Synthesis and properties of polyamide/LLDPE composites with compatibilizer used as hot melt adhesive

In this work, a new polyamide (PA155) was synthesized from higher purity dimer acid, sebacic acid, ethylenediamine, and piperazine, and the ternary blends were prepared by blending PA155 with LLDPE in the presence of the compatibilizer, maleic anhydride grafted linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE-g-MAH). The weight ratio of PA155 to LLDPE of the samples was kept constant at 80/20 and the amount of LLDPE-g-MAH was varied at 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 wt% over the total weight of the blend respectively. The scanning electron microscope and mechanical properties tests showed that the compatibility and the mechanical properties were improved with the increase in LLDPE-g-MAH content, and the blend containing 9.0 wt% LLDPE-g-MAH exhibits an optimal miscibility behavior and mechanical properties. The hot melt adhesives which were prepared from the ternary blends were assessed by 180°peel tests of Al/adhesive/polypropylene stack. The peeling strength for the sample containing 9.0 wt% compatibilizer (82.5 N/2.5 cm) is much more than that of the samples without compatibilizer (<20 N/2.5 cm).     

DPnB封端改性聚氨酯水分散体及助成膜性能

降低水性木器涂料中挥发性有机化合物(VOC)含量一直是研究的热点和难点,本文采用一元醇对聚氨酯预聚体封端改性,制备聚氨酯水分散体(b-PUD),探讨了封端剂种类、NCO封端度、NCO/OH摩尔比及软段聚多元醇种类等对b-PUD助成膜性能的影响。发现二丙二醇丁醚(DPn B)封端改性b-PUD的助成膜能力最好,且随封端度增加助成膜能力增强;聚醚二元醇为软段合成的b-PUD助成膜能力较聚酯二元醇好,以聚醚N210最好。当封端度80%,NCO/OH摩尔比1.5,制备b-PUD添加量为25%时,复配乳液的最低成膜温度(MFT)为2.9℃;该b-PUD制备水性透明底漆的VOC含量低至28 g?L?1,其涂膜具有优异的打磨性和高透明度。     

Polyacrylonitrile solution homogeneity study by dynamic shear rheology and the effect on the carbon fiber tensile strength

Poly(acrylonitrile‐co‐methacrylic acid) (PAN‐co‐MAA)/N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF) solutions were prepared and dynamic shear rheology of these solutions were investigated. With increasing stirring time up to 72 h at 70°C, the polymer solution became less elastic (more liquid‐like) with a ～60% reduction in the zero‐shear viscosity. Relaxation spectra of the PAN‐co‐MAA/DMF solutions yield a decrease in relaxation time (disentanglement time, τ_d), corresponding to an about 8% decrease in viscosity average molecular weight. The log‐log plot of G′ (storage modulus) versus G″ (loss modulus) exhibited an increase in slope as a function of stirring time, suggesting that the molecular level solution homogeneity increased. In order to study the effect of solution homogeneity on the resulting carbon fiber tensile strength, multiple PAN‐co‐MAA/DMF solutions were prepared, and the precursor fibers were processed using gel‐spinning, followed by continuous stabilization and carbonization. The rheological properties of each solution were also measured and correlated with the tensile strength values of the carbon fibers. It was observed that with increasing the slope of the G′ versus G″ log‐log plot from 1.471 to 1.552, and reducing interfilament fiber friction during precursor fiber drawing through the addition of a fiber washing step prior to fiber drawing, the carbon fiber strength was improved (from 3.7 to 5.8 GPa). This suggests that along with precursor fiber manufacturing and carbonization, the solution homogeneity is also very important to obtain high strength carbon fiber. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 56:361–370, 2016. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Synthesis of metal‐free poly(p‐dioxanone) by phosphazene base catalyzed ring‐opening polymerization

Poly(p‐dioxanone) (PPDO) has received significant attention due to its good biocompatibility and fast biodegradation profiles. In addition, PPDO is a polymer with high potential in biomedical applications. However, the conventional syntheses of PPDO via the ring‐opening polymerization (ROP) of p‐dioxanone (PDO) often use a metallic catalyst, which significantly limits its biorelated applications. This investigation was focused on the synthesis of metal‐free PPDO by using phosphazene base t‐BuP₄ as the catalyst. The effects of the reaction conditions including temperature, reaction time, initiators, and feed molar ratios were studied in detail by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, viscosimetry, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis. The results showed that t‐BuP₄ exhibited especially high activity in catalyzing alcohol or aniline to initiate the ROP of PDO, consequently resulting in metal‐free PPDOs. The polymerization was optimum at a reaction temperature of approximately 100°C and 88.7% of PDO was consumed. The viscosity–average molecular weights of the resulting polymer reached as high as 2.09 × 10⁴ g/mol. The molar ratios of [PDO]/[t‐BuP₄] also had an obvious effect on both the polymerization and the resulting polymer. Increasing [PDO]/[t‐BuP₄] ratios facilitated the molecular weight growth, whereas the conversions of PDO significantly decreased. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43030.     

