Light-weight poly(vinyl chloride)-based soundproofing composites with foam/film alternating multilayered structure

Poly(vinyl chloride)-based (PVC) multilayered composites with alternating foam and film layer structure were designed through a multilayered co-extrusion system. Light-weight composites with good soundproofing properties were obtained. The effects of foaming process, acoustic impedance mismatch, and layer number on the soundproofing properties were investigated. Sound transmission loss (STL) was used to characterize the soundproofing properties. The experimental results revealed that the foam/film multilayered composites showed higher STL and lower density than the film/film multilayered composite without foaming process. In addition, the multilayered composite presented better soundproofing properties when there was a bigger acoustic impedance mismatch between adjacent layers. Moreover, as the layer number increased from 2 to 16, the STL of the PVC composite increased gradually and reached a maximum at 8 layers (an average value of 26.3 dB). However, the STL of 16-layer composite decreased because of the reduction of scattering and reflection of sound waves among the bubbles.     

Intercalation behavior and enhanced dewaterability of waste sludge of cationic polyacrylamide/montmorillonite composite synthesized via in situ intercalation polymerization

Montmorillonite was rendered organophilic with acryloxyethyl dodecyl dimethyl ammonium bromide (denoted as OMMT-AD), and a series of cationic polyacrylamide (CPAM)/OMMT-AD composites were synthesized via an in situ intercalation polymerization. It was found that with increasing AD content, the interlayer spacing of OMMT and the thickness of the intercalated AD chains increased, and the saturation content of AD molecules in the MMT layers was 2.0 CEC. Some orderly structures of AD molecules formed between the MMT layers, and MMT was proposed to present lateral-monolayer, lateral-bilayer and paraffin-type monolayer conformations in the confined space of MMT. The cationic degree and reduced viscosity of the CPAM/OMMT-AD composites decreased with the increase of the OMMT-AD content. The strong intermolecular interaction appeared between the CPAM and the OMMT-AD, and the OMMT-AD platelets dispersed well with an exfoliated state in CPAM matrix as indicated by X-ray diffraction analysis and TEM observation. Compared with solution intercalation, the composites prepared by in situ intercalation polymerization had better stability and dispersion of MMT in the CPAM matrix. The dewaterability of the waste sludge was improved by using CPAM/OMMT-AD composites.     

Effects of poly(oxyethylene)-block structure in polyetheramines on the modified carbon nanotube/poly(lactic acid) composites

The hybrids of multi-walled carbon nanotube and poly(lactic acid) (MWCNT/PLA) were prepared by a melt-blending method. In order to enhance the compatibility between the PLA and MWCNTs, the surface of the MWCNTs was covalently modified by Jeffamine® polyetheramines by functionalizing MWCNTs with carboxylic groups. Different molecular weights and hydrophilicity of the polyethermaines were grafted onto MWCNTs with the assistance of a dehydrating agent. The results showed that low-molecular-weight Jeffamine® polyetheramine modified MWCNTs can effectively improve the thermal properties of PLA composites. On the other hand, high-molecular-weight and poly(oxyethylene)-segmented polyetheramine could render the modified MWCNTs of well dispersion in PLA, and consequently affecting the improvements of mechanical properties and conductivity of composite materials. With the addition of 3.0 wt% MWCNTs, the increment of E′ of the composite at 40 °C was 79%. For conductivity, the surface resistivity decreased from 1.27 × 10¹² Ω/sq for neat PLA to 8.30 × 10⁻³ Ω/sq for the composites.     

Effect of polymer modifier chain length on thermal conductive property of polyamide 6/graphene nanocomposites

The influence of polymer modifier chain length on the thermal conductivity of polyamide 6/graphene (GA) nanocomposites, including through-plane (λ_z) and in-plane (λ_x) directions were investigated. Here, three chain lengths of double amino-terminated polyethylene glycol (NH₂–PEG–NH₂) were used to covalently functionalize graphene with graphene content of 5.0 wt%. Results showed that λ_z was enhanced with the chain length of NH₂–PEG–NH₂ increased, but λ_x reached a maximum value at a certain chain length of NH₂–PEG–NH₂. The maximum λ_z and λ_x of GA are 0.406 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ and 9.710 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹, respectively. This study serves as a foundation for further research on the thermal conductive property of graphene nanocomposites using different chain lengths of polymer modifier to improve the λ_z and λ_x of the thermal conductive materials.     

