Influence of Monovalent Electrolytes on Rheological Properties of Gelled Colloidal Silica Suspensions

Rheological responses of the gelled (G) Snowtex 20 silica suspensions in the presence of LiCl, NaCl, and KCl have been investigated as functions of concentrations of silica and salt at pH 9.8 in terms of the Hofmeister series effect. The primary silica particle is isolated, and it is coagulated to form a gel above at 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 M concentrations of LiCl, NaCl, and KCl, respectively, when the silica volume fraction φ is beyond 1.0%. The resulting G silica suspensions are classified into a strong‐link gel and their power‐law dependences of the critical strain as well as the storage modulus on the silica volume fraction were compared with the predictions by the fractal gel model. The resulting power‐law exponents of the critical strain are negative, this is in agreement with that predicted by the fractal model, and their magnitudes decrease with an increase in salt concentration, irrespective of the salt. Moreover, the magnitude of the power‐law exponent for the critical strain is well related to the Hofmeister series effect, namely it decreases in the order Li⁺, Na⁺, and K⁺, and the least hydrated K⁺ adsorbs in great enough in amount to create a less flexible network structure in the G silica suspension due to stronger attraction between the silica particles. Moreover, the stronger attraction, on the other hand, should be responsible for both the larger storage modulus and the higher power‐law exponent of the silica volume fraction dependence on the storage modulus. Therefore, the Hofmeister series effect is useful to understand the rheological properties of the G Snowtex 20 silica suspensions.     

Polymer–filler interactions in sol–gel derived polymer/silica hybrid nanocomposites

The effect of polymer–filler interaction on solvent swelling and dynamic mechanical properties of the sol–gel derived acrylic rubber (ACM)/silica, epoxidized natural rubber (ENR)/silica, and poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/silica hybrid nanocomposites has been described for the first time. Tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) at three different concentrations (10, 30, and 50 wt %) was used as the precursor for in situ silica generation. Equilibrium swelling of the hybrid nanocomposites in respective solvents at ambient condition showed highest volume fraction of the polymer in the swollen gel in PVA/silica system and least in ACM/silica, with ENR/silica recording an intermediate value. The Kraus constant (C) also followed a similar trend. In dynamic mechanical analysis, the storage modulus dropped at higher strain (>1%), which indicated disengagement of polymer segments from the filler surfaces. This drop was maximum in ACM/silica, intermediate in ENR/silica, and minimum in PVA/silica, both at 50 and 70 °C. The drop in modulus with theoretical volume fraction of silica (ϕ) was interpreted with the help of a Power law model ΔE′ = a₁ϕ, where a₁ was a constant and b₁ was primarily a filler attachment parameter. Strain dependence of loss modulus was observed in ACM/silica hybrid nanocomposites, while ENR/silica and PVA/silica nanocomposites showed almost strain‐independent behavior. The storage modulus showed sharp increase with increasing frequency in ACM/silica system, while that was lower in both ENR/silica (at higher frequency) and PVA/silica systems (in the entire frequency spectrum). The increase in modulus with ϕ also followed similar model ΔE′ = a₂ϕ proposed in the strain sweep mode. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 2399–2412, 2005     

原位分散紫外光固化SiO_2纳米复合材料的性质

紫外光固化技术是以紫外光为辐射光源使体系快速固化的技术 ,具有易散热、快速固化成型、百分之百转化率、固化材料质量高等诸多优点 ,可用来制备各种功能材料 [1～ 3] .Adrian等[4] 在紫外光可固化材料中利用分散法填充各种传统填料 ,提高了固化材料的力学性能 .本文将 Si O2 纳米粒子分散在环氧丙烯酸酯齐聚体等构成的紫外光可固化溶液中 ,制得了 Si O2纳米复合材料 .试验表明 :原位分散紫外光固化合成纳米复合材料具有快速固化、容易成型、基体可选等优点 ,所得 Si O2 纳米复合材料具有良好的力学和光学性能 .试剂与仪器 :双酚 A环氧…     

Thermoresponsive properties of porous poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) hydrogels prepared in the presence of nanosized silica particles and subsequent acid treatment

