Mechanical properties,stress‐relaxation,and orientation of double bubble biaxially oriented polyethylene films

Biaxially oriented linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) films were produced using the double bubble process with different machine direction (MD) orientation levels and the same transverse direction (TD) blow‐up ratio. Their mechanical behavior was characterized in terms of the tensile strength and tear resistance. The viscoelastic behavior of oriented films was studied using dynamic‐mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA). The microstructure and orientation were characterized using microscopy, X‐ray diffraction pole figures, and birefringence. The results indicate that MD ultimate tensile strength increases and the TD one decreases with MD stretching ratio. Tear propagation resistance, in general, remained mainly constant in TD and decreased in MD, as the draw ratio was increased. The morphology analyses exhibit a typical biaxial lamellar structure for all samples with different lamellar dimensions. Orientation of c‐axis in crystalline phase, molecular chain in amorphous phase along MD increased with draw ratio. In most crystals, a‐axis was located in the normal direction (ND) and the b‐axis in the ND–TD plane. A good correlation was observed between c‐axis orientation factor and MD mechanical properties. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 100: 3545–3553, 2006     

Effect of rolling deformation on the structures and properties of multi‐walled carbon nanotube filled isotactic polypropylene

Isotactic polypropylene filled with various contents of multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were fabricated by the injection molding technique and then rolled at room temperature. The unrolled samples (URS) and rolled samples (RS) were characterized by X‐ray diffraction studies, scanning electron microscopy, mechanical and micromechanical tests and differential thermal analyses. Although the URS exhibit the lamellar α‐crystal with a*‐axis orientation, the RS show the same crystals with both a*‐ and c‐axis orientation, which is explained by interlamellar and intralamellar slips and lamellar destruction. Scanning electron micrographs display distinct surface morphological features for both URS and RS. While the tensile strength of RS is higher than that of URS, the Young's modulus (Y) is found to be lower than that of URS. Anisotropy in microharness (H) parallel and perpendicular to the rolled direction has been detected, although H for both samples increases with increasing MWCNT contents. The average relationship H/Y ≈ 0.18 as estimated for URS is closer to the predicted value of 0.10 for polymers than the H/Y ≈ 0.22 obtained for RS. The lamellar thickness for URS increases with increase of MWCNT content and that for RS decreases, as evaluated from both differential thermal analyses and X‐ray diffraction data. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Characterization of metallized biaxially oriented polypropylene film

The effect of corona unit energy applied for retreatment of metallized biaxially oriented polypropylene film surfaces before the lamination process was studied using optical, scanning electron, and atomic force microscopies. Increased surface roughness and polarity due to oxygen groups were detected, and these changes became more evident with the increase of corona treatment intensity. The number and size of spots on the surface, possibly deriving from processing aids incorporated as additives into the polymer, increase with corona treatment. The response of specimens in accelerated aging was also studied for evaluation of the outdoor stability of these composite structures. Specimens were exposed to the combined action of UV‐radiation, humidity, and heat, and the stability of yellow, orange‐yellow, orange, green, and bordeaux colors was determined as a function of the exposure time. Minor color changes were recorded for exposure up to 100 h, which became more significant for longer exposure intervals depending on the type of color. Finally, a 40% decrease in tensile strength was observed after 216 h of ageing, accompanied with a decrease of 15% of modulus and an increase of 160% in the elongation at break, possibly because of the plasticizing effect taking place during the ageing process. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007     

Fabrication of hierarchically crystallographic morphologies in isotactic polypropylene

The hierarchically crystallographic morphologies were fabricated in isotactic polypropylene (iPP) by controlling the stratified distribution of the nucleating agents. The α‐ and β‐nucleating agents were chosen for preparing the different crystalline modifications. The transcrystals and spherulites were found in the stratified distribution samples by polar optical microscopy (POM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The transcrystals grew from the surfaces of the nucleating agents filled layers and occupied most space of the pure iPP layers. The crystalline modifications and crystallinity were analyzed by X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) analysis. The mechanical and thermal degradation properties of these samples with hierarchically crystallographic morphologies were investigated by tensile testing machine and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) respectively, and showed better than that of the samples with single crystallographic morphology (spherulites). © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42703.     

