Vinyl foam: Effect of density on physical properties

The technology of extruding rigid viyl foam has grown substantially over the last 10 years. Formulation additives, tooling and processing expertise have made possible a variety of applications such as profile, sheet, and foam core pipe. Many PVC foam manufactures are interested in reducing the density of their products to reduce costs and achieve lighter weights. The properties, however, are very dependent on the density of the foam product. A fundamental understanding of the relationship of physical properties to foam density is the objective of this paper, along with looking at ways to improve them.     

The effect of physical ageing on the properties of poly(ethylene terephthalate)

Physical ageing rates of poly(ethylene terephthalate) have been measured, and ageing is interpreted to be associated with the conventional glass formation process, which occurs at a more rapid rate at higher temperatures. Ageing is accompanied by a marked change in mechanical properties, increased tensile yield stress and drawing stress, more localized yielding of the polymer and a marked decrease in impact strength. The fracture results have been attributed to the increased yield stress and a change in contribution of plane stress and plane strain conditions in the samples. Fracture surfaces show evidence of mixed modes of fracture.     

Correlation between microstructure and physical properties in styrene–ethylene copolymers

The structural organization and the physical properties of a new copolymer styrene–ethylene have been analyzed. The composition was 80% of ethylene units, corresponding to 52% in weight, with a distribution of styrene units in the chain implying the absence of styrene–styrene sequences. The length of the polyethylene chains, limited by the insertion of the phenyl group, is not sufficient to allow good crystallization, and in fact the copolymer shows a very low crystailinity, of the order of 5–10%, and a broad melting range, with a peak centered at 120°C. The small crystalline domains are segregated into an amorphous matrix, producing a thermoplastic elastomer. The mechanical properties at large deformation were analyzed at different temperatures. The copolymer shows good elastic properties, in terms of deformation reversibility as well as of energy dissipation in the hysteresis cycles. Also the stress level and the elastic recovery are very good, if compared with others thermoplastic elastomers. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Polymer compounds based on the three-component blend PP-EPDM-oil: effect of their structure on physical properties

The variation of structure and properties of a triple blend of polypropylene (PP), ethylene-propylene-diene monomer rubber (EPDM), and oil with mixing conditions was studied. The structure and physical properties of this blend are mainly determined by the intermolecular interaction of EPDM and PP components. The interaction depends on the EPDM/PP ratio at the molecular level and on the mixing regime. The optimal mixing conditions that determined the better physical properties of these blends were defined.     

The structure and physical properties of copolymers of lactams

Copolymers of caprolactam with caprylolactam and laurolactam were prepared by activated anionic copolymerization under adiabatic conditions, at an initial polymerization temperature of T₀ = 130°C. The drop of the crystalline phase content and changes of the copolymer morphological structure depending on the content of comonomers result in increasing toughness and deformability due to enhanced yielding ability. The dependences of the copolymer structure and properties on the concentration of comonomers are different for the two series of copolymers. This results from different courses of the polymerization and crystallization history as a consequence of a large difference between polymerization rates of caprylolactam and laurolactam.     

The effect of composition on the properties of nylon 612 copolymers

The series of nylon 612 copolymers was synthesized from caprolactam (C) and laurolactam (L) at 145°C. The 50/50 C/L molar ratio copolymer was found to have the minimum melting temperature (T_m ) for the series. The glass transition temperatures (T_g 's) of the copolymers were affected by the crystallinity of the copolymers. The T_g was at a minimum for the 50/50 copolymer for crystalline samples. However, for amorphous samples there was a decrease in T_g with increasing L content. Percent crystallinity was determined by differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray techniques. It was found that the degree of crystallinity was at a minimum for copolymers of 70/30 to 40/60 C/L ratios. Coefficients of linear thermal expansion (CLTE) were obtained for the copolymers at 10°C intervals from 20 to 70°C for dry and from 20 to 50°C for samples conditioned at 50% relative humidity and 50°C. The dry samples gave lower initial values, but had a greater temperature dependence than the conditioned samples. As expected, the CLTE was found to be lowest for samples exhibiting the highest crystallinity. The tensile strengths and moduli decreased rapidly with increasing L up to the 70/30 C/L ratio after which they remained relatively constant. Elongations reached maximums between 70/30 and 40/60 C/L ratios. An inverse relationship was found between crystallinity and impact strength.     

Mechanical properties of vinyl alcohol—ethylene copolymers

The stress‐strain behavior of vinyl alcohol‐ethylene copolymers, with vinyl alcohol as main component, was studied. Films of the copolymer samples, either quenched or slowly cooled from the melt, were stretched at 23, 40 and 80°C. The two former temperatures are below the glass transition (T_g) and the latter is well above the T_g of the studied samples. The drawing process was carried out at different strain rates, and the influence of the stretching parameters (temperature, strain rate) as well as the thermal history and composition of the copolymer samples are discussed in relation to the corresponding homopolymers, poly(vinyl alcohol) and polyethylene. The copolymer with the highest vinyl alcohol content exhibited a critical strain rate, showing maximum values of Young's modulus at a deformation rate around 0.66/min.     

