Sound absorption properties of polyurethane/nano‐silica nanocomposite foams

In this study, polyurethane (PU)/nano‐silica nancomposite foams were prepared. The effects of isocyanate index, cell size, density, and molecular weight of polyols on the sound absorption ratio of PU/nano‐silica foams were investigated. With increasing nano‐silica content, the sound absorption ratio of PU/nano‐silica foams increases over the entire frequency range investigated in this study. Decrease of isocyanate index, cell size, and increase of density leads to the increase of sound absorption ratio of PU/nano‐silica foams. PU/nano‐silica foams have a broad T_g centered around room temperature by decreasing molecular weight of polyol resulting in good sound absorbing ability. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Evaluation of microstructure,thermal, and mechanical properties of the green lignin-based polyurethane/hydrophobic silica nanocomposite foam

In the present study, lignin-based polyurethane foam (LPUF) and hydrophobic silica LPUF (SLPUF) were synthesized using different concentrations of silica nanoparticles (SNP). The effect of SNP on the structure and properties of SLPUF samples was investigated and compared with LPUF through the scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), and compressive tests. The FT-IR results showed changes in the H bonding interactions between the structures of SLPUF samples. Moreover, the SEM results indicated a decrease in the cell size of SLPUF samples. Incorporation of SNP improved the thermal stability of SLPUF samples while the compressive strength of SLPUF samples decreased in comparison with LPUF. Furthermore, the DMTA results revealed a decrease in the glass transition temperature from 90°C (LPUF) to around 52°C (SLPUF samples). This means that applying the hydrophobic SNP changes the foam type from a rigid foam to soft one. Therefore, significant changes were observed in the physical–chemical properties of the SLPUF samples compared to the LPUF.     

Polypropylene‐organoclay nanocomposite: Preparation,microstructure, and mechanical properties

A series of polypropylene (PP) nanocomposites containing 2, 4, and 6 wt % of an organophilic montmorillonite clay was prepared via direct melt mixing in the presence of maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (PP‐g‐MAH) as compatibilizing agent. Microstructure characterization was performed by X‐ray diffraction analysis. Nanocomposites exhibited a 15 and 22% enhancement in tensile modulus and impact strength, respectively. The heat deflection temperature of PP nanocomposites was 36°C greater than for pure PP. Thermal and mechanical properties of nanocomposites were compared to properties of traditional PP‐talc and PP‐glass fiber composites. The results showed that the properties of nanocomposites improved compared to ordinary polypropylene composites. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Rigid polyurethane–clay nanocomposite foams: Preparation and properties

Rigid polyurethane–clay nanocomposite foams considered in this work are made with different clay types and for different clay concentrations. The densities of the foams are in the range of 140–160 kg/m³ with possible application as structural materials and for underwater buoyancy‐related uses. Wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy studies confirm the formation of nanocomposites. The compressive modulus and the storage modulus of the foams increase and the mean cell size decreases with addition of clay. However, the hydraulic resistance of the nanocomposite foams, a measure of the strength of the foam lamellae, is lower than that of the foams without clay. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 2802–2809, 2007     

Synthesis and characterization of nanocomposite of polyimide–silica hybrid from nonaqueous sol–gel process

Polyimide–silica (PI–SiO₂) hybrids with a nanostructure was obtained using the nonaqueous sol–gel process by polycondensation of phenyltriethoxysilane in a polyamic acid solution. Self‐catalyzed hydrolysis of phenyl‐substituted akoxysilane and modification on the polyimide structure are applied and result in highly compatible PI–SiO₂ hybrids. Transparent PI–SiO₂ with a high silica content of about 45% was thus obtained. The prepared PI–SiO₂ films were characterized by infrared spectrometry, ²⁹Si‐NMR, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and scanning electron microscopy. These characterizations showed the silica influence on the properties of the hybrid. The thermal expansion coefficient of the PI–SiO₂ and the temperature correlation were also established for probing the potential for application. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 76: 1609–1618, 2000     

Understanding the foamability and mechanical properties of foamed polypropylene blends by using extensional rheology