Preparation of biaxially oriented polyamide 6/polyketone/graphene oxide films with enhanced barrier and mechanical behaviors

In this study, biaxially oriented polyamide 6/polyketone/graphene oxide (PA6/PK/GO) films were prepared by melt blending then simultaneously biaxially stretched process, with the aim of obtaining high barrier properties films and improvements in their mechanical properties. The oxygen transmission rate of biaxially oriented PA6/PK/GO film significantly decreased with addition of polyketone and GO. It is surprising that the biaxially oriented process can excellently improve the barrier properties of biaxially oriented PA6/PK/GO film. For example, there was 94.7% OTR reduction of the film containing 20 wt% PK and 0.08 wt% GO compared with PA6 film at a stretching ratio of 3.3 × 3.3. It is due to more tortuous permeation path of oxygen molecule owing to molecular orientation during biaxially stretching, and higher relative crystallinity with addition of GO. The tensile strength of film was remarkablly improved by stretching orientation and increase GO concentration. However, the elongation at break of film was considerably reduced by increase of stretching ratio. Although addition of GO may slightly improve the elongation at break of film at low stretching ratio, there was dramatic decline of elongation at break with increasing the content of GO at a stretching ratio of 3.3 × 3.3.     

Oxygen barrier properties of biaxially oriented polypropylene/polyvinyl alcohol blend films

The biaxially oriented PP/PVA blend film was prepared and had the higher oxygen barrier property by about 130 times than that of a biaxially oriented PP film. When the viscosity ratio (η_d(PVA)/η_m(PP)) decreased, the dispersed PVA phase was developed into platelets during stretching process. Oxygen permeability was dependent on the number and size of PVA platelet. However, the Oxygen permeability was not sensitively changed in above 25 wt% of PVA. To obtain excellent barrier property, the optimum amount of plasticizer and initiator was required. A pasticizer was related to the size and degree of crystallization of PVA platelet. An initiator played the role of a compatibilizer. The oxygen barrier was enhanced with increasing the viscosity of PP and draw ratio. The higher viscosity of PP was advantageous for preventing the delamination of a blend film, and the moisture vapor permeability was not affected with the laminar structure. As a result, the biaxially oriented PP/PVA blend film had the potential of substituting for the PVDC coated BOPP film.     

Effect of hydrocarbon resin on the morphology and mechanical properties of isotactic polypropylene/clay composites

The article reports an investigation of the effect of a hydrocarbon resin, Necirés TR100, on the structure, morphology, and properties of two isotactic polypropylene/clay composites. The clays are Dellite HPS, a purified montmorillonite, and Dellite 67G, a purified and modified montmorillonite with a high content of quaternary ammonium salt. Necirés TR100 contains hydroxyl and acid groups, which were expected to interact during the melt mixing with the polar surface of the clays to have intercalation with Dellite HPS and/or exfoliation of Dellite 67G, which is already intercalated by the quaternary ammonium salt. The morphological results indicate that the composite isotactic polypropylene/Dellite HPS presents large and coarse clay domains, whereas the composite isotactic polypropylene/Dellite 67G presents a better distribution of the clay clusters, although the presence of some clay domains of a few μm are also detected. Although results from Wide Angle X‐ray Diffraction have indicated that Necirés TR100 has no effect on the layers distance of Dellite HPS and Dellite 67G its addition produces composites with clay particles homogenously distributed in the polyolefin matrix, better tensile properties (higher values of Young's modululs and elongation to break) and decrease of permeability. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Effect of the host polymer on the nanomechanical and morphological properties of templated polymer films

Atomic force microscopy and nanoindentation have been applied to the study of thin molecularly templated polymer films. The template was chosen to be the readily hydrogen‐bonded cotinine molecule and three different polymer hosts, Elvamide® nylon, Nylon‐6, and poly(4‐vinylphenol) were compared. The host polymer was shown to affect the nature of the template‐host interaction resulting in varying surface morphologies and differences in the nanohardness. These observations were shown to reflect differences in the underlying interaction chemistry, specifically, whether or not the polymer may be imprinted in the film production process. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 877‐883, 2013     

Influence of thermal history on crystalline morphologies of isotactic polypropylene in its miscible blends with polybutene‐1

The miscibility behaviors in blends of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) and polybutene‐1 (PB) have been studied using in‐situ FTIR imaging. The heterogeneous melt of 3/7 iPP/PB blends were formed at 250, 220, and 180°C and then quenched to the same crystallization temperature of iPP at 125°C, respectively. Evolution processes of composition distribution during crystallization were monitored according to their characteristic peaks, and the results suggest a trend from local concentration to uniform dispersion of PB fraction. Further studies of the PB fraction as the distance from the growth front of iPP spherulite indicate an irreversible phase behavior with the progress of thermal history. The cyclic melting and crystallization favor the mixing of iPP/PB blend. Meanwhile, the nonlinear growth rate of iPP spherulite is mainly responsible for compatible promotion of iPP/PB blend, which hinders the transportation of iPP chains to its growth front. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43282.     