The effect of corona discharge treatment of ethylene copolymers on their adhesion to aluminum

The efficiency of different techniques of obtain improved adhesion in polyethylene-aluminum laminates have been studied. Both surface treatments, such as thermal oxidation and corona discharge, and the use of copolymers with polar comonomers, i.e., vinyl acetate (EVA) and butyl acrylate (EBA), have been included. Thermal oxidation performed by high temperature extrusion including an ozone shower seems to be more effective than corona discharge. In a model experiment thermal oxidation was studied in more detail. The adhesion, as measured by a T-peel test, increased with the content of carbonyl measured by reflexion IR, except for relatively long thermal treatments. In the latter case molecular scission gave a large fraction of low molecular weight material with low cohesive strength. For EBA and EVA the peel strength increased linearly with the bulk concentration of comonomer from about 100 N/m for untreated polyethylene to 450 and 300 N/m, respectively, at 5 mol % comonomer. Corona discharge treatment of these copolymers had, however, a most remarkable effect on the adhesion properties. The increases, relative to untreated EBA and EVA, were much more dramatic compared to polyethylene, e.g., three to four and less than two times, respectively. The higher values obtained with EBA are suggested to be due to the conversion of acrylate groups into carboxylic acid. In the case of EVA, loss of acetic acid might instead decrease the content of polar groups.     

乙二胺扩链剂对水性聚氨酯性能的影响

以聚醚220、异佛尔酮二异氰酸酯(IPDI)为主要原料,二羟甲基丙酸(DMPA)为亲水性扩链剂,丁二醇(BD)和乙二胺(EA)为小分子扩链剂,按不同配比合成了系列水性聚氨酯分散体。主要考察了乙二胺扩链剂用量对水性聚氨酯乳液的稳定性、乳液粒径、粘度以及膜吸水性和力学性能的影响。结果表明,随乙二胺扩链剂用量的增加,乳液粒径增大、分散稳定性变差、粘度减小、胶膜的拉伸强度增加、断裂伸长率减小、耐溶剂性增加、吸水率变化不明显、硬段相Tg升高,软硬段相分离程度增加。胶膜的ATR红外表现为PPG类聚醚型聚氨酯典型的红外光谱。     

Propylene–ethylene random copolymers: Comonomer effects on crystallinity and application properties

For understanding the correlation chain from the polymer structure to the final application properties of propylene–ethylene random copolymers, four commercial grades with different ethylene content (0–8 mol %) but identical molecular weight distributions were investigated. Structural investigations concerning the comonomer distribution, using two different techniques (temperature rising elution fractionation and stepwise isothermal segregation), showed an increase of inhomogeneity with the total comonomer content, which was reflected for temperature rising elution fractionation in a widening of the elution temperature range. Crystallinity and crystallization speed studies confirmed the reduced overall crystallinity and increase of γ‐modification content as reported previously, but they also showed the reason for these effects in the distinctive decrease of the spherulitic growth speed. Good correlations of all these parameters to the mechanical performance of the four materials were obtained. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 95: 1073–1081, 2005     

The effect of TiO2 nanoparticles on the properties of sulfonated block copolymers

Block copolymers composed of styrene and different elastomeric blocks were sulfonated to high ion exchange capacities (IECs). Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles were added to these polymers to improve their mechanical and thermal stabilities, while influencing their transport properties for direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) applications. Materials properties as proton exchange membranes (PEMs) were analyzed using: FT‐IR, water absorption, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), IEC, methanol permeability, and proton conductivity studies. Although there was no effect of TiO₂ nanoparticles on the thermal stability of the membranes, significant changes were observed in the mechanical properties of both sulfonated block copolymers studied. Water absorption increased at low TiO₂ content, but was then reduced with the incorporation of more nanoparticles. To enhance the interaction between the inorganic fillers and the polymers, sulfonic and amino groups were attached to the surface of the titania nanoparticles. The effect of sulfonated nanoparticles on the properties of the materials was more significant than the effect of the amino functionalized nanoparticles on all the properties evaluated, suggesting enhanced chemical interactions with the ionic domains of the polymer membranes. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42651.     

Influences of three different ethylene copolymers on the toughness and other properties of polylactide

The aim of this study was to investigate influences of three different ethylene copolymers on the toughness and other properties of very brittle biopolymer PLA (polylactide). For this aim, PLA was melt blended by twin-screw extruder with various amounts of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), ethylene-methyl-acrylate (EMA) and ethylene-n-butyl acrylate-glycidyl-methacrylate (EBA-GMA). SEM and DSC analyses indicated that these ethylene copolymers were thermodynamically immiscible with phase separation in the form of 1–5?µm sized round domains in the PLA matrix. Rubber toughening mechanisms of EVA, EMA and EBA-GMA were very effective to improve ductility and toughness of PLA significantly. Depending on the type and content of the ethylene copolymers, the highest increases in % elongation at break, Charpy impact toughness and G_IC fracture toughness values of PLA were as much as 160, 320 and 158%, respectively. Although there were no detrimental effects of using EVA, EMA and EBA-GMA on the thermal properties of PLA, they resulted in certain level of reductions in stiffness, strength and hardness values.     

