Grafting of maleic anhydride onto polyethylene through a green chemistry approach

The grafting of a polymer can lead to the improvement and modification of the polymer and thus expand its applications. Grafting methods include solution grafting in organic solvents, melt grafting at high temperatures, and light grafting with radioactive sources. These methods have their advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantages include waste treatment, consumption of energy, and so on. In this study, a hydrothermal process which is called the green approach, was developed to prepare graft copolymers. The effect of various factors on the grafting degree was investigated in detail. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Synthesis and characterization of poly(N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone) grafted sodium alginate hydrogel beads for the controlled release of indomethacin

Graft copolymers of sodium alginate (NaAlg) with N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone were prepared using azobisisobutyronitrile as initiator. The graft copolymers (NaAlg‐g‐PVP) were characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry. Polymeric hydrogel beads of NaAlg and NaAlg‐g‐PVP were prepared by crosslinking method using glutaraldehyde (GA) as a crosslinker in the hydrochloric acid catalyst (HCl) and these beads were used to deliver anti‐inflammatory drug, indomethacin (IM). Chemical stability of the IM after encapsulation into beads was confirmed by FTIR. Preparation conditions of the NaAlg‐g‐PVP beads were optimized by considering the percentage entrapment efficiency, particle size, swelling capacity and their release data. In vitro release studies were performed in simulated gastric fluid (pH 1.2) for the initial 2 h, followed by simulated intestinal fluid (pH 7.4) for 4 h. Effects of GA concentration, exposure time to GA, drug/polymer (d/p) ratio, and concentration of HCl on the release of IM were discussed. It was observed that IM release from the beads decreased with increasing GA concentration and exposure time. IM release also decreases with increasing d/p ratio and HCl concentration. The highest IM release was obtained to be 77% for beads crosslinked with 0.027M GA. Swelling experiments were also performed to compute molecular mass between crosslinks of the beads. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Microwave heating of poly(ethylene terephthalate) bottle preforms used in the thermoforming process

Thermoforming (free blowing) of poly(ethylene terephthalate) preforms was successfully and quickly performed in a rotating system designed for dielectric hysteresis heating. Temperature profile modeling was carried out with the amorphous poly(ethylene terephthalate) permittivity at different temperatures. The Maxwell and heat equations were used to determine the best profile and power tuning. The determination of the theoretical boundary conditions was accomplished by the adjustment of the numerical transient external surface wall temperature with experimental infrared pyrometry results. In comparison with infrared, microwaves allowed high power density absorption inside the perform wall without a dramatic temperature gradient. Consequently, the heat blowing stage could be accelerated, and the process took at least 5 times less energy than infrared heating. Industrial applications involve the integration of the molding step and the design of the overall process. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Accelerated wear testing with a microfabricated surface to evaluate the lubrication ability of biomolecules on polyethylene

Wear of ultrahigh‐molecular‐weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and wear‐particle‐induced osteolysis and bone resorption are the major factors causing the failure of total joint replacements. It is feasible to improve the lubrication and reduce the wear of artificial joints. We need further understanding of the lubrication mechanism of the synovial fluid. The objective of this study is to evaluate the lubricating ability of three major components in the synovial fluid: albumin, globulin, and phospholipids. An accelerated wear testing procedure in which UHMWPE is rubbed against a microfabricated surface with controlled asperities has been developed to evaluate the lubrication behavior. An analysis of the wear particle dimensions and wear amount of the tests has provided insights for comparing their lubrication performance. It is concluded that the presence of biomolecules at the articulating interface may reduce friction. A higher concentration of a biological lubricant leads to a decrease in the wear particle width. In addition, in combination with the wear results and mechanical analysis, the roles of individual biomolecules contributing to friction and wear at the articulating interface are discussed. These results can help us to identify the role of the biomolecules in the boundary lubrication of artificial joints, and further development of lubricating additives for artificial joints may be feasible. © 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     

Diamino telechelic polybutadienes for solventless styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) triblock copolymer formation

High molecular weight, high functionality diamino telechelic polybutadienes (TPBs) were synthesized by ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of 1,5-cyclooctadiene (COD) in the presence of a chain transfer agent, 1,8-dicyano-4-octene, followed by lithium aluminum hydride reduction. Melt coupling of diamino TPB with anhydride-terminated polystyrene (PS-anh) resulted in the formation of styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) triblock copolymers; ca. 80% maximum conversion of PS-anh was achieved within 30 s. The results from SAXS, TEM, and rheological measurements of the coupling products confirmed the formation of SBS triblock copolymers having lamellar morphology. A fluorescent-labeled PS-anh was used to study the coupling kinetics by diluting the reactants by the addition of non-functional PS.     

CR／MMA乳液接枝共聚物的研制

用乳液接枝共聚法制备ＣＲ／ＭＭＡ共聚物，讨论ＣＲ乳液、引发剂、接枝温度、ＭＭＡ用量对接枝共聚转化率，接枝ＭＭＡ含量、ＭＭＡ接枝效率和粘接性能的影响，用红外光谱对接枝共聚物进行表征，该共聚物具有较好的粘接性能。     

Investigations of surface degradation of high‐density polyethylene materials resulting from tracking,using physicochemical analysis

In the present work tracking phenomena were studied with high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) materials under dc voltage, with NH₄Cl and acid rain as contaminants. It was determined that the tracking time of the material depends on the conductivity and flow rate of the contaminant. Furthermore, physicochemical analysis by wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction studies, differential scanning calorimetry, and luminescence spectroscopy was carried out, whereupon it was concluded that the tracking process is a surface‐degradation process. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 83: 2843–2849, 2002; DOI 10.1002/app.10260     

塑料包装应用及技术进展

塑料在包装领域有着广泛的应用，其中聚酯（PET）性能优良，应用领域不断扩大。介绍了塑料包装不断通现的新技术，以及塑料包装环保问题的几点思路。     

High resolution solid state 13C n.m.r. of butadiene grafted polypropylene

¹H dipolar decoupled ¹³C n.m.r. experiments with the aid of the magic angle spinning technique have been used to determine the graft content and the isomer content of the polybutadiene grafts in a graft copolymer with isotactic polypropylene.