Characterization of biaxially oriented polypropylene films by atomic force microscopy and microthermal analysis

A new method for evaluating the thermal properties of the films and detecting fabrication failures has been provided. Moreover, this article studies the characterization of biaxially oriented polypropylene films (BOPP) using the Microthermal Analizer (μTA 2990). This instrument combines high‐resolution imaging capabilities of the atomic force microscopy (AFM) with physical characterization by thermal analysis. In the first part of the work, topographic images of the film surfaces were obtained by AFM. They showed that the fabrication process and additives to the films caused differences in the sample topography. In the second part, the thermal conductivity images of multilayer films were obtained by thermal analysis mode. The thickness of each layer was determined for several BOPP films, based on the thermal conductivity signal registered by μTA 2990. Finally, it has been proven that this new technique is valid for detection of thermal transitions in polymer samples. Thus, melting points and glass transitions were measured in the samples with thermal probe. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 85: 1553–1561, 2002.     

Effect of network relaxation on void propagation and failure in isotactic polypropylene at large strain

The important role of network relaxation in the voiding and fracture toughness of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) has been explored with video‐aid tensile tests, two‐dimensional small‐angle X‐ray scattering (2D‐SAXS) measurements, and morphological observations. The results indicated that macroscopic volume dilatation related to voiding became lower during large deformation of iPP sample with rich γ phase (denoted as γ‐iPP) cooled at 1°C/min, compared with one with exclusive α form (referred to α‐iPP) quenched in air. Furthermore, void propagation perpendicular to the tensile direction, demonstrated by Guinier approximation analysis of 2D‐SAXS results, was suppressed to a large extent in such a γ‐iPP sample. Less network relaxation, resulted from its peculiar crystalline and amorphous phases, was responsible for lower volume dilatation and slower void propagation in the γ‐iPP sample. Meanwhile, less network relaxation and suppressed transverse void propagation contributed to higher toughness in the γ‐iPP sample. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Creep and recovery behavior of kenaf/polypropylene nonwoven composites

This article reports an exploratory study on the creep and recovery behavior of kenaf/polypropylene nonwoven composites (KPNCs), serving as a bio‐based substitution for polypropylene (PP) plastics in the automotive industry due to the environmental concern. The creep and recovery behavior of KPNC and solid virgin PP were performed by dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA) which allowed it to be studied extensively. The linear viscoelastic limit (LVL) was found at 1 MPa. Two popular creep models, the four‐element Burgers (FEB) model and the Findley power law (FPL) model, were used to model the creep behavior in this study. The FEB model was found only appropriate for characterizing short‐term creep behavior. In contrast, the FPL model was satisfactory for predicting the long‐term creep performance. The long‐term creep behavior of KPNC in comparison to virgin PP plastic was predicted using the time‐temperature superposition (TTS) principle. The 1‐year creep strains were estimated to be 0.32% for KPNC and 1.00% for virgin PP at 40°C. A three‐day creep test was conducted to validate the effectiveness of the TTS prediction. KPNC showed a better creep resistance and higher recoverability than the virgin PP, especially in a high‐temperature environment. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40726.     

Influence of regioirregular structural units on the crystallization of isotactic polypropylene

Seven samples of isotactic polypropylene were examined to study the influence on the formation of the γ crystalline phase of possible regiodefects along the chain. Wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction allowed the determination of the percentage of the γ phase in the samples and ¹³C‐NMR spectroscopy was used to correlate the development of the γ phase with the existence of regioirregular structural units along the chain. Furthermore, it was possible to appraise the contributions given by the different families of lamellae to the small‐angle X‐ray diffraction patterns. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 79: 375–384, 2001     

Enhanced piezoelectric responses and crystalline arrangement of electroactive polyvinylidene fluoride/magnetite nanocomposites

The well distributed and electroactive polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)/magnetite nanocomposites were successfully fabricated using a mixed solvent system (THF/DMF). Dynamic mechanical properties of the fabricated PVDF/magnetite nanocomposites indicate significant enhancements in the storage modulus as compared with that of neat PVDF. By adding 2 wt % magnetite nanoparticles into the PVDF matrix, the thermal stability of nanocomposites could be enhanced about 26°C as compared with that of PVDF. The β‐phase fraction of PVDF is significantly enhanced with increasing the voltage of electric field poling. The piezoelectric responses of PVDF/magnetite films are extensively increased about five times in magnitude with applied strength of electrical field at 35 MV/m. The change of piezoelectric responses during the applied electric field may be due to the relative long arrangement of PVDF units along the direction of electric field poling and thus increases the values of L_p^* and l_c. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40941.     

