Properties of wood-polymer composites with a polymer matrix containing sevilens

The effect of vinylacetate unit content in sevilen used as a polymer matrix or polyethylene compatibilizer on the properties of wood-polymer composites with a thermoplastic binders and filler of plant origin is studied. It is shown that the introduction of vinylacetate units decreases the tensile strength, contact elastic modulus, Brinell hardness, and water absorption of the composites, but increases the relative tensile elongation and impact viscosity without notch.     

Rheological properties of wood polymer composites at high shear rates

This paper presents the rheological properties of wood-polymer composites (WPC) with a polypropylene (PP) matrix in the corrected shear rate range from approx. 20 s⁻¹ to 150 000 s⁻¹. Tests were conducted using a capillary rheometer and a rheological head of the author's construction, for which the working element is a thermoplastic injection moulding machine. The constructed tool was found to be very useful, especially for the determination of the processing characteristics of WPC composites containing a large particle-size filler. It was observed that the rheological properties of wood-polymer composites in the shear rate range of up to several thousand s⁻¹ significantly depended on the filler content of the polymer matrix; at the same time, at higher shear rate, a clear decrease in the effect of the wood filler content on the viscosity of the composites and on the flow behaviour, as described by the power law, took place.     

Chemical processes of structuring of furfural acetone monomer FA

The process of curing of furfural acetone monomer FA, which is used in production of wood—polymer composites, is considered. The paper suggests chemical reactions of autonomous structuring of two main components of the monomer FA—mono- and difurfurylidene acetone with formation of a spatial polymer, which leads to an increase in operational properties of wood-polymer materials.     

Thermal characterization of rubberwood-polymer composites

The thermal properties of five types of radiation-induced wood-polymer composites based on a tropical hardwood, rubberwood (Hevea braziliensis), was studied by oxygen index measurement, differential thermal analysis (DTA) and thermogravimetry (TG). The DTA and TG curves of composites were different from those of rubberwood, which can be attributed to the presence of the incorporated polymers. Of the five composites, the one impregnated with bis(2-chloroethyl)vinyl phosphonate reduced the initial temperature of decomposition, increased the peak temperatures of exothermic reactions, and increased the char yield. Comparison with physical blends of rubberwood and the corresponding polymer provided some evidence of chemical interaction of wood and polymer in some of the composites.     

Synthesis, characterization, and antifouling potential of functionalized copper nanoparticles

The synthesis, characterization, and antimicrobial properties of functionalized copper nanoparticle/polymer composites are reported. Copper nanoparticles (Cu NPs) are stabilized by surface attachment of the acrylic functionality that can be copolymerized with other acrylic monomers, thus, becoming an integral part of the polymer backbone. Biological experiments show that Cu NP/polymer composites exhibit antimicrobial activity similar to that of conventional copper-based biocides. Atomic absorption spectroscopy shows the smallest amount of copper ions leaching from chemically bound acrylated Cu NPs compared to the nonfunctionalized biocides. These composites have a strong potential for use in antibacterial or marine antifouling coatings.     

Synthesis of novel fluoroalkyl end‐capped oligomers/silica gel polymer hybrids possessing antibacterial activity

New fluoroalkyl end‐capped oligomers/silica gel polymer hybrids‐low‐molecular weight biocide (hibitane) composites were prepared by the reactions of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) with fluoroalkyl end‐capped N‐(1,1‐dimethyl‐3‐oxobutyl)acrylamide oligomer, N,N‐dimethylacrylamide oligomers, and acrylic acid oligomers in methanol under acidic conditions at room temperature. The presence of hibitane in the composites was clarified by the use of elementary analyses of nitrogen in fluorinated acrylic acid oligomer composite and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of these fluorinated composites. Thermal stability of fluorinated composites thus obtained were found to increase significantly compared to those of the parent fluorinated oligomers. Thermal stability of fluorinated N,N‐dimethylacrylamide oligomer, acrylic acid oligomer/silica gel polymers hybrid‐hibitane composites decreased compared to those of the corresponding fluorinated oligomers/silica gel polymer hybrids; however, the thermal stability of fluorinated N‐(1,1‐dimethyl‐3‐oxobutylacryl)amide oligomer/silica gel polymer hybrid‐hibitane composite increased significantly compared to that of the corresponding fluorinated oligomer hybrid. The sol methanol solutions of these fluorinated composites were applied to the surface modification of glass to exhibit not only a strong oleophobicity imparted by end‐capped fluoroalkyl groups in oligomers but also a good hydrophilicity on the glass surface. Fluorinated oligomers/silica gel polymer hybrids‐hibitane composites were found to exhibit high anti‐bacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. Therefore, these fluorinated hibitane composites are suggested to have high potential for new attractive functional materials through not only their excellent surface active property imparted by fluorine and their thermal stability but also through their anti‐bacterial activity. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Rheological,morphological and mechanical properties of flax fiber polypropylene composites: influence of compatibilizers

In this work, the rheological, mechanical and morphological properties of flax fiber polypropylene composites were investigated. The effect of incorporating a polypropylene grafted acrylic acid or a polypropylene grafted maleic anhydride on these properties has been studied as well. According to scanning electron microscopic observations and tensile tests, the addition of a compatibilizer improved the interfacial adhesion between the flax fibers and the polymer matrix. The tensile modulus of composite containing 30 wt% flax fibers was improved by 200 % and the tensile strength improved by 60 % in comparison with the neat PP. Plasticizing effect of the compatibilizers as a result of their lower melt flow index was also shown to decrease the rheological properties of the composites, even though the effect was not pronounced on the mechanical properties.     

