Effects of preferential encapsulation of glass fiber on the properties of ternary GF/PA/PP blends

Long fiber molding materials are expected to play an important role in the near future. This paper describes a series of experiments performed to examine properties of ternary blends containing glass fiber (GF), polyamide (PA), and polypropylene (PP). The continuous glass fiber was impregnated with one of the blend constituent polymers by our specially designed impregnation apparatus and cut into chips of 6 mm length. These chips and the other polymer were used to produce various testing specimens in a twin screw extruder or in injection molding machine. The results indicated that the effect of fiber addition on the mechanical and rheological properties is clearly dependent on the order of impregnation process. In the blends containing the GF/PA + PP, the GFs are preferentially encapsulated with PA, and therefore the mechanical properties are superior to the blends with the GF/PP + PA in which the PP phase is located surrounding the GFs. This improved wetting of fibers by sequential impregnation not only resulted in better properties but also protected the fibers from shear action of the screw, thereby allowing significant increase in average fiber length to be achieved in the injection molding process.     

Effect of Polyamide 66 on the Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Post-Industrial Waste Polyamide 6

Post-industrial waste (PIW) polyamide 6 is successfully used in lieu of commercial virgin polyamide 6, in several automotive applications. The presence of polyamide 66 in the final formulation may affect the mechanical and thermal properties of the PIW polyamide 6 materials. Using unreinforced polyamide 6 from PIW and commercial sources, it was found that the addition of polyamide 66 (below 10 wt.%) lowered the crystallization rate and crystallinity level of all polyamide 6 materials. The thermal and mechanical properties of glass fiber (GF) reinforced PIW polyamide 6 compounds with and without polyamide 66 were also studied. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) showed that reinforced materials without polyamide 66 had a higher level of crystallinity. Furthermore, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) showed that reinforced compounds without polyamide 66 also had a faster storage modulus buildup immediately after injection molding. Reinforced PIW polyamide 6 compounds without polyamide 66 also exhibited higher tensile and higher vibration weld strengths as well as a thicker heat affected zone (HAZ) than those with polyamide 66, leading to the conclusion that polyamide 66 had a detrimental effect on crystallinity level and consequently on the mechanical properties of GF-reinforced PIW polyamide 6 materials.     

Antistatic‐reinforced biocomposites of polyamide‐6 and polyaniline‐coated curauá fibers prepared on a pilot plant scale

Curauá fibers were used with success as a reinforcing agent in polyamide‐6, however, for several applications, an antistatic dissipation property is also desirable and the incorporation of an intrinsically conducting polymer is a suitable way to promote this. The novelty of this work is the simultaneous introduction of these two properties, antistatic and reinforcement, using one filler, obtained by depositing polyaniline on the surface of short curauá fibers. Nearly 5–30 wt% of these modified fibers were dispersed by extrusion in polyamide‐6, the composites were injection molded and characterized by electrical, mechanical, morphological, and rheological properties. The tensile strength of the polyamide‐6 composites reinforced with 5 and 30 wt% of polyaniline coated curauá fibers, was 56% higher and 23% lower than the values obtained for pure polyamide‐6, respectively. Also, the composite reinforced with 5 wt% of fibers, when processed with lower shearing rates, showed conductivity in the range of antistatic materials, 4 μS cm⁻¹. Scanning electronic microscopy and infrared spectroscopy showed an improvement in interfacial adhesion in PA‐6/CF‐PAni composites. The composite prepared with 5 wt% of polyaniline coated curauá fibers gave the best balance between the electrical and the mechanical properties. Extrusion and injection molding methods used here are suitable for continuous large scale production. POLYM. COMPOS., 34:1081–1090, 2013. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Injection moldability and properties of compatibilized PA6/LDPE blends