Porous poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) hydrogels were prepared by the free‐radical polymerization of its monomer and a suitable crosslinker in the presence of spherical silica particles of different sizes (74 and 1600 nm) and by the subsequent acid extraction of silica. The yields were 81–83%, and the yields were not affected by the silica content. Scanning electron microscopy observations revealed the porous structure of the hydrogels. Porous and nonporous hydrogels showed volume phase transitions from swelling states to deswelling states at approximately 30 °C, as analyzed by the ratio of the diameter of cylinder‐shaped hydrogels to that of the glass tube used for the hydrogel preparation at the corresponding temperature. Deswelling, which was analyzed by rapid changes in the temperature of the aqueous media from 20 to 40 °C, was facilitated by decreased silica particle size and increased silica content. The deswelling rate constant of the hydrogel prepared with 74‐nm silica at 10 v/v % (silica/solvent) was more than 1500 times greater than that of conventional hydrogels. Swelling was similarly analyzed through changes in the temperature from 40 to 20 °C and was independent of the pore structure. The deswelling–swelling cycle was repeatable with reasonable reproducibility. Moreover, the mechanical strength of the porous hydrogels was significantly maintained compared with that of conventional nonporous hydrogels. This method produced thermoresponsive hydrogels of suitable mechanical strength and remarkable deswelling properties. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 4228–4235, 2002     

Preparation and characteristics of composites based on polypropylene and ultradispersed calcium carbonate

Feasibility studies directed at the parallel increase in the elastic modulus and impact toughness of polypropylene via introduction of ultradispersed CaCO₃ particles with sizes of 100 (Socal U1S2) and 60 nm (Socal 312V) have been performed. The effects of the content and sizes of CaCO₃ particles and the nature of a surfactant on the character of distribution of particles, the thermophysical characteristics of the polymer matrix, and the mechanical characteristics and heat resistance of the nanocomposites are analyzed. Microscopic studies reveal that nanoparticles show a tendency toward structuring. DSC studies have proved the nucleating action of ultrafine particles during the crystallization of PP. For the composites containing 15 vol % of Socal 312V CaCO₃ nanoparticles, the increase in the tensile elastic modulus achieves its maximum; depending on the nature of the surfactant, the reinforcing effect increases by 70-40%. As compared to the initial PP, the presence of ultrafine particles in the composites prevents a decrease in the storage modulus of PP with increasing temperature from 0 to 50°C; as a result, the reinforcing effect increases from 30-40% at temperatures below the glass transition temperature to 40–75% at 50°C. For the nanocomposites with U1S2 in the presence of Triton X-100 or fluorinated alcohol telomer, the impact toughness increases over the entire filler content interval; when the filler concentration is 15 vol %, the impact toughness of nanocomposites is higher than that of the initial PP by factors of 3 and 4.5, respectively. It has been found that nanocomposites containing 5 vol % CaCO₃ nanoparticles show the effect of thermal stabilization, which comes up to about 50°C.     

Extruder‐made TPO nanocomposites. I. Effect of maleated polypropylene and organoclay ratio on the morphology and mechanical properties

PP/PP‐g‐MA/MMT/EOR blend nanocomposites were prepared in a twin‐screw extruder at fixed 30 wt % elastomer and 0 to 7 wt % MMT content. Elastomer particle size and shape in the presence of MMT were evaluated at various PP‐g‐MA/organoclay masterbatch ratios of 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5. The organoclay dispersion facilitated by maleated polypropylene serves to reduce the size of the elastomer dispersed phase particles and facilitates toughening of these blend nanocomposites. The rheological data analysis using modified Carreau‐Yasuda model showed maximum yield stress in extruder‐made nanocomposites compared with nanocomposites of reactor‐made TPO. Increasing either MMT content or the PP‐g‐MA/organoclay ratio can drive the elastomer particle size below the critical particle size below which toughness is dramatically increased. The ductile‐brittle transition shift toward lower MMT content as the PP‐g‐MA/organoclay ratio is increased. The D‐B transition temperature also decreased with increased MMT content and masterbatch ratio. Elastomer particle sizes below ～1.0 μm did not lead to further decrease in the D‐B transition temperature. The tensile modulus, yield strength, and elongation at yield improved with increasing MMT content and masterbatch ratio while elongation at break was reduced. The modified Mori‐Tanaka model showed better fit to experimental modulus when the effect of MMT and elastomer are considered individually. Overall, extruder‐made nanocomposites showed balanced properties of PP/PP‐g‐MA/MMT/EOR blend nanocomposites compared with nanocomposites of reactor‐made TPO. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2012     

