Evaluation of improvement of physical and mechanical properties of bamboo fibers due to alkali treatment

Bamboo strips treated with caustic solutions of different concentrations, e.g., 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, and 50%, were subjected to mechanical testing giving stresses on tensile strength, percent elongation at break, flexural strength, flexural modulus, and toughness. The change in average density was ?15%, and the weight loss value shows a maximum of 21.94% at 50% alkali treatment. The mechanical properties of bamboo strips increase steadily with increasing concentration of caustic soda, showing a comparable increased value at 15 and 20%, and then exhibiting a gradual fall. The percent elongation at break corroborates these observations showing a continuous decreasing trend. The properties under investigation exhibit a clear transition in between 15 and 20% alkali concentration. The morphology of strips was studied by scanning electron microscope and polarizing light microscope. The crystal structure of both untreated and treated strips was compared by XRD analysis. In both cases, the breakdown of the crystal structures of the cellulose fibers and the recrystallization or reorientation of the degraded chains that are devoid of hemicellulose are quite apparent. However, at a very high concentration (to the extent of 25%) the breakdown of structure predominates much more over the reorientation or recrystallization. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Measuring interdiffusion at an interface between two elastomers with tapping-mode and contact-resonance atomic force microscopy imaging

Despite the common use of tapping-mode atomic force microscopy to image composites or polymer blends, very few studies have focused on the measurement of the interdiffusion at an interface between two polymers in contact. In this study, we show how to assess the interphase between two polymers with two methods. First, stable and robust tapping conditions are established, and the problem of the phase contrast is discussed. Second, a contact-resonance method is presented: the tip in contact with the sample is electrostatically excited at its resonance frequency by a self-controlled oscillator. The gain and frequency images allow us to measure the interdiffusion width. Both methods (using high and weak mechanical solicitation) give the same assessment of the interdiffusion width. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Synthesis and thermomechanical characterization of polyurethane elastomers extended with α,ω‐alkane diols

A series of polyurethane (PU) elastomers was prepared by the reaction of poly(?‐caprolactone) and 4,4′‐diphenylmethane diisocyanate, which was extended with a series of chain extenders (CEs) having 2–10 methylene units in their structure. The completion of the reaction was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The chemical structures of the synthesized PU samples were characterized with Fourier transform infrared, ¹H‐NMR, and ¹³C‐NMR spectroscopy, and the thermal properties were determined by thermogravimetric analysis, DSC, and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis techniques. The mechanical properties were also studied and are discussed. The thermogravimetric analysis and DSC analysis showed that CE length had a considerable effect on the thermal properties of the prepared samples. The dynamic mechanical thermal analysis and damping peaks were also affected by the number of methylene units in the CE length. The elastomer extended with 1,2‐ethane diol exhibited optimum thermal properties, whereas the elastomer based on 1,10‐decane diol displayed the worst thermal properties. Tensile strength and elongation at break decreased with increasing CE length, whereas hardness showed the opposite trend. The glass‐transition temperature moved toward lower temperatures with increasing CE length. The decrease in the glass‐transition temperature and tensile properties were interpreted in terms of decreasing hard segments and increasing chain flexibility. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Pultruded fibre reinforced polyurethane composites II. Effect of processing parameters on mechanical and thermal properties

This paper presents a novel process for the fabrication of pultruded polyurethane (PU) composites. The effects of the processing parameters on the mechanical properties (flexural strength and flexural modulus, etc.) and thermal properties (HDT) of the fibre reinforced PU composites by pultrusion have been studied. The processing parameters investigated include pulling rate (in-line speed), die temperature, filler type and content, and post-cure time and temperature. Results show that the composites possessed various optimum pulling rates at different die temperatures. On the basis of the DSC diagram, the swelling ratio, the mechanical properties and the thermal properties of composites, the optimum die temperature can be determined. It is found that the mechanical and thermal properties increase with filler content for various types of filler. The mechanical and thermal properties increase at a suitable post-cure temperature and time. Furthermore, the properties which decreased due to the degradation of composite materials for a long post-cure time will be discussed.     

浸胶工艺对Nomex蜂窝性能的影响

本文研究了浸胶工艺对Ｎｏｍｅｘ蜂窝性能的影响，分析探讨了提高Ｎｏｍｅｘ蜂窝性能及外观质量的途径。研究结果表明：采取新的浸胶工艺制作的Ｎｏｍｅｘ蜂窝，各项性能全面达到法国宇航材料标准。     

As,Sb,Sn对30CrMnSiA钢力学性能的影响

在３０ＣｒＭｎＳｉＡ钢中加入不同量的Ａｓ，Ｓｂ，Ｓｎ元素，研究了这些元素单独存在及复合存在时对钢的强度，塑性，冲击韧度及韧脆转变温度的影响规律，并用扫描电镜及俄歇能谱分析了Ａｓ，Ｓｂ，Ｓｎ导致晶界脆化的机理。     

CHARAC TERIZATION OF TiAl POWDER PRODUCED BY MECHANICAL ALLOYING

The microstructure,alloying reaction and sintering behavior of the powder produced by Mechanical Al-loying(MA)for 8 h from 64 wt.-% Ti powder and 36 wt.-% Al powder were studied by scanning electronmicroscopy,optical microscopy,X-ray diffractometry,differential scanning calorimetry(DSC)and dilatometry.The mechanically alloyed powder partictes are Ti-Al composite particles.Thus,titanium aluminides can formeasily in the powder through diffusion during heat treatment.It is shown that the sintering behavior of this pow-der,different from the behaviors of TiAl alloy powder and mixed powder of 64 wt.-% Ti powder and 36 wt.-%Al powder,changes from expansion at temperatures below 1000℃ to shrinkage at temperatures above 1000℃.Homogeneously alloyed TiAl material with a density over 96% of the theoretical density can be produced fromthe mechanically alloyed powder by compaction-sintering.     

聚酯的摩尔质量与机械性能研究——Ⅰ.动态力学性能

应用粘弹谱仪考察了不同摩尔质量的聚酯(PET、PBT、PBT/PET)的动态力学性能,结果表明摩尔质量增大将提高其模量,但亦导致结晶速度变慢,使测得的模量反而比摩尔质量较低的试样小.     

Antimicrobial protection of cotton and cotton/polyester fabrics by radiation and thermal treatments. I. Effect of ZnO formulation on the mechanical and dyeing properties

Cotton and cotton/polyester fabrics were treated against microbial attack by applying a formulation based essentially on ZnO under high‐energy radiation and thermal curing. To achieve the homogeneity and the reactivity of the treating formulation, a binder (Impron MTP) and a dispersing agent (Setamol WS) were used with ZnO. The antimicrobial property of the fabrics was evaluated, in terms of mechanical properties, by a soil burial test. Moreover, the effect of antimicrobial finishing on the dyeing properties in terms of color strength was investigated. It was found that the best composition that affords the best antimicrobial protection to cotton fabrics contains 2% ZnO, 2% binder, and 1% dispersing agents. For the cotton/polyester blend, the best results were achieved at the same conditions except the ZnO was 1%. It was found that the treatment under the effect of electron‐beam irradiation is better than that of gamma irradiation and thermal curing. The results showed that when the finishing process was carried out before dyeing with a reactive dye, it affects the color strength rather than performing the finishing after the dyeing process. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 88: 1129–1137, 2003