Preparation and characterization of poly(3-octylthiophene)/carbon fiber thermoelectric composite materials

Poly(3-alkylthiophene) (P3AT) with a high Seebeck coefficient has recently been reported. However, P3AT/inorganic conductive composites exhibit relatively poor thermoelectric performance because of their low electrical conductivity. In this work, carbon fiber sheets with a high electrical conductivity were chosen as the inorganic phase, and poly(3-octylthiophene)(P3OT)/carbon fiber composites were prepared by casting P3OT solution onto the carbon fiber sheets. The carbon fiber sheets incorporated into the composites can provide good electrical conductivity, and P3OT can provide a high Seebeck coefficient. The highest power factor of 7.05 μW m⁻¹ K⁻² was obtained for the composite with 50 wt% P3OT. This work suggests a promising method for preparing large-scale thermoelectric composites with excellent properties.     

Graphite-like carbon nitride and functionalized layered double hydroxide filled polypropylene-grafted maleic anhydride nanocomposites: Comparison in flame retardancy,and thermal,mechanical and UV-shielding properties

Graphite-like carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) and borate modified layered double hydroxides (LDH-B) were successfully fabricated by thermal pyrolysis and modified aqueous miscible organic solvent treatment methods, respectively. Then these nano-additives were introduced to prepare polypropylene-grafted maleic anhydride (PP-g-MA)/g-C₃N₄ and PP-g-MA/LDH-B nanocomposites using a modified solvent mixing strategy. Several important parameters of the nanocomposites including thermal, mechanical and UV-blocking properties were investigated. Results indicated that pure g-C₃N₄ exhibited 347.6 and 427.2 °C increase in onset decomposition temperature under air and nitrogen conditions, respectively, compared with LDH-B. In case of PP-g-MA nanocomposites, both T_-10 and T_-50 (the temperature at 10% and 50% weight loss, respectively) were improved by 14.6 and 27.7 °C, respectively, by the addition of g-C₃N₄ while those only increased by 2.3 and 17.8 °C upon introducing LDH-B. Furthermore, PP-g-MA/g-C₃N₄ system showed a remarkable increment (9.8 °C) in crystallization temperature while an increase of 4.2 °C for PP-g-MA/LDH-B nanocomposite. Introducing g-C₃N₄ and LDH-B into PP-g-MA led to a reduction of 28% and 19% in pHRR, respectively. It was noted that the incorporation of g-C₃N₄ caused significant improvement in storage modulus from 2445.0 MPa for neat PP-g-MA to 2783.5 MPa for PP-g-MA/g-C₃N₄ while that of PP-g-MA/LDH-B was dramatically decreased by 27.3%. Optical results indicated that PP-g-MA/g-C₃N₄ was rendered fascinating UV adsorption ability relative to PP-g-MA/LDH-B. It is expected that the novel two-dimensional nanomaterial could bring new creativity into polymer composites.     

Fabrication of polypropylene/carbon nanotubes composites via a sequential process of (rotating solid-state mixing)-plus-(melt extrusion)

In this study, a simple but effective method to realize excellent comprehensive performances in polypropylene (PP)/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) was developed. Before melt extrusion, solid-state iPP powders and MWNTs were pre-mixed upon high-speed rotating. By this way, the dispersion extent of nanotubes was significantly improved as comparing to the common one-step melt extrusion strategy. As validated by scanning electron microscopy, most of MWNTs exist as a form of filament bundles with size of hundreds nanometers; no obvious agglomerate was found even at high MWNTs content, 5%. The improvements of the major mechanical properties and electric conductivity were much efficient for the composites obtained via the two-step process of rotating solid-state mixing (RSSM)-plus-melt extrusion. The tensile strength, Young’s modulus and impact strength at 5% MWNTs content were enhanced for 35%, 42% and 45%, respectively, indicating an excellent strength-rigidity-toughness balance, which was hardly achieved in polyolefin/carbon nanotubes composite. It is believed that the method developed in this study is so far the most effective and convenient for efficiently dispersing nanotubes into the nonpolar, intractable thermoplastics and resulting in good properties, among a variety of fabrication method suggested in the previous researches. Importantly, the used RSSM equipment is a kind of frequently used dispersion machine, thus it has tremendous potential to be applied in industrial producing immediately.     