Micromechanical modeling of roll‐to‐roll processing of oriented polyethylene terephthalate films

In this article, the thermo‐mechanical time‐dependent behavior of oriented polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films, which are used as a substrate material for flexible Organic Light‐Emitting Diode (OLED)s, is analyzed. These films are subjected to conditions that are representative for the industrial manufacturing process. Effects of creep and thermal shrinkage are experimentally observed simultaneously. The aim of the article is to demonstrate the ability of the micromechanically‐based model, which was previously used to separately describe both creep and thermal shrinkage of the polyethylene terephthalate film, to simulate experimentally observed anisotropic behavior of the film under complex loading conditions. This anisotropic behavior results from the microstructure, the internal stress state, and differences in constitutive behavior of the phases. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43384.     

Microstructural investigation of butt‐fusion joint in high‐density polyethylene pipes using wide‐ and small‐angle X‐ray scattering

The melt fusion zone (MFZ) of polyethylene pipe was investigated employing synchrotron wide‐ and small‐angle X‐ray scattering at various locations in MFZ by changing X‐ray incidence angles to probe three‐dimensional structural features. It was determined that the crystals were oriented in two different modes. One is that the polymer chains are oriented parallel to the joint interface line consistently throughout the MFZ. The other is that the crystals are oriented in particular directions depending on the positions in MFZ. The combination of pressure and melt flow during joining process resulted in such a complex structure. It was notable that the boundary of MFZ against the base material was found to be very different depending on the structures involved such as crystallographic unit orientation, lamellae orientation, crystallinity, and spherulitic morphology. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 45668.     

Structural,mechanical and thermal studies of double‐molded isotactic polypropylene nanocomposites with multiwalled carbon nanotubes

Nanocomposites of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with various contents of MWCNTs were fabricated by double molding techniques. X‐ray diffraction measurements reveal a development of α‐crystal with lamellar stacks having a long period of 150 Å in the neat iPP that increases to 165 Å in 2 wt % MWCNTs‐loaded composites, indicating that MWCNTs enhance crystallization of iPP as a nucleating factor. Mechanical properties, such as tensile strength, flexural strength, Young's modulus, tangent modulus, and microhardness are found to increase with increasing MWCNTs content. Thermal analyses represent an increase of crystallization and melting temperatures and a decrease of thermal stability of the composites with increasing MWCNTs. Changes in structural, mechanical, and thermal properties of the composites due to the addition of MWCNTs are elaborately discussed. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Preparation and balanced mechanical properties of solid and foamed isotactic polypropylene/SEBS composites

This study presents a self-designed foaming apparatus and routes to manufacture foamed isotactic polypropylene (iPP) blends with uniform and dense cells, using styrene-ethylene-butadiene-styrene (SEBS) block copolymer as toughening additive. The addition of SEBS can clearly enhance the impact strength of solid iPP, iPP blends with a 20 wt% SEBS has obtained high notched impact strength of 75 kJ/m², which is ca. 16 times larger than that of neat iPP. Relatively fine microcellular iPP-SEBS foams with the average cell size of several micrometers, and the cell density of 10⁹ cells/cm³ were fabricated using a batch foaming procedure. Moreover, using our self-designed mold and compression foaming method, iPP-SEBS foams with balanced mechanical properties were produced. With the increasing of SEBS, tensile strength and flexural strength were slightly decreased, but the impact strength was increased clearly. The balanced mechanical properties between stiffness and toughness were achieved after compression foaming.     

Aloe vera rind cellulose nanofibers‐reinforced films

Aloe vera (AV) gel has been widely used in various medical, cosmetic, and nutraceutical applications. However, AV rind, the tougher outer layer of AV leaves where the cell wall components exists, is currently treated as a fertilizer or waste. This study aimed to investigate the potential of the AV rind as a resource for the production of cellulose nanofibers. Since a detailed analysis of the AV rind has been lacking, chemical composition of rind was analyzed before processing it into nanofibers. The results showed that AV rind has a high proportion of α‐cellulose (57.72% ± 2.18%). AV rind nanofibers (AVRNF) were prepared using chemi‐mechanical process. The morphological analyses showed that most of the isolated fibers were individual fibers under 20 nm. Crystallinity and degree of polymerization of the obtained AVRNF, and mechanical properties of the nanofibrous film were evaluated and compared with the wood nanofibers. Tensile strength of AVRNF film (102 MPa) was comparatively lower than the wood fibers (132 MPa), which was consistent with the lower crystallinity of AVRNF [crystallinity index (CI) = 0.66] as well as the lower degree of polymerization (DP = 396), compared with wood fibers (CI = 0.90, DP = 1297). © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40592.