Sound absorption of tropical woods and their radiation-induced composites

This is a preliminary study on the sound absorption properties of two tropical hardwoods, Light Red Meranti and Ramin, and their wood-polymer composites. Sound absorption is measured using a standing wave apparatus. The samples are of one thickness (7mm) and cut longitudinally. Wood-polymer composites are made by impregnating the samples with methyl methacrylate which is polymerized in situ through γ-irradiation. Both woods and their composites are better sound absorbers at higher sound frequencies. With partial impregnation, the absorption coefficients are improved upon particularly in the region between 1–3 kHz.     

聚苯乙烯—钛酸钡复合材料介电性能的研究

以聚苯乙烯与化学沉淀法钛酸钡陶瓷为基本组成，采用溶液共混，溶液聚合，表面处理后溶液聚合三种方法进行复合，发现后两种复合的钛酸钡颗粒表面发生界面变化，形成活性界面，使得溶液聚合法和表面处理后溶液聚合所得到的材料具有较低的介电损耗，在高频下能保持较高的介电系数。     

Influence of shape and surface properties of microstructured reaction areas on the deposition of silica

Differently shaped reaction areas for silica deposition were created by photochemical grafting of hydrophobic poly(acrylic acid 2-ethyl-hexylester) as barrier and a hydrophilic polymer employing a mask having hexagons, pentagons, squares and stripes. Poly(ethylene glycol), poly(acrylic acid), branched and linear poly(ethylene imine) and linear poly(methylpropylene imine) have been applied as hydrophilic polymer in the reaction area. These patterned films have been used in silica mineralization experiments by dipping them into a silica precursor solution. Investigations of the polymer films and silica depositions have been done by contact angle measurements, ellipsometry and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Silica deposition occurs only in the hydrophilically coated areas, resulting in regular arrays of lens-like silica particles. There are only minor differences due to the shape of the reaction area. The influence of the different hydrophilic polymers can be explained by their wetting behaviour.     

Synthesis and characterization of SPE membrane based on sulfonated FEP‐g‐acrylic acid by radiation induced graft copolymerization for PEM fuel cell

A Novel solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) membrane containing both ? COOH and ? SO₃H group has been prepared by simultaneous method of radiation grafting of acrylic acid onto FEP followed by sulfonation. The presence of weakly acidic acrylic acid controls the swelling in water while ? SO₃H group provides conductivity due to its strongly ionic characteristic. FEP‐g‐acrylic acid and its sulfonated derivatives were characterized by their properties. While the mechanical properties decreased, other properties such as ion exchange capacity (IEC), water uptake and ionic conductivity increased with increase in graft content. These properties further changed on sulfonation. Acrylic acid being weakly acidic in nature, conductivity values of the grafted membrane were quite low. However, introduction of strong ? SO₃H group resulted in conductivity closer to Nafion 117. Few sulfonated membranes have been tested with respect to H₂/O₂ fuel cell performance. Short‐term fuel cell test for 100 hr gave a stable performance. These membranes are less expensive compared to Nafion. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

六方相ZnS单晶纳米线束的合成及其光学性质研究

利用丙烯酸和丙烯酸锌的共聚物作为前驱体，硫脲作为硫源，在溶剂热条件下于170 ℃反应96 h得到了ZnS纳米线束。透射电子显微镜(TEM)，选区电子衍射(SAED)和高分辨透射电子显微镜(HRTEM)测试表明这些线束是由单晶纳米线组装而成。该纳米结构具有很好的光学性质。傅立叶变换红外光谱(FTIR)结果证明纳米线被聚合物包裹。此外，对纳米线束的生长机理进行了简要讨论。     

Carbon black‐filled polyolefins as positive temperature coefficient materials: The effect of in situ grafting during melt compounding

For the production of polymer‐based conducting composites serving as positive temperature coefficient (PTC) materials with lower room‐temperature resistivity and sufficiently high PTC intensity, carbon black has been pretreated with acrylic acid and some initiator and then melt‐mixed with low‐density polyethylene. Because of the in situ formation of covalent bonding at the filler/matrix interface, the distribution status and thermally induced displacement habit of the conductive fillers have changed accordingly. As a result, the electrical performance of the composites can be tailored as desired. The amount of acrylic acid and the treatment sequence of carbon black exert an important influence on the effectiveness of the modification. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 127–134, 2003     