An ethylene‐acrylic acid copolymer (EAA), either alone or combined with a low molar mass bis‐oxazoline compound (PBO), has been used as a compatibilization promoter for blends of polyamide‐6 (PA6) with low‐density polyethylene (LDPE). The effect of compatibilization on blend processability in injection molding operations and on the properties of the molded specimens has been studied. In the absence of compatibilization, the injection molded articles were shown to have low‐quality surface appearance and poor mechanical properties. Both these characteristics were appreciably improved as a result of reactive compatibilization of the blends with EAA and, even more, with the EAA‐PBO couple. In fact, the finished articles prepared by injection molding of the quaternary blends were shown to possess good surface appearance, fine and stable morphology and satisfactory mechanical properties. The results confirm the conclusion of a previous study, i.e., that the PBO fourth component may promote the in situ formation of PA6‐g‐EAA copolymers, by reaction with both the functional groups of PA6 and the carboxyl groups of EAA. Polym. Eng. Sci. 44:1732–1737, 2004. © 2004 Society of Plastics Engineers.     

Structure and properties of amorphous polyamide/liquid crystalline polyester blends

Amorphous polyamide (AP)/liquid crystalline polyester (VA) blends were obtained by extrusion‐injection molding (EI) throughout the whole composition range. The phase behavior, chemical nature and morphology of the blends were studied, and the mechanical properties discussed and compared with those of the 10 and 30% VA blends obtained by direct injection molding (DI). The blends showed two almost pure slightly reacted amorphous phases. The apparently higher reaction level of the EI blends, although small, led to a more homogeneous, fine and fibrillated morphology, attributed to a lower interfacial tension. Significant synergisms in the modulus of elasticity (up to 25%) and in the tensile strength (up to 40%) were seen in EI blends. The similar values of both specific volume and orientation in the blends and in the pure components suggest that the contribution to the modulus of the dispersed VA rigid particles is greater than that due to the proportion of VA in the blend. The 10% VA DI blend showed a similar behavior in these two properties, indicating that the DI procedure is preferred, provided that only stress‐related properties are sought. At 30% VA content, the moduli of elasticity were similar by the two molding processes, but the clearly lower tensile strength and lower ductility of the easier DI procedure, means that the more complex, but more effective, EI procedure is the one of choice for high performance materials.     

Melt Rheology of Low-Density Polyethylene/Polyamide 6 using Ionomer as a Compatibilizer

Rheology of blends of polyamide 6 with low-density polyethylene compatibilized with sodium-, zinc-, and lithium-neutralized ethylene-methacrylic acid ionomers were investigated at 11, 33 and 55% neutralization of ionomer. Blends of polyamide 6 with low-density polyethylene without compatibilizer had lower shear viscosities than a mixing rule would predict. After adding compatibilizer, the shear viscosity of the blend is increased, presumably due to the formation of graft copolymer from the reaction of the primary amine with free acid groups. The increase of shear and elongational viscosity properties is less with EMAA than with the ionomers; which is consistent with mechanical property and dispersed phase size results presented in an earlier publication. For high polyamide 6 content blends, zinc-neutralized compatibilizers yielded the highest shear and elongational viscosities; while for low polyamide 6 contents, lithium-neutralized compatibilizers yielded the highest viscosities.     

高流动性快速固化酚醛注塑料的研制

介绍了一种高流动性快速固化酚醛注塑料的配方、制备工艺及其成型时间和流动特性。采用高邻位酚醛树脂为基质，复配复合稳定剂，优化辊炼工艺，制备了高流动性快速固化酚醛注塑料。该注塑料具有优异的流动性能，同时可快速成型，且不损失酚醛注塑料固有的力学性能、热性能及电性能。     

