Mechanical behavior at nanoscale of chitosan‐coated PE surface

Chitosan coating of polyethylene (PE) was proposed as a new procedure to improve its biocompatibility and surface properties. The functionalization of the PE film surface by covalent bonding of chitosan coating and its effect on the surface mechanical properties, as surface elasticity, stiffness, and adhesion (that are important in different biological processes) were investigated by nano‐indentation, scratch, and atomic force microscopy. It has been established that chitosan grafting onto corona functionalized PE surface using various coupling agents significantly improves the surface hardness and elastic modulus although they decrease in depth of the layer. Compared to the neat PE substrate, the chitosan coated samples show significant improved friction properties and tear resistance. The surface roughness features correlate with the micro‐mechanical parameters. Therefore, the covalent immobilization of the chitosan onto PE leads to a stable coating with better mechanical performance being recommended as a promising material for medical applications and food packaging. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42344.     

Acid−base properties of polyethylene composites with clays

We report on the surface energy characteristics of composite materials based on low‐density polyethylene with addition of bentonite and organic clay. Investigated were the surface free energy, its components and parameters by wetting methods according to Berger, spatial method, and method of nonlinear systems. The determined characteristics were carried out by the selective wetting conditions for the individual constituents of the composition, including the clay powder. The thermal, mechanical, and morphological properties of obtained composites were investigated. The possibility for predicting the surface properties of composite materials based on component‐wise analysis was demonstrated. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43629.     

The electrical performance and conductive network of reduced graphene oxide-coated ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene fibers through electrostatic interaction and covalent bonding

In this work, methods for reactive coating with graphene (method A and B) are performed to demonstrate feasible ways to functionalize ultra-high-molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers. First, fiber surfaces were polarized by polydopamine (PDA) with amino and hydroxyl groups. In method A, a benchmark method, polarized fibers were dipped into graphene oxide (GO) suspensions for multiple (e.g., eight) cycles to absorb GO, which was then reduced into graphene on fiber surface. In method B, dipping operations were repeated for the same number of cycles, but treatment using 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APS) was applied to induce reactions between the hydroxyl groups and APS, followed by the same reduction treatment. Compared with method A, method B generated fibers with improved and durable surface electric resistance (10⁴ Ω cm⁻¹). The surface morphology and formation of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) conductive networks of the two methods were analyzed. Results indicated that increasing content and the uniform distribution of rGO are beneficial to obtain a conductive network with low and durable surface electric resistance. This deduction was confirmed by loading amounts of rGO and AFM results. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48946.     

Effects of maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene on rheological,thermal, and mechanical properties of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene/poly(ethylene glycol) blends

Ultra‐high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) has gained considerable fame due to its excellent wear and mechanical properties, though the inferior processability has restricted its further extensive applications. In this study, a combination of UHMWPE and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) was considered based on the recent reports, and aiming to further exploit the potential of PEG that acts as processing aid, and also to obtain greater enhanced processability along with other properties, the effects of incorporating maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene (MAPE) was thoroughly investigated. Rheological tests revealed a further significant reduction in melt viscosity of UHMWPE/PEG blends after MAPE introduced, showing a potential of better processability, while the flexural strength and toughness of UHMWPE blends experienced a satisfying increase without any obvious compromises in other mechanical properties. A slight improvement of thermal stability in UHMWPE ternary blends along with an increase of vicat softening temperature were characterized by thermal tests, while the crystallinity of UHMWPE was diminished after the introduction of MAPE. Morphology analysis indicated that better dispersion and decreased size of PEG particles were achieved in UHMWPE matrix when MAPE was incorporated, which confirmed the improved interfacial interactions and other reinforcements obtained in UHMWPE/PEG/MAPE blends. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42701.     

Surface modification of UHMWPE fibers by means of polyethylene wax grafted maleic anhydride treatment

A novel surface modification method for ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers to improve the adhesion with epoxy matrix was demonstrated. Polyethylene wax grafted maleic anhydride (PEW‐g‐MAH) was deposited on the UHMWPE fibers surface by coating method. The changes of surface chemical composition, crystalline structure, mechanical properties of fiber and composite, wettability, surface topography of fibers and adhesion between fiber and epoxy resin before and after finishing were studied, respectively. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectra proved that some polar groups (MAH) were introduced onto the fiber surface after finishing. The X‐ray diffraction spectra indicated that crystallinity of the fiber was the same before and after finishing. Tensile testing results showed that mechanical properties of the fiber did not change significantly and the tensile strength of 9 wt % PEW‐g‐MAH treated fiber reinforced composite showed about 10.75% enhancement. The water contact angle of the fibers decreased after finishing. A single‐fiber pull out test was applied to evaluate the adhesion of UHMWPE fibers with the epoxy matrix. After treatment with 9 wt % PEW‐g‐MAH, a pull‐out force of 1.304 MPa which is 53.59% higher than that of pristine UNMWPE fibers was achieved. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 46555.     

