Self‐synthesized epoxy terminated polydimethylsiloxane with various molecular weights toughening epoxy resin

Polydimethylsiloxane terminated by epoxy group (EP‐PDMS) with various molecular weight ( ) were synthesized by 1,3‐bis[3‐(2,3‐epoxypropoxy)‐propyl]‐1,1,3,3‐tetramethyldisiloxane (DOTMDS) and dimethylcyclosiloxane (D_n). The epoxy value measured by potentiometric titration, were 0.161, 0.092, 0.065, 0.044 mol/100 g, and the (calculated from epoxy value) 1,242, 2,174, 3,077, 4,545 g/mol, respectively (corresponding to EP‐PDMS1, 2, 3, 4). With the increasing ratio of D_n/DOTMDS, we can see the increase of and the decrease of epoxy group content according to FTIR result. Then these EP‐PDMS were used to improve the toughness of the epoxy resin (diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A, DGEBA). Mechanical tests showed that, the impact strength of the epoxy resin was improved by EP‐PDMS. The toughening effect was decreased when EP‐PDMS with relative higher was used. This was ascribed to that the EP‐PDMS with high was easier to agglomerate, and the active group was easier to be embedded which in turn resulted in lower toughening efficiency. This was also confirmed by scanning electron microscopy results. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 24:268–274, 2018. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Growth of diopside crystals in CMAS glass‐ceramics using Cr2O3 as a nucleating agent

CaO–Al₂O₃–MgO–SiO₂ (CAMS)‐based glass‐ceramics were prepared using body crystallization method. Adding Cr₂O₃ into the ceramics not only effectively lowered the crystallization temperature, but also led to significant grain refinement of diopside that crystallized in the CAMS glass‐ceramic after crystallization treatment at 900°C for 2 hours. Experimental work verified that the epitaxial growth of the diopside on the spinel particles, which formed during nucleation treatment when fabricating the glass‐ceramics, facilitated the heterogeneous nucleation of diopside on the spinel and refined the diopside. In addition, two energetically favored crystallographic orientation relationships between the epitaxial growth diopside and spinel were experimentally observed. They are //[001]_diopside,////(200)_diopside and //[101]_diopside, (311)_spinel//. These two novel results can be potentially used to develop new glass‐ceramic materials with improved performance.     

Cover Image,Volume 93, Issue 9

The cover image, by Yi Yang et al., is based on the Research Article Catalytic wet peroxide oxidation of m‐cresol over novel Fe2O3 loaded microfibrous entrapped CNT composite catalyst in a fixed‐bed reactor, DOI: 10.1002/jctb.5609 .

     

Heat‐ and light‐induced thiol‐ene oligomerization of soybean oil‐based polymercaptan

Polymercaptanized soybean oil (PMSO), the product of a thiol‐ene reaction between soybean oil and hydrogen sulfide, is a material of interest as a lubricant additive and polymer precursor. We investigated with gel permeation chromatography, nuclear magnetic resonance (one‐dimensional and two‐dimensional), gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, and viscometry the changes that occur with PMSO upon heating or ultraviolet irradiation. The observed changes were due to a further thiol‐ene reaction between the thiol groups and the residual unsaturation. The formation of oligomers was a result of new sulfide bridges. Additionally, tetrahydrothiophene moieties were detected. An almost linear increase of the average molecular weight (MW) and the polydispersity index (PDI) was observed upon heat treatment [number‐average MW ( ) = 1180 Da, PDI = 1.32 for PMSO, = 1720 Da, PDI = 2.17 for PMSO that was heated for 1000 h at 130 °C]. PDI correlated best with the z‐average MW. The was the best predictor of the viscosity. For samples with close , the higher PDI corresponded to a higher viscosity index. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 46150.     

Cover Image,Volume 92, Issue 6

The cover image, by Ying Pei et al., is based on the Research Article Tannin‐immobilized cellulose microspheres as effective adsorbents for removing cationic dye (Methylene Blue) from aqueous solution, DOI: 10.1002/jctb.5121 .

     

Cover Image,Volume 66, Issue 2

The cover image, a 3D stationary salami structure of a green/red/black ternary polymer blend and the separated red and green continuous structure, is by QUI TRAN‐CONG‐MIYATA, based on the Editorial In Focus section: Polymer Research at KIT, Japan, DOI: 10.1002/pi.5248 .