Organic–inorganic nanocomposites prepared from fluoro-aramid and silica

Fluoro-aramid-based sol/gel-derived nanocomposites were synthesized by condensing a mixture of 4,4′-(hexafluoro-isopropylidene)dianiline and 1,3-phenylenediamine with terephthaloylchloride (TPC) in dimethylacetamide. TPC was added in slight excess to produce amide chains with carbonyl chloride end groups and then replaced with alkoxy groups using aminophenyltrimethoxysilane to develop bonding with the silica network. Mechanical, dynamic mechanical thermal, water absorption and morphological measurements were carried out on the thin hybrid films. Increase in the tensile strength and modulus was observed as compared to pristine polyamide. The thermal decomposition temperature was found in the range of 400–500 °C. The water absorption was found to be reduced with higher silica content. The glass transition temperature and the storage moduli increased with increasing silica concentration. The maximum increase in the T _g value (345 °C) was observed with 20 wt% silica. Scanning electron microscopy revealed the uniform distribution of silica in the matrix with an average particle size ranging from 8 to 50 nm.     

A new conception on the toughness of nylon 6/silica nanocomposite prepared via in situ polymerization

A novel method, in situ polymerization, was used for the preparation of nylon 6/silica nanocomposites, and the mechanical properties of the nanocomposites were examined. The results showed that the tensile strength, elongation at break, and impact strength of silica-modified nanocomposites exhibited a tendency of up and down with the silica content increasing, while those of silica-unmodified nanocomposites decreased gradually. It also exhibited that the mechanical properties of silica-modified nanocomposites have maximum values only when 5% silica particles were filled. Based on the relationship between impact strength of the nanocomposites and the matrix ligament thickness τ, a new criterion was proposed to explain the unique mechanical properties of nylon 6/silica nanocomposites. The nylon 6/silica nanocomposites can be toughened only when the matrix ligament thickness is less than τ_c and greater than τ_a, where τ_a is the matrix ligament thickness when silica particles begin to aggregate, and τ_c is the critical matrix ligament thickness when silica particles begin to toughen the nylon 6 matrix. The matrix ligament thickness, τ, is not independent, which related with the volume fraction of the inorganic component because the diameter of inorganic particles remains constant during processing. According to the observation of Electron Scanning Microscope (SEM), the process of dispersion to aggregation of silica particles in the nylon 6 matrix with increasing of the silica content was observed, and this result strongly supported our proposal. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 36: 789–795, 1998     

Tough interconnected polymerized medium and high internal phase emulsions reinforced by silica particles

Emulsion templating using high internal phase emulsions is an effective route to prepare low density and high porosity macroporous polymers known as polymerized high internal phase emulsions (polyHIPEs). Conventional polyHIPEs, synthesized from surfactant stabilized w/o emulsions have low permeabilities and poor mechanical properties. We present interconnected open macroporous low density nanocomposites produced by polymerizing the continuous phase of emulsion templates, which contained styrene, polyethyleneglycoldimethacrylate, and silylated silica particles. Polyethyleneglycoldimethacrylate and the silylated silica particles acted as crosslinker. The functionalized silica particles were incorporated into the polymer, which resulted in a significant improvement of the mechanical properties of the polyHIPEs without affecting the interconnected and permeable pore structures. The polyHIPEs contained up to 60 wt % silylated silica particles. Young's modulus of the reinforced macroporous polymers increased up to 600% compared with nonreinforced macroporous polymers. The mechanical performance was further increased by increasing the foam density of the macroporous nanocomposites from around 200 to 370 g/cm³ by raising the organic phase volume of the emulsion templates from 20 to 40 vol %. The macroporous polymers synthesized from less concentrated emulsions also possessed interconnected open porous although less permeable structures. The polyHIPE nanocomposites have a permeability of about 200 mD, whereas the polyMIPE nanocomposites still have permeabilities of around 50 mD. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 1979–1989, 2010     