In this article, the influence of the rheological behavior of miscible blends of a linear and a high melt strength, branched, polypropylene (HMS PP), on the cellular structure and mechanical properties of cellular materials, with a fixed relative density, has been investigated. The rheological properties of the PP melts were investigated in steady and oscillatory shear flow and in uniaxial elongation in order to calculate the strain hardening coefficient. While the linear PP does not exhibit strain hardening, the blends of the linear and the HMS PP show pronounced strain hardening, increasing with the concentration of HMS PP. Related to the cellular structure, in general, the amount of open cells, the cell size, and the width of the cell size distribution increase with the amount of linear PP in the blends. Also mechanical properties are conditioned by the extensional rheological behavior of PP blends. Cellular materials with the best mechanical properties are those that have been fabricated using large amounts of HMS PP. The results demonstrate the importance of the extensional rheological behavior of the base polymers for a better understanding and steering of the cellular structure and properties of the cellular materials. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42430.     

A comparative study of the preparation and physical properties of polystyrene–silica mesocomposite and nanocomposite materials

In this paper, a comparative study with regard to the preparation and physical properties of as‐prepared polystyrene–silica mesocomposite (PSM) and polystyrene‐silica nanocomposite (PSN) materials is presented. Vinyl‐modified mesoporous silica particles with a wormhole structure were first prepared by doping a sol‐gel metal oxide with an optically active non‐surfactant (dibenzoyl‐L ‐tartaric acid) as a template, followed by template removal through Soxhlet extraction. The as‐prepared silica particles with/without mesopores were subsequently characterized using the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared, ¹³C NMR and ²⁹Si NMR solid‐state spectroscopy. A specific feed amount of silica particles was subsequently reacted with styrene monomer by free radical polymerization to yield a series of PSM and corresponding PSN materials. Both as‐prepared composite systems were further characterized using TEM and scanning electron microscopy/energy‐dispersive X‐ray mapping studies. A systematic comparative study of the physical properties of both as‐prepared composite materials clearly illustrated that PSM had effectively enhanced thermal stability, optical clarity and dielectric properties compared to the corresponding PSN counterpart. Evaluation was carried out using thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, UV‐visible transmission spectroscopy and dielectric constant measurements. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Ethylene–propylene‐diene terpolymer/halloysite nanocomposites: Thermal,mechanical properties,and foam processing

Ethylene–propylene‐diene terpolymer (EPDM)/halloysite nanotube (HNT) nanocomposites were prepared by melt mixing in an internal mixer using a commercially available maleated semicrystalline EPDM and HNT. Transmission electron microscopy analysis of the EPDM/HNT composites revealed that the HNTs are uniformly dispersed at a nanometer scale in the matrix. Differential scanning calorimeter studies indicated that the HNT caused an increase in the nonisothermal crystallization temperature of the EPDM. Tensile and dynamic mechanical analysis exhibited that a small amount of the HNTs effectively enhanced the stiffness of the EPDM without adversely affecting its elongation‐at‐break. The EPDM/HNT nanocomposites were used to produce foams by using a batch process in an autoclave, with supercritical carbon dioxide as a foaming agent. The nanocomposite foams showed a smaller cell size and higher cell density as compared to the neat EPDM foam, and the nanocomposite with 10 phr HNT produced a microcellular foam with average cell size as small as 7.8 μm and cell density as high as 1.5 × 10¹⁰ cell/cm³. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40307.     

Effects of water on the preparation,morphology, and properties of polyimide/silica nanocomposite films prepared by sol–gel process

Polyimide/silica (PI/SiO₂) nanocomposite films with 10 wt % of silica content were prepared by sol–gel process under the conditions with and without additional water. The presence of additional water has great effect on the silica particle size and thus on the properties of the prepared PI/SiO₂ films. The results indicated that with additional water, the silica particles formed before the imidization of poly(amic acid) (PAA) and aggregated with the increasing of temperature and degree of the proceeding imidization process. For the nonaqueous process, the hydrolysis condensation reaction of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) did not occur until the imidization of PAA took place, and no silica particles were found in the unimidized PAA films. The hydrolysis–condensation reaction of TEOS was initiated simultaneously by the trace water released from the imidization reaction, the self‐catalysis mechanism of the approach provide a means of achieving uniformly dispersed silica particles formed in the PI matrix with particle size in the range of 30–70 nm. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 104: 1579–1586, 2007     