Effect of multifunctional comonomers on the properties of poly(ethylene terephthalate) copolymers

The properties of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and its copolymers containing 0.04–0.15 mol% of pentaerythritol and trimethylolethane (TME) have been investigated. The molecular weight of the copolymers increased with comonomer content, and this effect was observed significantly with pentaerythritol copolymers, resulting in broad molecular weight distribution. The comonomer effect on the mechanical properties was small. The shear viscosity of the copolymers showed shear thinning within the experimental shear rate range. The crystallization rate and birefringence of the fibres containing 0.103 mol% pentaerythritol increased with the spin draw ratio, whereas they decreased with comonomer content. © 2002 Society of Chemical Industry     

Tensile properties of random copolymers of propylene with ethylene and 1-butene: effect of crystallinity and crystal habit

The tensile modulus of elasticity and yield strength of semicrystalline random copolymers of propylene with different amount on ethylene or 1-butene co-units were analyzed as a function of the crystallinity and the crystal habit/shape. Samples were prepared by cooling the melt to ambient temperature, and subsequent annealing at elevated temperature. Variation of the cooling rate between 10⁻¹ and 10³ K s⁻¹ and of the temperature of annealing allowed preparation of semicrystalline specimens with either lamellar or non-lamellar crystals of different size, and with different crystallinity between about 30 and 70%. Young’s modulus and yield strength increase with increasing crystallinity and consistently are lower for samples containing nodular, that is, almost isometric, non-lamellar crystals of low aspect ratio. For samples of identical crystallinity and crystal habit, an only minor effect of presence of co-units in the crystalline and amorphous phases is observed.     

石膏性能参数影响石膏模具膨胀的研究---石膏膨胀问题初探(一)

石膏水化过程伴随着石膏线膨胀引起的体积增大对卫生陶瓷生产有一定的影响。笔者就石膏使用过程中不同的制备工艺参数对石膏膨胀的影响进行了分析，结果发现制备工艺参数直接影响石膏的膨胀，缓凝剂的加入不仅影响膨胀，还会影响石膏的强度。     

The effect of trans-isomers on the physical properties of hydrogenated oils

Data have been presented which indicate a positive relationship between thetrans-isomer content of a hydrogenated oil and the congeal point, Wiley melting-point, and solids index. It has also been shown that cottonseed oil and soybean oil undergo substantially the same type of reaction under identical hydrogenating conditions. This conclusion is based on the relationship oftrans-isomer formation to total reduction in unsaturation up to the point that equilibrium is reached and saturation of thetrans-isomers occurs. This equilibrium was noted at between 60–70 iodine value. The relationship oftrans-isomer formation to the total reduction in double bonds can be expressed as the hydrogenation index. This is a reliable indication of the type of reaction taking place up to the point where appreciable hydrogenation of thetrans-isomers occur.     

The effect of physical ageing on the properties of amorphous PEEK

Physical ageing rates of poly(aryl-ether-ether-ketone) have been measured, and interpreted as a kinetic effect associated with the glass formation process. The extent of ageing achieved at equilibrium as measured by differential scanning calorimetry is equal to the product of the super-cooling from the quenched glass transition, and the heat capacity difference between the glass and liquid at the transition temperature. Heat capacities of amorphous and crystalline PEEK have been measured. The activation energy of physical ageing is similar in magnitude to that observed for temperature dependence of crystallization under conditions of viscosity control. Ageing is accompanied by a change in mechanical properties, increased tensile yield stress and drawing stress, more localized yielding and a decrease in impact strength. Fracture surfaces show evidence of mixed modes of fracture.     

Surface active block copolymers: I. The preparation and some surface active properties of block copolymers of tetrahydrofuran and ethylene oxide

A new type of surface active block copolymer (TE type) having the general formula HO(C₂H₄O)_x(CH₂. CH₂CH₂CH₂O)_y-(C₂H₄O)_zH, was obtained by addition of ethylene oxide to polyoxytetramethylene glycols with molecular weight of 1000-3400. TE types in which the polyoxyethylene sections comprised more than 20–25% of the total weight are soluble in water, and the relation between cloud point and oxyethylene content for TE types was similar to that for propylene oxide-ethylene oxide block copolymers (Pluronics). Some surface active properties of TE types were examined in comparison with those of Pluronics and some other surfactants. The surface tension, foaming and antifoaming properties of TE types were comparable to those of Pluronics. Although the wetting power of TE types was poor, their suspending power (for carbon black) was superior to that of Pluronics in both aqueous and nonaqeuous media. The addition of TE types to some conventional detergents enhanced significantly their detergency. TE types showed a remarkable demulsifying action, on addition to some W/O emulsions.