Preparation and applications of novel fluoroalkyl end‐capped oligomers/polyimide/silica nanocomposites

Fluoroalkyl end‐capped acrylic acid, N,N‐dimethylacrylamide, N‐(1,1‐dimethyl‐3‐oxobutyl)acrylamide and vinyltrimethoxysilane oligomers reacted with polyamic acid possessing trimethoxysilyl groups under alkaline conditions to yield the corresponding fluoroalkyl end‐capped oligomers/polyamic acid/silica nanocomposites. These isolated fluorinated composite powders were found to afford nanometer size‐controlled fine particles with a good dispersibility and stability in water and traditional organic solvents. We succeeded in preparing new fluoroalkyl end‐capped oligomers/polyimide/silica nanocomposites by the imidization of fluorinated polyamic acid silica nanocomposites through the stepwise heating at 110 and 270°C under air atmosphere conditions. These fluorinated polyimide/silica nanocomposites thus obtained were applied to the surface modification of glass and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) to exhibit good hydro‐ and oleo‐phobic characteristics imparted by fluoroalkyl groups in the composites on their surface. In addition, the surface morphology of the modified glass treated with these fluorinated nanocomposites were analyzed by using FE‐SEM and DFM. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Formation of Hydrophobic Silica Coatings on Stones for Conservation of Historic Sculptures

The conservation of historic sculptures is receiving growing attention because of the increasing air pollution. A hydrophobic silica coating was synthesized to protect historic sculptures from weathering by starting from a solution of tetraethoxyorthosilicate (TEOS) precursor using hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HDTMS) as hydrophobic modifier in the presence of ammonia as a catalyst. The molar ratio of ethanol, TEOS, H₂O and NH₄OH was kept constant at 8:0.045:3:2.8 and the molar ratio of HDTMS/TEOS (M) was varied from 0 to 0.458. The organic modification was confirmed by infrared spectroscopic studies, and the hydrophobicity of the coating was tested by the contact angle measurements. The stone surface morphology of sample treated with silica coating was characterized. The results showed that the nanocomposites were composed of spherical particles with grain size of about 190 nm in diameter. After the limestone's surface was modified, the contact angle of limestone increased from 20° to 100° for M0.458. The protective performance evaluated with its ability to resist acid rain reveals that the protective effects are satisfying.     

Construction of Three‐Dimensional DNA Hydrogels from Linear Building Blocks

A three‐dimensional DNA hydrogel was generated by self‐assembly of short linear double‐stranded DNA (dsDNA) building blocks equipped with sticky ends. The resulting DNA hydrogel is thermoresponsive and the length of the supramolecular dsDNA structures varies with temperature. The average diffusion coefficients of the supramolecular dsDNA structures formed by self‐assembly were determined by diffusion‐ordered NMR spectroscopy (DOSY NMR) for temperatures higher than 60 °C. Temperature‐dependent rheological measurements revealed a gel point of 42±1 °C. Below this temperature, the resulting material behaved as a true gel of high viscosity with values for the storage modulus G′ being significantly larger than that for the loss modulus G′′. Frequency‐dependent rheological measurements at 20 °C revealed a mesh size (ξ) of 15 nm. AFM analysis of the diluted hydrogel in the dry state showed densely packed structures of entangled chains, which are also expected to contain multiple interlocked rings and catenanes.     

Diffusion of protons in silica hydrogel

The effect of preparation pH of silica hydrogel on the effective diffusion coefficient of protons in silica hydrogel (D _e , m²/s), on surface area of silica gel (S, m²/s) and on particle size of silica gel (D _p , mm) was studied. Silica hydrosols were obtained by adding water glass to sulfuric acid. The effective diffusion coefficient of proton in silica hydrogel was determined by the method of diffusion from silica hydrogel plane sheet to a stirred solution of a limited volume. A numerical solution was obtained for the diffusion equation using the Regula Falsi method. Regression analyses of experimental data were conducted.Diffusion of protons in silica hydrogel is a complicated process due to a decelerating effect of the porous structure of silica hydrogel and to the accelerating effects of slow ions such as Na⁺ and surface diffusion. The effective diffusion coefficient increased with surface area of silica gel, indicating the diffusion of protons on the surface of the silica particles.     