Morphology,dynamic mechanical properties,and gas separation of crosslinking silica‐containing polyimide nanocomposite thin film

Silica‐containing polyimide (PI‐Si) crosslinked hybrid films are synthesized and applied to gas separation application. The PI‐Si hybrid films are prepared from 4,4′‐diaminodiphenyl ether (ODA), 3, 3′‐oxydiphthalic anhydride (ODPA), p‐aminophenyltrimethoxysilane (APTS), and phenyltrimetoxysilane (PTS). The monomer of monoamide APTS is used to modulate the block chain length of ODA–ODPA and then form bonding between PTS and ODA–ODPA phases. In the series of xASPI (where x indicates the molecular weight (in kg/mol) of PI block chain length of ODA–ODPA and ASPI denotes PI modified with APTS) hybrid films, the glass transition temperature (T_g) increases and α‐relaxation damping peak intensity decreases with the increase of APTS content. Meanwhile, the gas permeabilities of O₂ and N₂ of xASPI films are slightly higher as compared with pure PI. The other series of (5AS–y‐S)PI (5ASPI incorporates with PTS and y is the weight of PTS) hybrid films, the properties of T_g, density, and α‐relaxation damping peak intensity are decreased with increasing the PTS content. However, higher O₂ and N₂ gas permeabilities and O₂/N₂ selectivity are achieved by increasing the PTS content in (5AS–y‐S)PI hybrid films. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007     

Morphology and mechanical properties of heterophasic PP–EP/EVA/organoclay nanocomposites

The effect of vinyl acetat (VA) on the morphological, thermal stability, and mechanical properties of heterophasic polypropylene–(ethylene‐propylene) copolymer (PP–EP)/poly(ethylene vinyl acetate) (EVA)/organoclay nanocomposites was studied. Tailored organoclay C20A was selected to enhance the exfoliation of the clay platelets. Depending on the VA content, there were two morphological organoclay populations in the systems. Both populations were directly observed by scanning transmission electron microscopy and measured by wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction and small‐angle X‐ray scattering. The content of VA in EVA originated spherical and elongated morphologies in the resultant nanocomposites. High‐VA content led to a better intercalation of the organoclay platelets. Measurement of thermal properties suggested that higher VA decreases thermal stability in samples both with and without organoclay, although nanocomposites had higher thermal stability than samples without clay. The storage modulus increased both with nanoclay and VA content. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Formation and structure of polyacrylamide–silica nanocomposites by sol–gel process

The formation of nanocomposites by the sol–gel reaction of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) in polyacrylamide (PAAm) is studied. The nanocomposites are prepared in aqueous solution. Fourier transform IR spectroscopy shows that substantial hydrogen bonding occurs in the nanocomposites. The fracture surfaces of the nanocomposites are observed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) as a function of the TEOS content. The AFM images reveal that the PAAm–silica nanocomposite exhibits particle–matrix morphology. It is also found that aggregate formation is more dominant than the particle growth with the TEOS contents. The solution of composite precursor is also applied to spin coating. Furthermore, during the calcination there is an observable change in the silica networks, and then a microinterconnected structure is generated. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 83: 1817–1823, 2002     

Thermal,mechanical and acoustic damping properties of flexible open‐cell polyurethane/multi‐walled carbon nanotube foams: effect of surface functionality of nanotubes