Water dispersible graphene noncovalently functionalized with tryptophan and its poly(vinyl alcohol) nanocomposite

Graphene sheets functionalized noncovalently with aromatic amino acid, tryptophan (Tryp), were prepared by reducing graphene oxide through hydrazine hydrate. Tryp-functionalized graphene is water dispersible and can be stabilized for several months. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–vis absorption and Raman spectroscopy were used to investigate the nanostructures and the properties of graphene. Application of the graphene dispersion to poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) with the help of tryptophan to prepare nanocomposite was also carried out. And the PVA/graphene nanocomposite was characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and tensile testing. A 23% improvement in tensile strength and moderate increases in Young’s modulus and thermal stability for PVA were achieved by adding only 0.2 wt% graphene sheets.     

Synthesis and characterization of biodegradable poly(l-lactide)/layered double hydroxide nanocomposites

This study reports the preparation and physical properties of biodegradable nanocomposites fabricated using poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) and magnesium/aluminum layered double hydroxide (MgAl-LDH). The MgAl-LDH with molar ratio of Mg/Al = 2 were synthesized by the co-precipitation method. In order to improve the chemical compatibility between PLLA and LDH, the surface of LDH was organically-modified by polylactide with carboxyl end group (PLA–COOH) using ion-exchange process. Then, the PLLA/LDH nanocomposites were prepared by solution intercalation of PLLA into the galleries of PLA–COOH modified LDH (P-LDH) in tetrahydrofuran solution. Both X-ray diffraction data and Transmission electron microscopy images of PLLA/P-LDH nanocomposites indicate that the P-LDHs are randomly dispersed and exfoliated into the PLLA matrix. Mechanical properties of the fabricated 1.2 wt.% PLLA/P-LDH nanocomposites show significant enhancements in the storage modulus when compared to that of neat PLLA. Adding more P-LDH into PLLA matrix induced a decrease in the storage modulus of PLLA/P-LDH nanocomposites, probably due to the excessive content of PLA–COOH moleculars with low mechanical properties. The thermal stability and degradation activation energies of the PLLA and PLLA/P-LDH nanocomposites can also be discussed.     

Enhancement of dielectric and electrical properties in BT/SiC/PVDF three-phase composite through microstructure tailoring

A polymer composite with high dielectric permittivity was prepared by embedding silicon carbide (SiC) whisker with an average diameter of 500 nm–1 μm in poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF). However, the high dielectric loss and electrical conductivity of the two-phase composite prohibits its potential applications. Barium titanate (BT) particles with average diameter of 100 nm and 1 μm were incorporated as a third phase to fabricate a three-phase composite. The morphology structure, dielectric and electrical properties before and after the addition of BT particles were investigated. The three-phase composite exhibits largely suppressed dielectric loss and electrical conductivity without sacrificing the high dielectric permittivity, which was extremely hard to be realized for two-phase composite. It is also found that the nano-size BT is more favorable in achieving high dielectric permittivity than the micro-size BT, where their dielectric loss and electrical conductivity are similar. Furthermore, electric modulus analysis confirms the largely suppressed electron conduction process which results in the enhanced dielectric and electrical properties in three-phase composite.     

Structural and magnetodielectric properties of poly(vinylidene-fluoride)-[0.8(Bi0.5Na0.5)TiO3-0.2CoFe2O4] polymer composite films

Composite thick films of xPoly(vinylidene-fluoride)-(1−x)[0.8(Bi_0.5Na_0.5)TiO₃-0.2CoFe₂O₄] with x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4 were synthesized by hot press method. X-ray diffraction pattern of the composite films indicate the existence of distinct peaks of poly(vinylidene-fluoride), (Bi_0.5Na_0.5)TiO₃ and CoFe₂O₄ phases. The value of dielectric loss and saturation magnetization of polymer composite films decrease with increase in poly(vinylidene-fluoride) content. The magnetodielectric effect of the polymer composite films was found to improve with increasing poly(vinylidene-fluoride) content. The linear fitting of Δε ∼ γM² gives the value of magnetoelectric interaction coefficient (γ) of polymer composite films.     

Preparation and characterization of sulfonated poly(1,3,4-oxadiazole)/multi-walled carbon nanotube composite films with high performance in electric heating and thermal stability

For manufacturing thermally stable electric heating composite films, a sulfonated poly(1,3,4-oxadiazole) (sPOD) was synthesized and it was composited with pristine MWCNT of 0.1–10.0 wt% by an ultrasonicated solution mixing and casting. SEM images revealed that the pristine MWCNTs were dispersed well in the composite matrix via π–π interaction between the MWCNTs and the aromatic rings of sPOD backbone. The electrical resistivity of the composite films decreased considerably from ∼10⁹ Ω cm to ∼10⁰ Ω cm with the increment of the MWCNT content by forming a percolation threshold at ∼0.026 wt%. The composite films with 5.0–10.0 wt% MWCNT contents, which had sufficiently low electrical resistivity of ∼10³–10⁰ Ω cm, exhibited excellent electric heating performance by attaining high maximum temperatures as well as electric energy efficiency. Since the dominant thermal decomposition of the composite films took place at ∼500 °C, sPOD/MWCNT composite films with low electrical resistivity could be used for high performance electric heating materials for advanced applications.     