Oxygen barrier properties of polypropylene/polyamide 6 blends

Effects of composition, compatibilization, and blending procedure on oxygen barrier properties of injection-molded polypropylene/polyamide 6 blends were investigated. The main attention was paid to the relationships between oxygen permeability, mechanical properties, and blend morphology. The effect of the polypropylene/polyamide 6 ratio was evident in blends with a homogeneous dispersion type of morphology. After the phase inversion, when polyamide became the continuous phase, the barrier properties of the blends were significantly improved and approached those of polyamide 6. Increasing the amount of the compatibilizer, maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene, was found to increase the permeability of the blend. The blending procedure had a significant effect on the permeability of the blends. The injection-molded blend exhibited a laminar type of morphology when polyamide 6 and the compatibilizer were preblended in a twin-screw extruder, and polypropylene was added later as a dry-blend before injection molding. The dispersed polyamide phase formed thin elongated platelets in the polypropylene matrix. This laminar morphology resulted in significant improvement of oxygen barrier properties approaching the level of the theoretical values calculated for corresponding coextruded structures. Moreover, both the tensile and impact properties of this particular blend were exceptionally good. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Morphology evolution, crystalline orientation, and thermal expansion of PA6/SEBS blends with nanolayer networks

A blend of polyamide 6 (PA6) and styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene (SEBS) with a co-continuous nanolayer network was fabricated by reactive compounding and subsequent injection molding. The nanostructured polymer alloy was found to exhibit an extremely low coefficient of linear thermal expansion (CLTE) in the flow direction, accompanied by a largely suppressed molding shrinkage. To clarify the influence of the microstructure on thermal expansion behavior, a systematic study of morphology evolution, crystalline orientation, and confined crystallization of the PA6/SEBS (60/40) blend was carried out by means of TEM, DMA, DSC and WAXD measurements. It was found that a lower viscosity of SEBS and the capability of in situ compatibility with PA6 enable a morphology evolution from a disordered co-continuous to droplet-continuous and, finally, to a nanolayer network structure. Multi-scale orientations take place during the injection molding process, and the large reduction of CLTE may originate from the high order microstructure in two aspects: (1) the rubber-deformation-induced orientation of PA6 crystalline in which the b-axis with a negative CLTE orients along the flow direction, and (2) the co-continuous orientation of the rubber and plastic nanolayers, of which the thermal expansion favors towards the normal direction.     

Structure and properties of polyblends of a thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer with an alloy of polyamide-6 and ABS

The relationship between the microstructure and corresponding mechanical properties developed during injection molding of blends containing a liquid crystalline polymer (LCP) as the minor component and an engineering polymer system has been studied. A wholly aromatic copolyester LCP (Vectra A950) was melt blended at different compositions with a thermoplastic matrix consisting of a commercial compatibilized blend of polyamide-6 and ABS (Triax 1180). These blends were prepared under two different sets of injection molding conditions. In the first case, a higher melt temperature, higher barrel temperature, lower injection pressure, lower mold temperature, and shorter residence time in the mold were used during injection molding, as compared with the second case. The mechanical properties of the blends were superior to those of the base polymer. In the second case, the resulting injection-molded specimens had a distinct skin–core morphology where elongated fibrils of LCP constituted the skin layer. The mechanical properties of the blends processed under the second set of processing conditions were superior to those of the first, though the trends in both cases were the same. To study the effects of process variables the 15% LCP blend and the second set of processing conditions were taken as the base. Samples were injection-molded by varying one parameter at a time. It was seen that the properties of the blend were increased by maintaining a lower barrel temperature, greater injection pressure, lower injection speed, higher mold temperature, and a greater residence time in the heated mold. Thus it was found that the processing conditions played a vital role in determining the mechanical properties and morphology of the polyblends. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Influence of the injection molding process on the mechanical properties of (PA6/GF/MMT) nanocomposite

This work describes the first part of a series of studies on the effect of injection molding conditions on the mechanical properties of polyamide 6/glass fiber/montmorillonite (PA6/GF/MMT) composites, wherein the effect of the injection molding mass temperature on the mechanical properties of the composite is investigated. The results demonstrate that composites processed at lower mass temperatures exhibited higher tensile strength and flexural strength. These findings are explained by the fact that the use of different mass temperatures leads to PA6 matrices with different degrees of crystallinity. In addition, changes in the mass temperature affect the fiber–matrix adhesion of the composite and the intercalation between the matrix and the various components in the nanocomposite. POLYM. COMPOS., 36:237–244, 2015. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Effect of molecular weight and molding conditions on the replication of injection moldings with micro‐scale v‐groove features