New evidences of accelerating degradation of polyethylene by starch

An investigation into the effects of starch on both, UV photo‐oxidative degradation and biodegradation, of HDPE was focused on the interface between HDPE and starch using Synchrotron‐FTIR microscope (SFTIR‐M) and scanning electronic microscope (SEM). Carbonyl group detection by FTIR was conducted to evaluate the effect of degradation following exposure to UV photo‐oxidative degradation. The results showed that the concentration of carbonyl groups on the interface were higher, suggesting the role of starch in accelerating the UV photo‐oxidative degradation of HDPE. The interface between HDPE and starch was further observed under SEM to study the morphological changes after UV photo‐oxidative degradation and biodegradation. Micro‐cracking was observed on the interface between starch and HDPE after UV photo‐oxidative degradation. Tensile testing after UV exposure showed that the variation rate of elongation was higher for the samples containing starch. Starch, an easily biodegradable material, can also act as initial source of nutrients for micro‐organisms (bacteria, fungi, and algae) in the blend materials thus enhancing their biodegradability. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 2282–2287, 2013     

Surface modification of ultra-high strength polyethylene fibers for enhanced adhesion to epoxy resins using intense pulsed high-power ion beam

The effects of intense pulsed high power ion beam (HPIB) treatment of ultra-high strength polyethylene (UHSPE) fibers on the fiber/epoxy resin interface strength were studied. For this study, argon ions were used to treat Spectra? 1000 (UHSPE) fibers in vacuum. Chemical and topographical changes of the fiber surfaces were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in attenuated total reflectance mode (FTIR-ATR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), dynamic wettability measurements, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The fiber/epoxy resin interfacial shear strength (IFSS) was evaluated by the single fiber pull-out test. The FTIR-ATR and XPS data indicate that oxygen was incorporated onto the fiber surface as a result of the HPIB treatment. The wettability data indicate that the fibers became more polar after HPIB treatment and also more wettable. Although the total surface energy increased only slightly after treatment, the dispersive component decreased significantly while the acid-base component increased by a similar amount. SEM photomicrographs revealed that the surface roughness of the fibers increased following the HPIB treatment. The single fiber pull-out test results indicate that HPIB treatment significantly improved the IFSS of UHSPE fibers with epoxy resin. This enhancement in IFSS is attributed to increased roughness of the fiber surface resulting in mechanical bonding and in increased interface area, increased polar nature and wettability, and an improvement in the acid-base component of the surface energy after the HPIB treatment.     

Polyethylene‐b‐poly(ethylene glycol) diblock copolymers: New synthetic strategy and application

Polyethylene‐b‐poly (ethylene glycol) (PE‐b‐PEG) was successfully synthesized by a coupling reaction of hydroxyl‐terminated polyethylene (PE‐OH) and isocyanate‐terminated poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG‐NCO). PE‐OH was prepared by coordination chain transfer polymerization (CCTP) using 2,6‐bis[1‐(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)imino ethyl] pyridine iron (II) dichloride /dry ethylaluminoxane (DEAO) /diethyl zinc (ZnEt₂) as catalyst and subsequent in situ oxidation with oxygen. The active centers of this catalyst system were counted, indicating that the active centers were more stable using DEAO as cocatalyst than using dry methylaluminoxane (DMAO) as cocatalyst. PEG‐NCO was synthesized through the condensation reaction of monomethylpoly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) with isophoronediisocyanate (IPDI). Subsequently, the thermal characterization, morphological characterization and the application of these diblock copolymers was investigated. The results indicated that the diblock copolymers were effective compatilizers for polyethylene/poly(ethylene glycol) blends. Meanwhile, they were excellent surface modification agents for polyethylene membrane and glass sheet, it can efficiently turn a hydrophobic surface into a hydrophilic surface, or vice versa. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42236.     