Bacterial cellulose–silica organic–inorganic hybrids

Bacterial cellulose (BC) hydrated membranes present nanometric reticulated structure that can be used as a template in the preparation of new organic–inorganic hybrids. BC–silica hybrids were prepared from BC membranes and tetraethoxysilane, (TEOS) at neutral pH conditions at room temperature. Macroscopically homogeneous membranes were obtained containing up to 66 wt.% of silica spheres, 20–30 nm diameter. Scanning electron micrographs clearly show the silica spheres attached to cellulose microfibrils. By removing the cellulose, the silica spheres can be easily recovered. The new hybrids are stable up to 300 °C and display a broad emission band under UV excitation assigned to oxygen-related defects at the silica particles surface. Emission color can be tuned by changing the excitation wavelength.     

Rod‐Like Silicate‐Epoxy Nanocomposites

Summary: Epoxy nanocomposites containing rod‐like silicate (attapulgite) were prepared using a simple organic modification to the nanorods. The modification led to effective interfacial adhesion between the ceramic nanorods and the epoxy resin and hence good load transfer. Scanning electron microscopy examination revealed a uniform dispersion of nanorods in the epoxy resin. Compared to the neat resin, nanocomposites with 7.47 vol.‐% nanorods exhibited an increase in the (rubbery state) storage modulus of 122.5%. In addition, the nanocomposites exhibited improved dimensional stability both above and below the T_g.

Storage modulus of the neat resin and nanocomposites.     

Mutagenesis induced by high hydrostatic pressure treatment: a useful method to improve the bacterial cellulose yield of a <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gluconoacetobacter xylinus</Emphasis> strain

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a new biomaterial which has wide application potential in various industries. BC industrialization requires bacterial strains with high BC productivity. The objective of this study is to increase the BC yield of a Gluconoacetobacter xylinus strain through mutagenesis induced by high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatment. In this study, the parental strain in its exponential phase was treated at 250 MPa and 25 °C for 15 min to induce mutagenesis using a HHP machine. The HHP-treated strains were incubated in glucose agar plate at 30 °C for 4 days. After the incubation, 50 larger colonies in these plates were randomly selected and cultivated to produce BC membrane in a tailor-made glass vessel, and wet weights of the BC membranes were tested. Compared with the parental strain, 29 mutants showed higher BC yields, of which eight mutants with BC yield >130.00 g/L were initially screened and were then cultivated for five generations to test their genetic stabilities for BC production. Among the eight mutants, M₄₃₈, a mutant which showed the highest average BC yield (158.56 g/L) and lowest coefficient of variation (2.4%) for five generations, was finally screened as objective mutant. HHP treatment can serve as an effective method to cause mutagenesis in BC-producing bacteria. The HHP-treated strains with significantly higher BC yield than parental strain can be screened from the HHP-induced mutants.     

Effects of pH on mechanical and morphological studies of silica filled polyvinyl chloride-50% epoxidized natural rubber (PVC-ENR50) nanocomposite

Effects of pH on mechanical properties as well as morphological studies of sol–gel derived in situ silica in polyvinyl chloride-50% epoxidized natural rubber (PVC-ENR50) nanocomposites are reported. In particular, a range of acid concentrations was investigated. These nanocomposites were prepared by solution casting technique and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) was used as the silica precursor. The prepared nanocomposites were characterized using tensile test, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The tensile test indicated that the highest mechanical strength was at 30% TEOS added for the nanocomposite prepared at pH 2.0. At pH 1.0 and 1.5 the maximum tensile strength reading was at 20% TEOS added with value of 24.3 and 24.5 MPa, respectively. SEM and TEM revealed the dispersion of silica particles in the polymer matrix. For nanocomposites prepared at pH 1.0 and 1.5, the silica particles were finely dispersed with the average size of 60 nm until 20% TEOS added. Meanwhile for nanocomposite prepared at pH 2.0, silica particles were homogenously distributed in the polymer matrix with average diameter of 30 nm until 30% TEOS and agglomerated after 30% TEOS loading.     

