Influence of post‐treatments on the properties of porous poly(vinyl alcohol) membranes

Porous poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) membranes were prepared by a phase‐inversion method. The influence of chemical crosslinking and heat treatments on the swelling degree, resistance to compaction, mechanical strength, and morphology of porous PVA membranes was extensively studied. The crosslinking degree and crystallinity of the membranes, calculated from IR spectra, increased with the treatment time. The porosity, calculated on the basis of swelling experiments, showed a decreasing trend for heat‐treated membranes but remained almost at a constant value for crosslinked membranes. Such a change was further proved with scanning electron microscopy pictures. The behavior was explained by the rearrangement of PVA chains during the heat‐treatment process, which led to morphological changes in the membranes. The mechanical properties of the porous membranes in dry and wet states were measured, and a great difference was observed between crosslinked and heat‐treated membranes in the dry and wet states. The crosslinked membranes showed good mechanical properties in the dry state but became fragile in the wet state. On the contrary, the heat‐treated membranes were more flexible in the wet state than in the dry state. This change was explained by the turnaround of inner stress in the systems during the swelling process. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Viscoelastic properties of polyarylene ether nitriles/thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer blend

Polyarylene ether nitriles (PEN)/thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer (TLCP) blend was prepared via melt mixing. The immiscible phase morphologies, linear and nonlinear, as well as transient viscoelastic properties of the blend were studied using SEM, rheometer, and DMA. The linear dynamic viscoelastic behavior of the blend shows temperature dependence due to further evolution of the immiscible morphology and, as a result, the principle of time‐temperature superposition (TTS) is invalid. In the steady shear flow, the discrete TLCP phase is difficult to be broken up because of the high viscosity ratio of the blend systems, while is easy to be coarsened and followed by elongation, and finally, to form fibrous morphology at high TLCP content and high shear level. During this morphological evolution process, the transient stress response presents step increase and nonzero residual relaxation behavior, leading to increase of the dynamic viscoelastic responses after steady preshear. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Antimicrobial finishing of regular and modified polyethylene terephthalate fabrics

An effective two-stage method has been developed for imparting antimicrobial properties to regular polyethylene terephthalate (R-PET), polyethylene glycol modified polyethylene terephthalate (PEG-M-PET), R-PET/Cotton blend (R-PET/C) and PEG-M-PET/Cotton blend (PEG-M-PET/C) fabrics. The method consists of partial hydrolysis of the fabrics to create carboxylic groups in PET macromolecules followed by subsequent reaction with dimethylalkylbenzyl ammonium chloride (DMABAC) under alkaline conditions. The reaction conditions such as pH, reaction temperature and time, carboxylic content, and DMABAC concentration were studied. Characterization of the finished fabrics was carried out through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR). All the modified PET fabrics showed excellent antibacterial activity towards Gram-positive (Bacillus mycoides), Gram-negative (Escherichia coli), and nonfilamentous fungus (Candida albicans). The achieved antimicrobial functions on the PET fabrics are durable in repeated laundering processes. Even after laundering 10 times the fabrics could still provide more than 85% of its antimicrobial activity against B. mycoides, E. coli, and C. albicans. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Effect of olive residue benzylation on the thermal and mechanical properties of poly(vinyl chloride)/olive residue composites

The changes in mechanical properties, the thermal stability, and the water absorption capacity of poly (vinyl chloride)/olive residue flour composites were studied as a function of various residue olive flour ratios, i.e., 0, 5, 15, and 25% by weight taking into account the effect of benzylation chemical treatment of the filler. The study showed that composite samples prepared with the untreated filler exhibited higher tensile modulus and hardness compared with the neat resin, whereas elongation and tensile strength were observed to decline. On the other hand, the PVC hardness was found to increase with addition of the untreated olive residue flour (ORF), however the composite samples prepared with the benzylated flour exhibited lower hardness than those prepared with untreated olive residue. Moreover, the amount of absorbed water depends on the amount of filler in the composite. The comparison of the results obtained from the samples of F5, F20, and F30 formulations between the untreated and treated ORF indicated a reduction in absorbed water for the composite samples containing treated ORF with benzyl chloride. As a result, the mechanical properties of the treated composites were improved. Furthermore, the thermal characterization of the different samples carried out by color change test and thermogravimetric analysis revealed an increase in the onset temperatures of decomposition for the treated composites. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

The synthesis of block copolyetherketones based on 4,4′‐dichlorodiphenylketone,phenolphthaleine, and bisphenol A and investigation of their properties