Improvement of gas barrier property of polyolefins by diamond‐like carbon deposition and photografting polymerization

The gas barrier properties of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) and high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) are both significantly improved by diamond‐like carbon (DLC) deposition and photografting polymerization using acrylic acid (AA) monomers. In fact, the gas barrier properties can be highly improved just by DLC or by AA‐photografting polymerization. The improvement observed by AA‐photografting polymerization is more pronounced than that by DLC deposition in our general experimental condition. In more detail, the oxygen barrier property of DLC‐deposited and AA‐grafted iPP is considerably improved by ～10 times when compared with that of neat iPP. As for HDPE, the oxygen barrier property is enhanced by nearly six times through DLC deposition and photografting polymerization. By observing the surfaces, 30 nm layer of DLC and 1.0 μm of AA‐grafted layer are firmly constructed on the polyolefins, which should contribute to the enhancement of the oxygen barrier property. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Facile fabrication of superhydrophobic polyimide/polytetrafluoroethylene composite coatings with high water adhesion

A facile casting method was used to fabricate superhydrophobic polyimide/polytetrafluoroethylene composite coatings with high water adhesion. The water contact angles of the composite coatings were larger than 150 °, expressing superhydrophobic property. But water droplets pinned tightly on the composite coating, even if it was upside down. The X‐ray photoelectron spectrum analysis indicated that polyimide and polytetrafluoroethylene coexisted in the resulting coating. The observation with scanning electron microscopy showed that the composite coating formed lotus‐like structure with many spherical polyimide papillae randomly bonding on the surface. But the tops of the polyimide papillae were not covered by lance‐shaped Teflon fibres, forming an inhomogenous and discontinuous surface structure. This special surface chemical distribution and lotus‐like structure combined to contribute to the high adhesive superhydrophobicity. This simple method may greatly extend the application range of high adhesive superhydrophobic surfaces in microcontrollable and microfluidic application. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42810.     

The effect of high temperature annealing process on crystallization process of polypropylene,mechanical properties,and surface quality of plastic parts

This work studied the effects and action mechanism of high‐temperature annealing process parameters, such as annealing temperature, annealing duration and cooling speed, on the microstructural evolution of polypropylene (PP) on different thickness layers, the surface quality, and mechanical properties of PP plastic parts. The results show that when the PP plastic parts are annealed at slightly higher than 100°C, the resin on the surface and internal layers of plastic parts just generates the relaxation and rearrangement at the molecular level. Only at an enough high annealing temperature, the secondary crystallization and phase transformation process can be observed. The crystallinity of all annealed samples is higher than that of unannealed samples, but the crystallinity is decreased with the increase of cooling speed after annealing duration, and the annealing duration exceeding 60 min almost has no effect on the crystallinity. The microstructural change of PP on the internal layer of plastic parts is weaker than that on the surface layer. The surface hardness of the plastic parts mainly depends on the crystallinity of the surface layer, whereas the surface roughness of the plastic parts depends on not only the crystallinity, but also the space conformation of molecular chains and the residual stress. With the change of annealing process parameters, the tensile and impact strengths of plastic parts show a non‐monotonic change law. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42773.     

Surface functionalization of polypropylene‐bearing isocyanate groups in solid state and their cyclotrimerization with diisocyanates

Solid‐state graft polymerization of 3‐isopropenyl‐α,α′‐dimethylbenzene isocyanate (TMI) onto the surface of polypropylene beads was carried out in a triethylborane/oxygen redox system. Chemical structures were characterized using attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Results showed that TMI was successfully grafted because of the appearance of an ? NCO absorption peak at 2255 cm^?1. The emergence of oxygen and nitrogen elements detected by EDS and XPS also demonstrated the existence of isocyanate group on PP‐grafted. The grafting ratio of TMI to polypropylene was examined using 9‐(methylamino‐methyl)anthracene (MAMA) as an intermediate substance. The fluorescent property of MAMA before and after reaction was characterized to guarantee interaction between MAMA and isocyanate. Thermal properties were examined using differential scanning calorimetry–thermogravimetric analysis. Results indicated that melting temperature (T_m) of pure PP was 168^oC, while the PP‐grafted decreased to 164^oC. Meanwhile, decomposition temperature (T_d) decreased with increased grafting ratio for about 8 to 15^oC; however, when styrene was introduced, T_m increased probably because of the stabilizing effect on macromolecular radicals and the suppression effect on chain degradation. Besides, the cyclotrimerization of isocyanates on the grafted polymer chain was further conducted to prepare thermally stable isocyanurate composite materials, remedying the T_d loss of PP‐g‐TMI by improving for 10^oC appropriately. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42186.     