Injection molded optical plastic parts require accurate replication of micro‐scale features. The effects of melt viscosity and molding conditions on replication of microscopic v‐groove features in injection molded parts were examined for PC with different molecular weight. The micro‐scale feature size was a continuous v‐groove with 20 μm in depth and 50 μm in width. For injection molding conditions, melt temperature, mold temperature, injection velocity and holding pressure were varied in three levels. As the result, the mold temperature had significantly affected replication for all polymers with different molecular weight. Additionally, the molding conditions that lower melt viscosity led to improved replication. In the case of polymer with high molecular weight, the viscosity decreased with increasing melt temperature. It has been found that high replication of micro‐scale features could be achieved by higher mold temperature and higher melt temperature even with high viscosity PC. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers     

树形分子对PA11/PA6共混物性能的影响

在PA11／PA6共混物中添加4．0代树形分子,提高了共混物的性能,研究了不同树形分子含量对共混物力学性能、耐热性和流动性的影响。结果表明,在PA11／PA6中添加0．25％树形分子后,共混物的拉伸强度、断裂伸长率明显提高,缺口冲击强度和维卡软化温度略有增加,但流动性有所下降。     

脲醛模塑料所用甲醛和木浆纸最佳指标研究

通过对脲醛树脂模塑料的流动性和成型时间的测定研究了脲醛树脂原料甲醛的酸度和醇度以及木浆纸类型对模塑料性能的影响,并对不同酸度醇度甲醛合成的脲醛树脂进行了示差扫描量热分析,对其相应的模塑料的力学性能进行了测试。结果表明:当甲醛酸度为0.015%,醇度为2.5%时,脲醛模塑料的流动性最大且成型时间最短;纤维长度短的木浆纸适于生产大号流动性大的模塑料。     

Isotropy of mechanical properties and environmental stress crack sensitivity in injection- and injection-compression molding of polystyrene with different mold temperature

In addition to conventional injection-compression molding and injection molding with dynamic process temperature control, a synergistic combination of both processes has recently been applied in dynamic temperature-controlled injection-compression molding. The two-dimensional holding pressure effect in combination with the long maintenance of the flowability of the melt due to high mold temperature enables particularly large flow path to wall thickness ratios. In the most cases, only the optimized molding of microstructures and aspect ratios is considered without including the changed internal structure of such manufactured components. In the course of this investigation, the influence of different process strategies under variation of the mold temperature on production-related anisotropies in the mechanical properties and stress crack sensitivity of thin-walled polystyrene components was examined. The determined mechanical properties are significantly below the values given in the data sheet of the material in the adapted process variant of injection-compression molding with high mold temperature. However, the results also show a clear homogenization of the direction- and flow path-dependent mechanical properties. In contrast, components produced in this way tend to show increased environmental stress crack sensitivity. This could be attributed to significantly reduced orientations as a result of the favorably proceeding orientation relaxation.     

Recyclability Studies on Poly(lactic acid)/Poly(butylene succinate-co-adipate) (PLA/PBSA) Biobased and Biodegradable Films

Poly(lactic acid)/poly(butylene succinate-co-adipate) (PLA/PBSA) blends are found promising for film packaging applications because of their flexibility, resistance, and compostability. Industrially extruded granules and films based on PLA and containing different amounts of PBSA are reprocessed through mini-extrusion, to simulate recycling, and tested in terms of their melt flow rate as a function of PBSA content. Moreover, pure PLA commercial granules and the film produced extruding the PLA/PBSA 60/40 blend are reprocessed several times by injection molding and characterized in terms of melt flow rate, mechanical properties, thermal properties, and color as a function of injection molding cycles. The variation in melt fluidity and thermo-mechanical properties is negligible up to 3 injection molding cycles for both pure PLA granules and PLA/PBSA blend. In the case of blend the change in color (yellowing and darkening) is more evident and slight local compositional change in injection molded items can be evidenced as well as a slight decrease in PBS crystallinity as a function of injection molding cycles. Nevertheless, in applications where these aspects are not critical, these materials can be recycled by extrusion or injection molding before being composted, thus prolonging their life cycle and storing carbon in them as longer as possible.     