This article demonstrates the properties of open‐cell flexible polyurethane foams incorporating multi‐walled carbon nanotubes. Three different types of highly functionalized nanotubes having carboxyl, hydroxyl and amide functional groups were synthesized. Neat polyurethane foam and three nanocomposite foams filled with 0.1 wt% of treated nanotubes were prepared. It was found that thermal stability, mechanical properties and acoustic damping were improved significantly by incorporation of small amounts of nanotubes. The nanotubes modified with carboxyl groups were found to have much more influence compared to the other two functional groups, possibly due to better interfacial interaction and improved dispersion. Scanning electron microscopy revealed micro‐cells with average diameters less than 5 µm in the skeleton of foams filled with nanotubes modified with hydroxyl and carboxyl, the formation of which was attributed to the generation of gaseous materials through the reaction with isocyanate. Such micro‐cells were found to be influential in improving mechanical and acoustic damping. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Particle size and morphology of poly[styrene‐co‐(butyl acrylate)]/nano‐silica composite latex

Nanocomposite latex with nano‐silica of varying particle sizes was prepared via in situ polymerization and investigated by submicron particle size analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier‐transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) and Raman spectrometry. It was found that nanocomposite latex exhibited a core–shell structure with nano‐silica particles enwrapped, resulting in an increase in the latex particle size. The smaller the nano‐silica particles, the more were embedded in each latex particle. The increase in the particle size of latex depended not only on the particle size of nano‐silica, but also on the number of nano‐silica particles in each latex particle. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Epoxy/nano‐silica composites: Curing kinetics,glass transition temperatures,dielectric, and thermal–mechanical performances

Nano‐silica particles were employed for enhancement of epoxy vacuum pressure impregnating (V.P.I.) resin. The influences of nano‐silica particles on the curing reaction, glass transition temperatures, dielectric behavior, and thermomechanical performances were investigated. The activation energy (E) for the epoxy curing reaction was calculated according to Kissinger, Ozawa, and Friedman‐Reich‐Lev methods. The glass transition temperatures were determined by means of differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis, dc conduction, and ac dielectric loss analysis. Relationships between the glass transformation behaviors, the thermomechanical performances, and the dielectric behaviors were discussed. The influences of nano‐silica particles on the mechanical properties were also discussed in terms of non‐notched charpy impact strength and flexural strength. The morphologies were studied by means of SEM and TEM. The results indicated that nano‐silica particles could effectively increase both the toughness and strength of epoxy resin at low loadings (no more than 3 wt %) when nano‐silica particles could be well dispersed in epoxy matrix without any great aggregations. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Properties and preparation of thermoplastic polyurethane/silica hybrid using sol–gel process

A thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer/silica hybrid (TPU/SiO₂) was prepared using the sol–gel process. This work was undertaken to investigate the thermal and physical properties of this type of hybrid by employing different catalyst systems during sol–gel processing. Two types of catalyst systems including acetic acid (HOAc) and hydrochloric acid (HCl) were used to prepare sol particles. The mixing of the sol solution and TPU solution was then carried out to form a TPU/silica hybrid. Fourier transform IR spectra and dynamic mechanical properties were recorded to depict the enhanced interfacial interaction. Thermogravimetric analysis was used to determine the actual silica content forming in the hybrid and to evaluate the heat resistance of the hybrid. Mechanical properties such as the tensile strength and cutting strength were investigated at various concentrations of in situ silica. The tensile strength increased at all concentrations of silica. In contrast, the cutting strength decreased, probably because of a reduction of the energy dissipation from silica as physical crosslinks. The HOAc catalyzed system showed better optical properties than the HCl catalyzed system. The fracture surface was revealed through scanning electron microscopy to observe the degree of dispersion of SiO₂, which in turn confirmed the results for the optical and mechanical properties. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 97: 1316–1325, 2005     

The combination of expandable graphite,organic montmorillonite,and magnesium hydrate as fire‐retardant additives for ethylene–propylene–diene monomer/chloroprene rubber foams