Structural Transitions Induced by Ion Irradiation in V2AlC and Cr2AlC

Nanolayered structural metallic ceramics, MAX phases, possess unique and highly attractive properties, including excellent radiation tolerance for some of them, whereas little is known about the detailed process of irradiation‐induced structural transitions. In this study, the microstructural transformations and the stabilities of V₂AlC and Cr₂AlC induced by 1 MeV Au⁺ ions irradiation over a wide range of fluences were investigated by grazing incidence X‐ray diffraction (GIXRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). GIXRD analyses show different processes of phase transitions and amorphization tolerance under irradiation between these two MAX phases, which are consistent with the selected area electron diffraction (SAED) results and the high‐resolution observations. TEM observations reveal that the nanolamellar structures are disturbed and respective phase transitions occur at relatively low fluences, with the formation of stacking faults. As the fluence increases, Cr₂AlC becomes completely amorphous, while V₂AlC are gradually transformed into face‐centered cubic (fcc) structure from the original hexagonal close‐packed (hcp) structure without amorphization, indicating that V₂AlC is more tolerant of irradiation than Cr₂AlC. Based on the phase contrast images and the electron‐diffraction pattern (EDP) simulation of the microstructures, mechanisms of the phase transitions of V₂AlC and Cr₂AlC are proposed and the difference of the irradiation tolerance between them is discussed.     

Glucose‐sensitive and blood‐compatible nanogels for insulin controlled release

For insulin delivery, many reported glucose‐sensitive materials are designed to response to the glucose in the blood. However, few particular studies on their blood compatibility have been reported. In this article, for controlled insulin release in diabetes therapy, a glucose‐sensitive nanogel was prepared through thermally initiated precipitation polymerization using the aminophenylboronic acid‐containing monomer to copolymerize with methacrylic acid. The obtained nanogels showed the uniform and spheroidal morphology as observed by SEM, and their sizes in aqueous solution are dependent on the concentration of glucose. Through in vitro and in vivo insulin release tests, it was found that nanogels showed the glucose‐dependent insulin release and prolonged effect of lowing blood glucose level. The blood compatibility of nanogels has also been explored through various assays including the hemolysis, activated partial thromboplastin time, prothrombin time as well as the thromboelastography. All results indicated that the obtained glucose‐sensitive nanogels showed good blood safety. Moreover, their low cytotoxicity suggested a potential application in diabetes therapy. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43504.     

Effect of Sintering Temperature on Thermoelectric Properties of p‐Bi2Te3 Alloys Produced by Gas Atomization

In this research, p‐type Bi₂Te₃–75% Sb₂Te₃ thermoelectric alloy powders were produced by gas atomization and subsequently sintered by hot pressing at different temperatures. The grain growth of the hot‐pressed samples was observed with increasing sintering temperature from 380°C to 460°C. The compressive strength increased with increasing hot‐pressing temperature due to the high relative density of bulk samples obtained at high temperatures. The effect of sintering temperature on thermoelectric (TE) properties was studied. The maximum power factor 3.48 mW/mK² was obtained for the sample hot pressed at 420°C due to the resulting high electrical conductivity and enhanced Seebeck coefficient values.     

The performance of chitosan/gelatin composite microspheres in the wash‐off procedure of reactive dyeing

A chitosan/gelatin composite microsphere (CGMS) adsorbent prepared by inverse suspension was used as a reactive dye washing agent. Techniques such as scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction analysis, and atomic force microscopy facilitated the evaluation of the materials. A series of experiments were conducted to assess the effect of variables, i.e. initial pH, temperature, microsphere dosage, and contact time. The wash‐off effectiveness increased with increase in temperature and decrease in pH. Results obtained from this study showed that it was possible to reduce the number of wash‐off stages and the water consumption. Furthermore, the microspheres had the properties of resistance to hard water and electrolyte as a wash‐off agent. The efficiency of the microspheres can rival routine detergent in colour fastness, while the chemical oxygen demand of the wash‐off residue of the microspheres amounted to about 1/10 of the chemical oxygen demand of detergent wash‐off residue. This research proved that chitosan/gelatin composite microspheres are a potential candidate for use as an adsorbent washing agent for reactive dyes.     

不同温度时效后Ni-20Cr-18W-1Mo合金晶界偏聚及力学性能研究

采用扫描电镜(SEM)、透射电镜(TEM)、电子探针(EPMA)和高温力学试验机等手段,研究了不同时效温度(200-800 °C)对Ni-20Cr-18W-1Mo高温合金的元素晶界偏聚和力学性能的影响。结果表明,硫、磷元素的晶界偏聚临界时间随时效温度升高而降低;时效温度对元素在晶界和晶内的成分分布有显著的影响;实验合金的抗拉强度和延伸率随时效温度升高而降低。分析发现,硫、磷元素在晶界中的含量随时效温度升高而增大直至两者分别在650和400 °C时达到峰值,是合金在200-600 °C区间内力学性能降低的重要原因。