP／PP-g-MAH/Talc／EP复合材料的冲击强度、拉伸强度和弯曲模量均有明显提高。当EP用量超过5份时，复合材料的冲击强度和断裂伸长率明显降低，但拉伸强度和弯曲模量继续增加。热分析表明动态固化PP／PP-g-MAH/Talc／EP复合材料具有较高的热稳定性。     

Reactive compatibilization of PP/PBT blends by a mixture of PP‐g‐MA and epoxy resin

In this study, dual compatibilizers composed of the commercially available maleic anhydride‐grafted polypropylene (PP–MA) and a multifunctional epoxy resin were demonstrated to effectively compatibilize the immiscible and incompatible blends of PP and poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT). The PP–MA with a low MA content is totally miscible with PP to make the PP phase quasi‐functionalized, so that the multifunctional epoxy has the chance to react with PBT and PP–MA simultaneously to form PP–MA‐co‐epoxy‐co‐PBT copolymers at the interface. These desired copolymers are able to anchor along the interface and serve as efficient compatibilizers. The compatibilized blends, depending on the quantity of dual compatibilizers employed, exhibit higher viscosity, finer phase domain, and improved mechanical properties. Epoxy does not show compatibilization effects for the PP/PBT blends without the presence of PP–MA in the blends. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 79: 2272–2285, 2001     

动态硫化SBR/PP共混物力学性能的研究

研究了不同共混比,不同类型SBR及不同硫化体系对动态硫化SBR／PP共混物力学性能的影响,试验结果表明,SBR／PP共混物的最佳共混比为60／40,E－SBR／PP共混物的力学性能稍好于S－SBR／PP共混物;采用硫黄硫化体系的共混物的力学性能优于采用过氧化物和酚醛树脂硫化体系的共混物;动态硫化SBR／PP共混物的交联密度低于静态硫化SBR母炼胶的交联密度。     

Probing toughness of polycarbonate (PC: ductile and brittle)/polypropylene (PP) blends and talc-triggered PC/PP brittle composites with diverse impact fracture parameters

Polycarbonates (PCs) are commonly used as a blend and a composite to achieve pecuniary advantages and dimensional stability. While the toughness of a homogeneous PC matrix has been extensively investigated, examination for the toughness of heterogeneous blend systems such as PC/polypropylene (PP) blends has been limited. Furthermore, recent interest in highly flowable PCs (low-molecular-weight PCs with low ductility) has surfaced due to the large and geometrically complex plastic parts. Herein, the toughness for PC/PP blends and PC/PP/talc composites in a ductile and a brittle PC matrix was explored by using various toughness measurements such as notched Izod impact strength, falling dart impact, boss quasi-static energy/impact energy, and tensile toughness tests. In a ductile PC matrix [melt flow index (MFI) = 8], the incorporation of PP gradually reduced the toughness. On the other hand, the toughness was improved by 450% at 2 wt % PP in a brittle PC matrix (MFI = 19). Similarly, in the talc-induced brittle PC matrix, the toughness was enhanced at the PP loading from 2 to 10 wt %. The density of PC/PP blends was gradually reduced from 1.19 to 1.10 g cm⁻³ with increasing PP concentration from 0 to 20 wt %. Degradation, density, thermal behaviors, and morphology were also investigated. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47110.     

动态固化聚丙烯／环氧树脂共混物的制备工艺研究

将动态硫化技术应用于热塑性树脂／热固性树脂体系，制备了动态固化聚丙烯／环氧树脂共混物，研究了动态固化PP／环氧树脂共混物制备工艺条件即增容剂、固化剂、环氧树脂的环氧当量及其含量等因素对共混物力学性能的影响。实验结果表明，选择马来酸酐接枝的均聚聚丙烯(PP-g-MAH)作为增容剂，所制得的动态固化PP／环氧树脂共混物的力学性能较好。2-乙基-4-甲基咪唑(EMI-2，4)的适宜用量为1．2％(每100份环氧树脂使用4份)。环氧当量对共混物的性能影响不大。当环氧树脂的含量为5％～10％时，动态固化PP／环氧树脂共混物的综合性能明显好于PP，特别是具有较高的强度和模量。     