Hybrid network structure and thermal conductive properties in poly(vinylidene fluoride) composites based on carbon nanotubes and graphene nanoplatelets

A small quantity of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) were introduced into the poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)/GNP and PVDF/CNT composites, respectively, to prepare the corresponding ternary PVDF/CNT/GNP and PVDF/GNP/CNT composites. The results demonstrated that adding CNTs into the PVDF/GNP composites greatly promoted the formation of the hybrid network structure of fillers. This was much different from the scenario that adding GNPs into the PVDF/CNT composites. GNPs and CNTs exhibited excellent nucleation effects for the crystallization of PVDF matrix; however, the variation of the PVDF crystallinity was small. Adding CNTs into the PVDF/GNP composites greatly enhanced the electrical conductivity of the PVDF/CNT/GNP composites. This was also different from the scenario of the PVDF/GNP/CNT composites. Furthermore, the PVDF/CNT/GNP composites exhibit higher thermal conductivity and higher synergistic efficiency compared with the PVDF/GNP/CNT composites. The conductive mechanisms and the synergistic effects of the ternary composites were then analyzed.     

Structural characterization, thermal and mechanical properties of polyurethane/CoAl layered double hydroxide nanocomposites prepared via in situ polymerization

Dodecyl sulfate (DS), one kind of sulfate anion, was intercalated in the interlayer space between CoAl layered double hydroxide (CoAl-LDH) layers, and then polyurethane (PU) based nanocomposites were prepared by in situ intercalation polymerization with different amounts of the organo-modified CoAl-LDH. An exfoliated dispersion of CoAl-LDH layers in PU matrix was verified by the disappearance of the (0 0 3) reflection of the XRD results when the LDH loading was less than 2.0 wt%. Tensile testing indicated that excellent mechanical properties of PU/LDH nanocomposites were achieved. The weak alkaline catalysis of DS to polyurethane chains, combined with the dehydration and structural degradation of the LDH below 300 °C, accounted for the process of proceeded degradation as shown in TGA results. The real-time FTIR revealed that the as-prepared nanocomposites had a slower thermo-oxidative rate than neat PU from 160 °C to 340 °C, probably due to the barrier effect of LDH layers. These results suggested potential applications of CoAl-LDH as a promising flame retardant in PUs.     

Preparation,characterization and properties of polycaprolactone diol-functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotube/thermoplastic polyurethane composite

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were chemically functionalized to prepare thermoplastic polyurethane (PU) composites with enhanced properties. In order to achieve a high compatibility of functionalized MWCNTs with the PU matrix, polycaprolactone diol (PCL), as one of PU’s monomers, was selectively grafted on the surface of MWCNTs (MWCNT–PCL), while carboxylic acid groups functionalized MWCNTs (MWCNT–COOH) and raw MWCNTs served as control. Both MWCNT–COOH and MWCNT–PCL improved the dispersion of MWCNTs in the PU matrix and interfacial bonding between them at 1 wt% loading fraction. The MWCNT–PCL/PU composite showed the greatest extent of improvement, where the tensile strength and modulus were 51.2% and 33.5% higher than those of pure PU respectively, without sacrificing the elongation at break. The considerable improvement in both mechanical properties and thermal stability of MWCNT–PCL/PU composite should result from the homogeneous dispersion of MWCNT–PCL in the PU matrix and strong interfacial bonding between them.     

Effect of electron donor/acceptor substituents on the Seebeck coefficient and thermoelectric properties of poly(3-methylthiophene methine)s/graphite composites

Recently, the use of polymers as thermoelectric materials has attracted considerable attention. However, relatively few studies have investigated the effects of polymer structures on the corresponding thermoelectric properties of the polymers. In this work, a series of poly(3-methylthiophene methine)s (PMMs) were synthesized for use as thermoelectric materials, and the effects on the Seebeck coefficient of donor or acceptor side groups at the methine carbon were studied. The PMMs with strongly electron-withdrawing and electron-donating groups exhibited the highest Seebeck coefficients. Motivated by the high Seebeck coefficients of the selected PMMs, PMM/graphite composites were prepared via solution mixing followed by mechanical ball milling and cold pressing. The thermoelectric properties of the composites were investigated as a function of the graphite (G) concentration. The highest ZT (6.23 × 10⁻³) was measured for the poly[(3-methylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (p-(methoxy)benzylidene)]/G composite that contained 90 wt% G. The results of this work suggest that the thermoelectric properties of polymer-inorganic composites can be improved by designing polymers with high Seebeck coefficients.     