Highly durable macromolecular epoxy resin as anticorrosive coating material for carbon steel in 3% NaCl: Computational supported experimental studies

The purpose of present study is in the direction of development of an anticorrosive coating formulation of high durability for carbon steel corrosion in 3 wt% NaCl medium. The formulation comprises of a macromolecular epoxy coating (DGEDDS-MDA) based bisphenol S diglycidyl ether (DGEDDS) cured with a methylene dianiline (MDA). The formulation was characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy method. Performance of the epoxy coating was represented using PDP and EIS approaches. The formulation acts as effective anticorrosive coating for long durability (180 days). Surfaces of the specimens before and after 180 days exposure to UV radiation were examined using SEM. PDP, SEM, and EIS studies showed that DGEDDS-MDA acted as highly durable and effective anticorrosive formulation. Results also showed that the formulation acts as interface type inhibitor and its presence enhances the polarization resistance (R_p) value. DFT study suggests that the formulation DGEDDS-MDA possesses strong ability to interact with metal surface through its several electron rich centers. MD and MC simulations showed that studied formulation effectively adsorb on the substrate (metallic surface). Results of EIS, PDP, and SEM studies (experimental) were well-supported by DFT, MD, and MC (computational) simulations.     

Relationship between surface energy and adhesion strength in polyethylene—paper composites

This work reports adhesion behaviour of polyethylene on paper, and deals with the surface energy of the materials involved in the manufacture of these composites, and its influence on the adhesion strength, at constant roughness, for the paper substrates. The surface energy of different papers treated with various sizing agents was determined by measuring contact angles according to the Owens-Wendt method. The peeling energy was shown to follow a linear relationship versus the reversible energy of adhesion. This result is explained by the fact that rupture takes place at the interface and that the size of the defect at the interface depends on the spreading coefficient. Corona treatment, applied to strongly sized papers before making the composites, restored the adhesion strength to its original range of values, again demonstrating the thermodynamic character of adhesion in thermoplastic-paper composites.     

环氧树脂涂层表面亲水性对微藻黏附性能的影响

在固体材料表面黏附成膜是微藻细胞的一种生理特性。近些年基于微藻生物膜的生物过程,如生物膜贴壁培养和防附着技术受到了很多关注。微藻在固体材料表面的黏附受藻细胞与材料表面之间的相互作用的影响,建立黏附强度与材料表面性质参数间的关系对于通过材料选择来强化或控制微藻生物膜具有非常重要的意义。本工作的目的是揭示和明确材料亲疏水性对微藻黏附的影响,提出了一种双酚A环氧(EP)树脂表面亲疏水改性的方法。通过将亲水性的二乙醇胺(DEA)或疏水性的聚甲基聚硅氧烷(PMHS)加入到EP树脂中反应,EP树脂表面水接触角在36.80?~98.34?范围内可通过加入不同量的DEA或PMHS实现任意可调,材料的表面水接触角与DEA或PMHS加入量之间有线性关系。重要的是这种改性方法获得的材料,其形貌、结构、表面粗糙度等表面性质几乎没有变化,从而在研究和关联微藻黏附量与材料表面亲疏水性(表面水接触角)之间的关系时可以排除亲疏水性之外的其他表面性质的影响;其次,考察了小球藻和栅藻在不同亲疏水性材料表面的黏附行为,结果表明小球藻和栅藻在亲水性和疏水性材料表面均能黏附成膜,但在亲水性材料表面黏附更多更快;建立了微藻最大黏附容量与材料表面接触角之间关联关系,表明微藻最大黏附容量随材料表面水接触角的增大而线性降低,栅藻的表面黏附容量比小球藻大。     

Effect of polyurethane sizing on carbon fibers surface and interfacial adhesion of fiber/polyamide 6 composites

Commercial epoxy sized carbon fibers (CFs) or unsized CFs have poor interfacial adhesion with polyamide 6 (PA6). Here, CFs are coated with polyurethane (PU) and their surface properties in terms of surface chemistry, contact angle, roughness, and morphology, are investigated. The results of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy demonstrate PU sizing evidently increases the quantity of polar functional groups on the CFs surface. The surface energy of the PU sized fiber is calculated according to the Owens–Wendt method. Compared with unsized fibers, the contact angle of PU sized fibers is decreased while their total surface energy is increased, indicating superior wettability. Moreover, transverse fiber bundle tests are performed to determine the interfacial adhesion between the CFs and PA6 matrix. The transverse fiber bundle strength of unsized CF is measured to be 12.57 MPa. For PU sized CFs processed with sizing concentration of 1.2%, this value is increased to 24.35 MPa, showing an increase of more than 90%. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 46111.     