The fire retardancy and flame‐retardant mechanism of expandable graphite (EG), organic montmorillonite (OMMT), and magnesium hydrate (MH) in ethylene‐propylene‐diene monomer/chloroprene rubber (EPDM/CR) foams were investigated. The results indicated that the combination of EG and OMMT remarkably improved the fire‐retardant property compared to the control samples, and better fireproof performance was achieved when MH was used as the third coretardant unit. The structure of the obtained EPDM/CR/OMMT composites was characterized by X‐ray diffraction, and the results showed that the composites had an intercalated nanostructure. The limiting oxygen index, vertical burning test, and cone calorimeter test results showed that the LOI values and UL‐94 rating increased while the second peak of the heat release rates (HRR) decreased within the EG/OMMT system. In particular, the second pHRR disappeared when the EG/OMMT/MH system was used as a flame retardant. Moreover, the results of thermogravimetric analysis showed that the combination of EG and OMMT reduced the thermal‐degradation rates and mass‐loss percentages. Furthermore, observation by scanning electron microscopy revealed that EG and OMMT left over after combustion formed a complete, compact, and rigid charred layer with a mosaic structure of expanded graphite embedded in cortical‐honeycomb layers of OMMT. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 44929.     

A statistical study of poly(ε‐caprolactone) crystallinity in poly(ε‐caprolactone)–silica sol–gel materials and their in vitro calcium phosphate‐forming ability

Composite poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL)–silica materials for potential use in orthopaedic applications have been prepared by a sol–gel method using an experimental design approach to investigate the effect of synthesis variables, separately and together, on the physical form of the organic polymer. A combination of differential scanning calorimetry, X‐ray diffraction and Fourier‐transform infrared methods were used to obtain information on the arrangement of the organic polymer in the hybrid material. As our studies investigated the effect of synthesis variables simultaneously, it was possible to establish that the increase of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS)/PCL and HCl/TEOS molar ratios decreased the poly(ε‐caprolactone) crystallinity and provided for a better mixing of the two phases. At a mechanistic level it was possible to show that increase in catalyst content affected the condensation of silicon containing species. In vitro calcium phosphate‐forming ability tests using the static biomimetic method have been carried out on selected PCL–silica sol–gels. In vitro bioactivity was only observed for PCL–silica sol–gel composites with high silica content (30% weight). Changes in catalyst levels had a smaller but still significant effect. Calcium phosphate formation on largely non‐porous surfaces is proposed to occur via the formation of a silica sol–gel layer, and is influenced by the topography and the chemistry of the materials surface. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

Recovery of alcohols from water using polydimethylsiloxane–silica nanocomposite membranes: Characterization and pervaporation performance

Different polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) nanocomposite membranes were synthesized by incorporating various contents of nanosized silica particles to improve the PDMS pervaporation (PV) performance. A uniform dispersion of silica nanoparticles in the PDMS membranes was obtained. The nanocomposite membranes were characterized morphologically by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results showed that surface roughness increases by incorporating silica, and this decreases absorption of penetrants on the membrane. Swelling studies showed that the presence of silica nanoparticles into the PDMS membranes decreases degree of swelling, which can be attributed to rigidification of the PDMS matrix. Additionally, the results revealed that helium permeability decreases through the nanocomposite membranes, due to the more polymer chains packing. Effects of silica on recovery of isopropanol (IPA) from water mixtures were also investigated. Based on the results, incorporating silica nanoparticles promotes significantly the PDMS membrane selectivity because the polymer chains are rigidified and also the polymer free volume decreases. However, permeation flux decreases as diffusion of the penetrants reduces in the presence of silica nanoparticles within the PDMS membranes. As PV performance depends on operating conditions, effects of feed composition, and temperature were also studied. Moreover, recoveries of IPA, ethanol, and methanol from water mixtures were compared using the PDMS‐silica nanocomposite membranes. The results demonstrated that polarity and solubility of alcohols affect permeation flux and selectivity resulting in the higher permeation flux and selectivity for IPA. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Preparation and properties of nano‐montmorillonite paper–plastic laminating adhesive

Emulsion paper–plastic nanometer laminating adhesive of 1.5% organic montmorillonite (OMMT) was prepared by OMMT intercalating polyacrylate‐system materials. In this article, it was discovered that nanometer‐laminating adhesive has better adhesion, smaller latex particles size, lower surface tension, and higher drying speed than general laminating adhesive. The rheologic behavior of the emulsion was discussed and it was shown that the value of n (the flow index of emulsion) was reduced and viscous flow activation energy (E_a) was increased. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 97: 872–877, 2005