Hydrogel Nanocomposite as a Synthetic Intra-Ocular Lens Capable of Accommodation

A hydrogel nanocomposite was designed, synthesized, and evaluated for use as an auto-focusing intra-ocular lens. The hydrogel scaffold was composed of a monomer-free, thiol that contained polyacrylamide (5%), which was allowed to gel in the presence of nanoparticles at pH 7.4, 25°C. The nanoparticles consisted of a proteo-mimetic polyacrylamide nanogel (∼42 nm), bovine serum albumin (BSA) (∼6 nm), and hydrophilized silica (∼3 nm). The extent of nanoparticle loading increased with decreasing particle size. The elastic modulus increased with increasing loading of the proteo-mimetic nanogels and BSA, and it decreased with hydrophilized silica. In this investigation, the hydrogel that contained silica was the most promising class of nanocomposite hydrogels with properties comparable to that of a young porcine lens. A nanocomposite that consisted of 10% hydrogel scaffold and 24% hydrophilized silica (elastic [E] modulus of ∼1.0 kPa and refractive index [RI] of 1.42) was injected into a pre-evacuated porcine lens capsular bag. The composite lens was evaluated in a custom-designed four-arm radial stretcher, and its force-time spectrum was characterized by time constants of 60 ± 8.9 and 800 ± 32 ms. These results were comparable to a young porcine lens (E Modulus of 1.2 kPa; RI of 1.4105; time constants of 48.3 ± 0.58 and 668 ± 24.6 ms, respectively)     

Preparation of a variety of fluoroalkyl end‐capped N‐(1,1‐dimethyl‐3‐oxobutyl)acrylamide oligomer/silica nanocomposites possessing no weight loss characteristic at 800°C

A variety of fluoroalkyl end‐capped N‐(1,1‐dimethyl‐3‐oxobutyl)acrylamide oligomer [R_F‐(DOBAA)_n‐ R_F]/silica nanocomposites, in which the oligomer contents are 18–96%, were prepared by reactions of the corresponding fluorinated oligomer with tetraethoxysilane and silica nanoparticles under alkaline conditions. Each fluorinated oligomer/silica composite thus obtained is nanometer size‐controlled very fine particles (22–68 nm) possessing a good dispersibility and stability in a variety of solvents including water. Interestingly, the weight loss of R_F‐(DOBAA)_n‐R_F/silica nanocomposites, in which the oligomer contents are 18–72%, were not observed at all even at 800°C, as well as the original silica nanoparticles, although the corresponding sub‐micrometer size‐controlled R_F‐ (DOBAA)_n‐R_F/silica composites (particle size: 359 nm) decomposed completely at 800°C to afford the weight loss in proportion to the content of R_F‐(DOBAA)_n‐R_F oligomer in composites. On the other hand, a slight weight loss of R_F‐(DOBAA)_n‐R_F/silica nanocomposites, in which the oligomer contents are 75–94%, was observed at 800°C compared to that of the original silica nanoparticles. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

ENHANCED MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF POLYPROPYLENE/SILICA NANOCOMPOSITES WITH SURFACE MODIFICATION OF NANO-SILICA VIA IN SITU COPOLYMERIZATION OF METHYL METHACRYLATE AND BUTYL ACRYLATE

Nano-sized silica particles were modified with methacryloxy-propyltrimethoxysilane(MPS) followed by in situ copolymerization of methyl methacrylate(MMA) and butyl acrylate(BA).These modified nanoparticles were compounded with polypropylene(PP) to prepare PP/silica nanocomposites.PMMA grafted on nano-silica enhances the dispersion of the nanoparticles and interfacial adhesion,decreases the size of PP spherulites in nanocomposites and leads to increasing the Young's modulus and toughness of PP/silica nanoc...