Peeling of heterogeneous thin films: Effect of bending stiffness,adhesion energy,and level of heterogeneity

The peeling behaviour of a heterogeneous thin film bonded to a rigid substrate was investigated by using both experiments and finite element modeling. The enhancement in peel force was studied specifically for heterogeneous thin films with periodic stiff and compliant portions along the length. Peel tests with homogeneous thin films (uniform film thickness) showed that the maximum peel force can be observed before the onset of steady state peeling process. Moreover, this maximum peel force was observed to be a function of the bending stiffness of the film and adhesion energy at the film-substrate interface. For the heterogeneous thin films, maximum peel force can be observed either before the onset of steady state or when the peel front traverses from compliant to the stiff portion of the film. The three-dimensional finite element model, based on cohesive zone technique was developed, which provided further insight into the enhancement in peel force. The maximum force was shown to be dependent on the level of heterogeneity in addition to adhesion energy and bending stiffness as was observed with homogeneous films. The improvement in peel force was found to be prevalent at relatively low adhesion energy. This study may be helpful for the better design of homogeneous and heterogeneous thin film-substrate systems having improved bonding strength.     

Fabrication of low surface free energy automotive clear coats: Mechanical and surface chemistry studies

This work aims at improving the surface chemistry and the mechanical properties of a commercial acrylic–melamine clear coat using a functional siliconized additive. The resistance of films against biological degradation was then investigated using pancreatin (simulated bird droppings) and Arabic gum (simulated tree gum). Variations in the surface and bulk chemical structures, as well as the thermomechanical characteristics of the clear coats at different concentrations of the additive, were investigated by a wide range of techniques inclusive of contact angle measurement, gonio‐spectrophotometery, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), energy‐dispersive spectroscopy, atomic force microscope, optical microscope, and attenuated totalreflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR‐FTIR) spectroscopy. Negligible effect of additive on color change was revealed. It was shown that even at low loadings of additive it could migrate to the surface, producing hydrophobic films with very low surface free energies with water contact angle exceeding 100°. In addition, it was found by DMTA and ATR‐FTIR studies that the functional additive was covalently attached to the acrylic–melamine chains through its hydroxyl groups. However, phase separation was observed at high concentrations of additive, leading to reduced crosslinking density. The clear coat resistance against pancreatin and Arabic gum was improved using optimum concentrations of the additive. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Effects of the extractant on the hydrophilicity and performance of high‐density polyethylene/polyethylene‐b‐poly(ethylene glycol) blend membranes prepared via a thermally induced phase separation process

The blending of a block copolymer into the membrane matrix is a convenient and efficient way to modify membranes. In this study, high‐density polyethylene/polyethylene‐b‐poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) membranes were prepared via a thermally induced phase separation process, and the extractant effect was investigated. An interesting finding was that the nonpolar extractant (n‐hexane) was more conducive to the surface enrichment of the PEG chains than the polar solvent (ethanol). The reason was deemed to be the combined effect of the entropy drive, interfacial energy, and swelling behavior. In addition, the membrane performance related to the surface chemical properties was studied. The results suggest that the prepared blend membranes extracted by n‐hexane showed enhanced the hydrophilicity, antifouling properties, and water flux. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 3816–3824, 2013     

Surface modification of linear low‐density polyethylene film by amphiphilic graft copolymers based on poly(higher α‐olefin)‐graft‐poly(ethylene glycol)

In this article, a series of amphiphilic graft copolymers, namely poly(higher α‐olefin‐co‐para‐methylstyrene)‐graft‐poly(ethylene glycol), and poly(higher α‐olefin‐co‐acrylic acid)‐graft‐poly(ethylene glycol) was used as modifying agent to increase the wettability of the surface of linear low‐density polyethylene (LLDPE) film. The wettability of the surface of LLDPE film could be increased effectively by spin coating of the amphiphilic graft copolymers onto the surface of LLDPE film. The higher the content of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) segments, the lower the water contact angle was. The water contact angle of modified LLDPE films was reduced as low as 25°. However, the adhesion between the amphiphilic graft copolymer and LLDPE film was poor. To solve this problem, the modified LLDPE films coated by the amphiphilic graft copolymers were annealed at 110° for 12 h. During the period of annealing, heating made polymer chain move and rearrange quickly. When the film was cooled down, the alkyl group of higher α‐olefin units and LLDPE began to entangle and crystallize. Driven by crystallization, the PEG segments rearranged and enriched in the interface between the amphiphilic graft copolymer and air. By this surface modification method, the amphiphilic graft copolymer was fixed on the surface of LLDPE film. And the water contact angle was further reduced as low as 14.8°. The experimental results of this article demonstrate the potential pathway to provide an effective and durable anti‐fog LLDPE film. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011