双氰胺固化双酚F/间苯二酚共聚型环氧树脂的研究

为提高双酚F环氧树脂的综合性能,以双酚F、间苯二酚与环氧氯丙烷反应制得双酚F/间苯二酚共聚型环氧树脂。通过差示扫描量热法(DSC)研究了2-乙基-4-甲基咪唑对双氰胺-双酚F/间苯二酚共聚型环氧树脂体系固化反应的促进作用,并系统地探讨了固化体系及固化条件对固化物性能的影响。结果显示,其最佳固化工艺条件是:间苯二酚与双酚F质量比为20∶80,双氰胺质量分数为6%,2-乙基-4-甲基咪唑质量分数为4%,固化温度为110℃,固化时间为3 h。     

动态硫化PP/POE/胶粉热塑性弹性体的性能研究

研究动态硫化聚丙烯(PP)/聚烯烃弹性体(POE)/胶粉热塑性弹性体的性能。结果表明,动态硫化能有效提高热塑性弹性体的物理性能和耐热氧老化性能;炭黑对动态硫化PP/POE/胶粉热塑性弹性体有较好的补强作用,其补强弹性体的再加工性能和热氧老化性能较优。     

Physical study of room‐temperature‐cured epoxy/thermally reduced graphene oxides with various contents of oxygen‐containing groups

In this study, the effects of different oxygen‐containing group contents in thermally reduced graphene oxides (TRGs) for enhancing the physical properties of epoxy nancomposites was examined. The epoxy/TRG nanocomposites (ETNs) were prepared by a room temperature curing method in the presence of TRGs containing different oxygen‐containing groups and were then characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. TRG contents with higher oxygen‐containing group contents (ca 33%) were found to show better dispersion capability in the epoxy matrix than TRGs with lower oxygen‐containing group contents (ca 11%) based on morphological observations by transmission electron microscopy. The better dispersion capability of TRGs with higher oxygen‐containing group contents in ETN membranes was found to lead to significantly enhanced mechanical strength, thermal stability and thermal conductivity based on measurements of dynamic mechanical analysis, tensile tests, thermogravimetric analysis and by the transient plane source technique. © 2014 The Authors. Polymer International published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry     

Crystallization behavior of carbon black‐filled polypropylene and polypropylene/epoxy composites

The crystallization behavior of polypropylene (PP)/carbon black (CB) and PP/epoxy/CB composites was studied with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The effects of compatibilizer MAH‐g‐PP and dynamic cure on the crystallization behavior are investigated. The nonisothermal crystallization parameters analysis showed that CB particles in the PP/CB composites and the dispersed epoxy particles in the PP/epoxy composites could act as nucleating agents, accelerating the crystallization of the composites. Morphological studies indicated that the incorporation of CB into PP/epoxy resulted in its preferential localization in the epoxy resin phase, changing the spherical epoxy particles into elongated structure, and thus reduced the nucleation effect of epoxy particles. Addition of MAH‐g‐PP significantly decreased the average diameter of epoxy particles in the PP/epoxy and PP/epoxy/CB composites, promoting the crystallization of PP more effectively. The isothermal crystallization kinetics and thermodynamics of the PP/CB and PP/epoxy/CB composites were studied with the Avrami equation and Hoffman theory, respectively. The Avrami exponent and the crystallization rate of the PP/CB composites were higher than those of PP, and the free energy of chain folding for PP crystallization decreased with increasing CB content. Addition of MAH‐g‐PP into the PP/epoxy and PP/epoxy/CB composites increased the crystallization rate of the composites and decreased the chain folding energy significantly. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 104–118, 2006     

Synthesis and properties of poly(urethane‐imide) diacid/epoxy composites cured with an aziridine system