     

Cover Image,Volume 66, Issue 6

The cover image, by Aloisius R Purnama et al., is based on the Research Article Coarse‐grained models for frontal photopolymerization with evolving conversion profile, DOI: 10.1002/pi.5344 .

     

Cover Image,Volume 67, Issue 1

The cover image, by Jae‐Hoon Jeong et al., is based on the Research Article Preparation and properties of poly(lactic acid)/lipophilized graphene oxide nanohybrids, DOI: 10.1002/pi.5478 .

     

Mass transfer coefficient of tubular ultrafiltration membranes under high‐flux conditions

The effect of suction flow on the mass transfer coefficient of tubular ultrafiltration membranes, in particular that under a high‐flux condition, was studied. We pointed out that is proportional to under turbulent conditions, and that the proportional constant, b, exceeds 0.023 when the effect of suction flow is not negligible. We conducted the velocity variation method using ultrafiltration membranes with MWCOs of 20k and 100k and dextrans having molecular weights of 40,000 and 70,000 at the conditions, where exceeded . We demonstrated that the effect of suction flow includes not only flux but also the diffusion coefficient of solute, and that the ratio of the flux to the diffusion coefficient, expressed as , is an important index. Finally, we concluded that , when is smaller than , giving the Deissler equation itself, and that , when exceeds . © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 64: 1778–1782, 2018     

Cover Image,Volume 66, Issue 12

The cover image, by Marianna Triantou et al., is based on the Research Article Mechanical performance of re‐extruded and aged graphene/polypropylene nanocomposites, DOI: 10.1002/pi.5353 .

     

Removal of NO from flue gas using UV/S2 process in a novel photochemical impinging stream reactor

A novel photochemical impinging stream reactor was developed for the first time. Removal process of NO from flue gas using sulfate radical ( ·) and hydroxyl radical (·OH) from UV‐light activation of persulfate (UV/S₂ advanced oxidation process) was investigated in the novel reactor. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of S₂ concentration, solution pH, UV power, solution temperature, liquid‐gas ratio, flue gas flow, NO, SO₂,and O₂ concentrations on removal of NO. Mechanism and kinetics of NO removal were also studied. The results show that increasing UV power, solution temperature, S₂ concentration, or solution circulation rate promotes NO removal. Increasing solution pH (1.2–11.9), NO concentration or flue gas flow weakens NO removal. O₂ concentration has no significant effect on NO removal. · and ·OH were the major active species for NO removal. Absorption rate equation and kinetic parameters of NO removal were obtained. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 63: 2968–2980, 2017     

M2YSi (M=Rh,Ir): Theoretically predicted damage‐tolerant MAX phase‐like layered silicides

Searching for layered MAX phase‐like materials with properties of both ceramics and metals is a topic in its infancy. Herein, through a combination of crystal structure, electronic structure, chemical bonding, and elastic property investigations, we report two MAX phase‐like layered materials Rh₂YSi and Ir₂YSi. Rh₂YSi and Ir₂YSi have bulk modulus B of 150 and 185 GPa, respectively, which are comparable to the typical MAX phases like Ti₂AlC, Ti₃AlC₂, and Ti₃SiC₂, but much lower shear modulus G (82 and 97 GPa for Rh₂YSi and Ir₂YSi, respectively) than MAX phases. The high stiffness is due to the presence of rigid Si2–M–Si3–M (M = Ir, Rh) units, while the low shear deformation resistance is due to the presence of metallic bonds and the weak bonds that link the rigid Si2–M–Si3–M (M = Ir, Rh) units. Based on the low shear deformation resistance and low Pugh's ratio, Rh₂YSi and Ir₂YSi are predicted as damage‐tolerant silicides and promising water vapor‐resistant interphase materials for SiC_f/SiC composites if yttria or yttrium silicates are formed to protect the SiC fibers in oxygen containing environments. The possible slip systems are {0001} <> and {} <0001> for both Rh₂YSi and Ir₂YSi.     

NMR spectroscopic study of chemical equilibria in solutions of formaldehyde,water, and butynediol

Liquid mixtures of formaldehyde, water, and butynediol are complex reacting multicomponent systems in which formaldehyde forms oligomers both with water and butynediol. ‐ and ‐NMR spectra of these mixtures are elucidated. The species distribution of the oligomers is quantitatively determined by ‐NMR spectroscopy. The measurements cover temperatures from 293 to 366 K, overall formaldehyde mass fractions from to , and overall butynediol mass fractions from to . A mole fraction‐based and an activity‐based model of the chemical equilibrium in the studied system are developed and chemical equilibrium constants are reported. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 63: 4442–4450, 2017     

Cover Image,Volume 93, Issue 5

The cover image, by Gustavo Acosta‐Santoyo et al., is based on the Research Article Stimulation of the germination and growth of different plant species using an electric field treatment with IrO₂‐Ta₂O₅|Ti electrodes, DOI: 10.1002/jctb.5517 .