EPDM-g-MAH增韧PA 6

制备了三种不同黏度的马来酸酐接枝三元乙丙橡胶(EPDM-g-MAH),将其用于增韧聚酰胺(PA)6。通过傅里叶变换红外光谱、扫描电子显微镜、差示扫描量热法、力学性能测试等表征了三元乙丙橡胶(EPDM)对增韧PA 6体系结构与性能的影响。结果表明:EPDM-g-MAH改善了PA 6与EPDM的相容性,用黏度适中的EPDM得到的EPDM-g-MAH与PA 6(质量比为85∶15)共混,分散相尺寸较小且分散均匀,共混体系的力学性能得到提高,特别是Izod缺口冲击强度几乎为PA 6的10倍。     

玻纤增强酚醛注塑料的制备技术和性能

研究了玻纤增强酚醛注塑料制备过程中基质树脂的选择、固化作用与交联结构的控制及玻纤分散技术,考察了不同基质树脂制备的酚醛注塑料的固化成型结构形态和固化流变特性.进一步采用热固性与热塑性酚醛树脂相复配的基质树脂体系,经配方和制备工艺的优化,制备了高填充量玻纤增强酚醛注塑料.该注塑料具有良好的注塑成型性能,注塑制品具有高强度, 冲击强度达到4.3 kJ•m^-2,弯曲强度137.4 MPa,同时热变形温度为 245 ℃,阻燃性通过美国UL 94 V-0级认证,并具有优良的尺寸稳定性、电绝缘性能和低成本优势.     

扩链改性对聚乳酸注塑发泡成型的影响

通过添加不同含量的扩链剂（CE）对2种牌号聚乳酸（PLA）进行改性,对改性PLA进行注塑发泡,研究了扩链剂用量对PLA熔体流变性能、试样的泡孔形态和力学性能等的影响,并比较了不同PLA泡沫的泡孔结构和力学性能的差异。结果表明,PLA的熔体流动速率随着扩链剂的加入明显降低,同时熔体强度得到提高;随着扩链剂含量的增多,注塑级和挤出级PLA的发泡效果和力学性能都逐渐提高,扩链剂含量达到0.8 %（质量分数,下同）时,取得最好的泡孔结构和最优的力学性能;改性注塑级发泡试样较改性挤出级发泡试样有更高的力学性能。     

Effects of moisture content and heat treatment on the physical properties of starch and poly(lactic acid) blends

Starch, a hydrophilic renewable polymer, has been used as a filler for environmentally friendly plastics for about 2 decades. Starch granules become swollen and gelatinized when water is added or when they are heated, and water is often used as a plasticizer to obtain desirable product properties. The objective of this research was to characterize blends from starch and poly(lactic acid) (PLA) in the presence of various water contents. The effects of processing procedures on the properties of the blends were also studied. Blends were prepared with a lab‐scale twin‐screw extruder, and tensile bars for mechanical testing were prepared with both compression and injection molding. Thermal and mechanical properties of the blends were analyzed, and the morphology and water absorption of the blends were evaluated. The initial moisture content (MC) of the starch had no significant effects on its mechanical properties but had a significant effect on the water absorption of the blends. The thermal and crystallization properties of PLA in the blend were not affected by MC. The blends prepared by compression molding had higher crystallinities than those prepared by injection molding. However, the blends prepared by injection molding had higher tensile strengths and elongations and lower water absorption values than those made by compression molding. The crystallinities of the blends increased greatly with annealing treatment at the PLA second crystallization temperature (155°C). The decomposition of PLA indicated that PLA was slightly degraded in the presence of water under the processing temperatures used. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 81: 3069–3082, 2001