Preparation and thermal properties of soluble poly(phthalazinone ether sulfone ketone) composites reinforced with multi-walled carbon nanotube buckypaper

A nanocomposite with soluble high-performance poly(phthalazinone ether sulfone ketone) (PPESK) as matrix and multi-walled carbon nanotube buckypaper (MWCNT-BP) as reinforcement was fabricated by hot-press processing. The morphologies, dynamic and static mechanical behavior, thermal stability of the MWCNT-BP/PPESK composites were studied using scanning electron microscope (SEM), dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA) and thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). SEM microphotographs revealed a high impregnation degree of the MWCNT-BP/PPESK composites. Dynamic and static mechanical analysis revealed that the nanocomposites possessed high storage modulus, and good retention rate of mechanical strength even at 250 °C, which is mainly attributed to satisfied impregnation and strong interactions between MWCNT-BP and PPESK. Thermogravimetric analysis exhibited that the nanocomposites had excellent thermal stability. These investigations confirm that MWCNT-BP can be effectively used to manufacture high-loading CNT/PPESK composites with improved properties.     

Preparation of halloysite nanotubes supported 2-mercaptobenzimidazole and its application in natural rubber

To improve the antioxidative efficiency of 2-mercaptobenzimidazole (MB) and strengthen the interaction between halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) and natural rubber (NR), HNTs supported 2-mercaptobenzimidazole (HNTs-s-MB) was prepared by reacting MB with chlorosilane modified HNTs (m-HNTs). FTIR, XPS and TGA confirmed that MB was chemically bonded onto the surface of HNTs. HNTs-s-MB could be homogeneously dispersed in the NR matrix and there was a strong interfacial interaction between HNTs-s-MB and NR, leading to the better mechanical performances of NR/HNTs-s-MB nanocomposites than those of NR/HNTs nanocomposites. Based on the measurements of the thermo-oxidation activation energy of NR/HNTs-s-MB and NR/m-HNTs/MB nanocomposites containing equivalent antioxidant component, it was found that the antioxidative efficiency of HNTs-s-MB was superior to that of the corresponding low molecular MB owing to the much lower migration and volatility of HNTs-s-MB than those of MB.     

Synthesis and characterization of novel hyperbranched polyimides/attapulgite nanocomposites

Novel hyperbranched polyimides/attapulgite (HBPI/AT) nanocomposites were successfully synthesized by in situ polymerization. HBPI derived from novel 2,4,6-tri[3-(4-aminophenoxy)phenyl]pyridine (TAPP) and 2,2-bis[4-(3,4-dicarboxyphenoxy)phenyl]propane dianhydride (BPADA). 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) modified AT copolymerized with HBPI and the nanocomposites formed multilinked network. Chemical structure, morphology, thermal behavior, and mechanical properties of nanocomposites were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and tensile testing et.al. Results indicated that modified AT was homogeneously dispersed in matrix and resulted in an improvement of thermal stability, mechanical properties and water resistance of HBPI/AT nanocomposites.     

New nanocomposite based on poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) copolymer and magnetite. Synthesis and characterization

The study presents the preparation of the new magnetic nanocomposite based on PLGA and magnetite. The PLGA used to obtain the magnetic nanocomposites was synthesized by the copolymerization of lactic acid with glycolic acid, in the presence of tin octanoate [Sn(Oct)₂] as catalyst, by polycondensation procedure. Magnetite was obtained by co-precipitation from aqueous salt solutions FeCl₂/FeCl₃. The particles size of magnetite was 420 nm, and the saturation magnetization 62.78 emu/g, while the PLGA/magnetite nanocomposite size was 864 nm and the saturation magnetization 39.44 emu/g. The magnetic nanocomposites were characterized by FT-IR, DLS technique, SEM, VSM and simultaneous thermal analyses (TG–FTIR–MS). The polymer matrix PLGA acts as a shell and carrier for the active component, while magnetite is the component which makes targeting possible by external magnetic field manipulation. Based on the gases resulted by thermal degradation of PLGA copolymer, using the simultaneous analysis TG–FTIR–MS, a possible degradation mechanism was proposed.