     

Cover Image,Volume 67, Issue 4

The cover image, by Dirk W Schubert et al., is based on the Research Article Compressive and cyclic loading of silicone breast implants and their effect on shape resilience and reliability of the shell material, DOI: 10.1002/pi.5516 .

     

Cover Image,Volume 66, Issue 11

The cover image, by James Gardiner et al., is based on the Research Article 4‐Halogeno‐3,5‐dimethyl‐1H‐pyrazole‐1‐carbodithioates: versatile reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer agents with broad applicability, DOI: 10.1002/pi.5423 . Note: MAMs and LAMs are acronyms for more and less activated monomers.

     

Rheological properties and structure of step‐ and chain‐growth gels concentrated above the overlap concentration

Cross‐linked polymeric gels are widely used in applications ranging from biomaterial scaffolds to additives in enhanced oil recovery. Despite this, fundamental understanding of the effect of polymer concentration and reaction mechanism on the scaffold structure is lacking. We measure scaffold properties and structure during gelation using multiple particle tracking microrheology. To determine the effect of concentration, we measure gelation as polymer interactions are increased in the backbone precursor solution: below, at and above the overlap concentration, . To determine structural changes due to the gelation mechanism, we measure gelation between the same polymers undergoing both step‐ and chain‐growth reactions using self‐assembling maleimide:thiol and photo‐initiated acrylate:thiol chemistries, respectively. We determine the critical relaxation exponent, n, a measure of structure. n decreases with increasing concentration, indicating a change from a percolated ( ) to a tightly cross‐linked network ( ). The gelation mechanism does not have a measurable effect on the scaffold structure. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 64: 3168–3176, 2018     

Cover Image,Volume 66, Issue 10

The cover image, by Bruna A. Bregadiolli et al., is based on the Research Article Towards the synthesis of poly(azafulleroid)s: main chain fullerene oligomers for organic photovoltaic devices, DOI: 10.1002/pi.5419 .

     

Defect engineering on phase structure and temperature stability of KNN‐based ceramics sintered in different atmospheres

Lead‐free MnO‐doped 0.955K_0.5Na_0.5NbO₃‐0.045Bi_0.5Na_0.5ZrO₃ (Abbreviated as KNN‐0.045BNZ) ceramics have been prepared by the conventional solid‐state sintering method in reducing atmosphere ( = 1 × 10^?10 atm) and air. For ceramics sintered in reducing atmosphere, only Mn²⁺ ions exist in ceramics who preferentially occupy the cation vacancies in A‐site at x = 0.2‐0.4, whereas Mn²⁺ ions substitute for Zr⁴⁺ ions in B‐site to form defects () at x > 0.4. For ceramics sintered in air, mixed Mn²⁺, Mn³⁺, and Mn⁴⁺ ions coexist here. The Mn²⁺ ions preferentially occupy the cation vacancies in A‐site at x = 0.2‐0.4 and then Mn²⁺ ions substitute for Zr⁴⁺ ions in B‐site at x > 0.4. Meanwhile, the Mn³⁺ ions and Mn⁴⁺ ions substitute for Nb⁵⁺ ions in B‐site to form defects () at x = 0.2‐0.8. The (, , and ) dipolar defects show a positive dipolar defect contribution (DDC) to the , whereas the dipolar defects () show a negative DDC to the . The dipolar defects ( ‐ and ) can help improve the temperature stability of . The 0.4% MnO‐doped KNN‐0.045BNZ ceramics sintered in reducing atmosphere show excellent piezoelectric constant d₃₃ = 300 pC/N and 0.2% MnO‐doped KNN‐0.045BNZ ceramics sintered in air possess optimal piezoelectric constant d₃₃ = 290 pC/N.     

Cover Image,Volume 92, Issue 10

The cover image, by Estefanía Sierra et al., is based on the Research Article Chemoenzymatic synthesis of poly(phenylene disulfides) with insulating properties and resistant to high temperatures, DOI: 10.1002/jctb.5290 .