A poly(urethane‐imide) diacid (PUI), a diimide‐diacid with a soft structure unit, was directly synthesized from the reaction of trimellitic anhydride and isocyanate terminated polyurethane prepolymer. FT‐IR and NMR were used to characterize its chemical structure. Then PUI was blended with two types of epoxy resins with different chemical structures, diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) and novolac epoxy (EPN). After curing the blends with polyfunctional aziridine CX‐100, novel polyurethane/epoxy composites were obtained as transparent yellowish films. Thermal, chemical, and morphological properties of the cured composites were investigated using thermal analysis, SEM, TEM, chemical resistance, respectively. All experimental data indicated that epoxy modified PUI composites possessed higher thermal stability than that unmodified PUI, and that modified PUI had much better chemical resistance. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Morphology and nonisothermal crystallization behavior of PP/Novolac blends

The morphology and nonisothermal crystallization behavior of PP/Novolac blends were studied with scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimeter, polarized optical microscopy (POM), and wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD). The results showed that the crystallization of PP in PP/Novolac blends was strongly influenced by cooling rate, size of Novolac particles, crosslinking, and compatibilizer maleic anhydride‐grafted PP (MPP). In dynamically cured PP/MPP/Novolac blends, the MPP grafted on the surface of cured Novolac particles and formed a chemical linkage through the reaction of anhydride groups with the hexamethylenetetramine. The graft copolymer not only improved interfacial compatibility but also acted as an effective heterogeneous nucleating agent, which accelerates the crystallization of PP. The combination of Avrami and Ozawa equations exhibited great advantages in treating the nonisothermal crystallization kinetics in dynamically cured PP/MPP/Novolac blends. The POM results showed that the spherulite morphology and the size of PP in PP/MPP/Novolac blends were greatly affected by Novolac. WAXD experiment demonstrates that the PP and dynamically cured PP/MPP/Novolac blends showed only the α crystal form. At the same time, the addition of Novolac resin also affects the crystal size of PP. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007     

Cure kinetics of an epoxy resin containing naphthyl/dicyclopentadiene moieties and bis‐phenoxy (3‐hydroxy) phosphine oxide system and properties of its cured polymer

The cure kinetics of naphthyl/dicyclopentadiene epoxy resin and bisphenoxy (3‐hydroxy) phosphine oxide was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) under nonisothermal and isothermal condition. The advanced isoconversional method was used to study the nonisothermal DSC data, the effective activation energy of the curing system in the early stage agreed with the value calculated from the Kissinger model and then increased because of the hindrance of molecular mobility. Autocatalytic behavior was shown in the isothermal DSC measurement, which was well described by Kamal model in the early curing stage. In the later stage, a crosslinked network structure was formed and the curing reaction was mainly controlled by diffusion. The diffusion factor was introduced to optimize the Kamal model and correct the deviation of the calculated data. The physical properties of the cured polymer were evaluated by dynamic mechanical thermal analyses, thermogravimetric analyses, and limiting oxygen index test, which exhibited relatively high glass transition temperature, thermal stability, and flame retardancy. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Mechanical properties and morphology of PP/ABS blends compatibilized with PP‐g‐2‐HEMA

Polypropylene (PP) and acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene blends of different composition were prepared using a single‐screw extruder. The binary blend of PP/ABS was observed to be incompatible and shows poor mechanical properties. PP‐g‐2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (2‐HEMA) was used as a compatibilizer for the PP/ABS blends. The ternary compatibilized blends of PP/ABS/PP‐g‐2‐HEMA showed improvement in the mechanical properties. Electron micrographs of these blends showed a homogeneous and finer distribution of the dispersed phase. The mechanical performance increased particularly in the PP‐rich blend. The 2.5‐phr (part per hundred of resin) compatibilizer was observed to bring improvement to the properties. The suitability of various existing theoretical models for the predication of the tensile moduli of these blends was examined. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 88: 72–78, 2003