Block structured polyethers based on phenolphthaleine, 4,4′‐dichlorodiphenylketone, and bisphenol A with different degrees condensation (n = 1, 5, 10, and 20) were synthesized by means of acceptor‐catalytic polycondensation. Equaimolar quantities of chloranhydrides of iso‐ and terephthalic acids were used. Higher molecular masses were obtained from longer oligoketones with higher condensation degrees. Better molecular packing, increased thermal and mechanical properties were obtained with higher condensation degrees of oligoketones. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. JAppl Polym Sci, 2008     

Semiflexible random thermotropic copolymers from 8‐(3‐hydroxy phenyl) octanoic acid and 3‐chloro‐4‐hydroxy benzoic acid/3,5‐dibromo‐4‐hydroxy benzoic acid

Two series of semiflexible random thermotropic copolymers containing 8‐(3‐hydroxy phenyl) octanoic acid (HPOA) with either 3‐chloro‐4‐hydroxy benzoic acid or 3,5‐dibromo‐4‐hydroxy benzoic acid were prepared by melt polycondensation techniques. The copolyesters were characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, dilute solution viscometry, hot‐stage polarized light microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction. Studies revealed that the amount of HPOA as a disruptor incorporated into the backbone of substituted 4‐hydroxy benzoic acids had a detrimental effect on the liquid‐crystalline behavior. Mesophase‐transition temperatures were observed between 210 and 250°C, and the optical textures were of typical nematic phases. The degree of crystallinity decreased with an increase in the HPOA content. The thermal stability of the copolymers was in the range of 310–370°C. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2008     

Use of postconsumer polyethylene in blends with polyamide 6: Effects of the extrusion method and the compatibilizer

Blends of polyamide and high‐density polyethylene show adequate properties for a large range of applications: they are used for the production of filaments, containers, and molding resins. The effect of the addition of 2 wt % of a compatibilizer, maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene, to the blend was studied and compared to the use of postconsumer polyethylene. The samples were extruded with single‐ and twin‐screw extruders with 25, 50, or 75 wt % f polyethylene, and the test specimens, molded by injection, were characterized by stress–strain tests, thermal properties, and morphologies. Processing the blends with postconsumer polyethylene in both extruders improved the mechanical properties in comparison to the blends processed with high‐density polyethylene and the compatibilizer. The morphologies of these blends showed that there was a decrease in the domain size of the disperse phase with the use of the compatibilizer or postconsumer polyethylene. The results indicate that for this blend, postconsumer polyethylene substituted, with advantages, for the necessity of a compatibilizer and the use of the high‐density polyethylene. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008.     

Studies on jute–asphalt composites

The tensile properties of jute make it a suitable raw material for asphalt overlay (A/O) fabric. In this study, the thermal stability of jute under conditions of asphalt overlaying process was investigated and the compatibility of jute with asphalt was assessed through experimentation on jute–asphalt composites under mechanical and hygral loads. Fourier transform infra red (FTIR) spectroscopic study revealed probable chemical bonding between jute and asphalt. The test for ascertaining the capability of asphalt encasement for protecting jute against biodegradation under enzymatic attack was found positive. A 6‐month hygral treatment, of the jute–asphalt composite, showed significant increase in modulus of the material. The results indicate that although the strength of jute deteriorates by about 10% under asphalt overlaying condition, the overall tensile behavior of jute fabric–asphalt composite material is considerably superior to that of the pure jute fabric, even under biological and extended hygral loading conditions. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2008     

Engineering extruded collagen fibers for biomedical applications

Extruded collagen fibers constitute a promising biomimetic scaffold for tissue engineering applications. In this study, we compared the structural, thermal, and mechanical properties of fibers produced from either NaCl or poly(ethylene glycol) with a number-average molecular weight of 8000 (PEG 8K), the only two coagents that have been used in the fabrication process. As novel, we report the fabrication of fibers with properties similar to native or synthetic fibers using other coagents. NaCl derived fibers were characterized by higher thermal stability (p < 0.026), stress (p < 0.001), and modulus (p < 0.0025) values than PEG 8K, whereas the latter yielded more extendable fibers (p < 0.012). Poly(ethylene glycol)s with number-average molecular weights of 200 and 1000 produced fibers with similar mechanical properties (p > 0.05) that were thinner (p < 0.033), stiffer (p < 0.022), and less extendable (p < 0.0002) than those of PEG 8K. Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) with a number-average average molecular weight of 9–10,000 and PEG 8K yielded fibers with similar diameters and stress-at-break values (p > 0.05); however, the poly(ethylene glycol) derived fibers were more extendable (p < 0.0003), whereas the PVA fibers were stiffer (p < 0.029). Gum-arabic- and soluble-starch-derived fibers were of similar tensile strength, extendibility, and stiffness (p > 0.05). In this in vitro study, the thickest (p < 0.011) and the weakest (p < 0.0066) fibers were produced in the presence of sodium sulfate. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

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