Synthesis and properties of alternating copolymers of acrylics and olefins

The free radical copolymerization and terpolymerization of acrylic monomers with olefins in the presence of Lewis acid complexing agent for the acrylic monomer has been investigated. The course of the polyreaction is in agreement with the features of a radical chain growth reaction, and the polymer properties can be varied by changing the composition of the reaction mixture and the reaction conditions. The alternating copolymers are usually amorphous materials, and only the alternating ethylene/acrylonitrile copolymer can be obtained as a material of relatively high crystallinity. The degree of crystallinity can be varied through terpolymerization of complexed acrylonitrile with ethylene/propylene comonomers. The basic features of the polyreaction and the polymer structures as well as some of the physical and material properties of the copolymers have been studied.     

Photochemical behavior of polymer complexes based on Eu(III) acrylato(bisdibenzoylmethanate)

The photochemical behavior of monomer and polymer complexes of Eu³⁺ that are based on dibenzoylmethane and acrylic acid has been studied. It has been shown that these complexes differ from their low-molecular-mass analogs by properties: in the course of photolysis, the intensity of luminescence of the studied Eu³⁺ complexes increases by a factor of 1.3 to 2.5. The mechanism describind the effect of the composition of polymer formulation on the rate of photodegradation is discussed.     

Hydrogen bonds in heterogeneous blends based on semicrystalline polyurethane and styrene-acrylic acid block copolymer

New film-forming polymer composites based on the semicrystalline polyurethane and the styreneacrylic acid block copolymer have been synthesized. The effect of hydrogen bonds on the phase structure and properties of the composites has been studied by dynamic MTA, DSC, thermogravimetry, and IR spectroscopy. Formation of the network of intermolecular hydrogen bonds between urethane groups of polyurethane and carboxyl groups of block copolymer components leads to a decrease in the microphase separation of the composites under study and improves their thermooxidative stability.     

Simultaneous measurement of mechanical and surface properties in thermoresponsive, anchored hydrogel films

Hydrogel films have been used extensively in the preparation of biosensors and biomedical devices. The characteristics of the aqueous interface of the polymer layer are significant for the biosensor or device function; likewise, the changing mechanical properties of thermoresponsive polymers are an important feature that affects the polymer behavior. Atomic force microscopy was used here to characterize both the surface and the mechanical properties of polymeric hydrogel films prepared from a thermoresponsive terpolymer of N-isopropylacrylamide and acrylic acid with benzophenonemethacrylate as a photoreactive cross-linker comonomer. The force-distance curves thus obtained were analyzed to assess both the surface forces and the mechanical response that were associated with the hydrogel. These properties were investigated as a function of temperature, in water and in Tris buffer, for different degrees of polymer cross-linking. For samples in water, the distance over which the surface forces were effective was found to remain constant as the temperature was increased from 26 to 42 °C, even though the mechanical response indicated that the samples had been heated past the lower critical solution temperature, or LCST. The bulk of the polymer becomes less soluble above the LCST, although this does not seem to affect the surface properties. This may be due to the segregation of the acrylic acid-rich polymer segments near the gel surface, which is in agreement with reports for related systems.     

Photo-grafting Poly(acrylic acid) onto Poly(lactic acid) Chains in Solution

Poly(lactic acid)(PLA)is one of the most important bio-plastics,and chemical modification of the already-polymerized poly(lactic acid)chains may enable optimization of its material properties and expand its application areas.In this study,we demonstrated that poly(lactic acid)can be readily dissolved in acrylic acid at room temperature,and acrylic acid can be graft-polymerized onto poly(lactic acid)chains in solution with the help of photoinitiator benzophenone under 254 nm ultraviolet(UV)irradiation.Similar photo-grafting polymerization of acrylic acid(PAA)has only been studied before in the surface modification of polymer films.The graft ratio could be controlled by various reaction parameters,including irradiation time,benzophenone content,and monomer/polymer ratios.This photo-grafting reaction resulted in high graft ratio(graft ratio PAA/PLA up to 180%)without formation of homopolymers of acrylic acid.When the PAA/PLA graft ratio was higher than 100%,the resulting PLA-g-PAA polymer was found dispersible in water.The pros and cons of the photo-grafting reaction were also discussed.     

Chemical and structural modification of polymers by matrix polymerization

The condensation polymerization of urea and formaldehyde in water in the presence of a macromolecular matrix, polyacrylic acid, as well as properties of composites obtained by the matrix polymerization, have been studied. The chemical structure of the urea-formaldehyde polymer was changed by the presence of the matrix. The products of matrix polymerization are composites consisting of a stoichiometric polycomplex of polyacrylic acid with the urea-formaldehyde polymer and an excess of one of the components, depending on the initial composition of the system. Introduction of matrix macromolecules into the reacting system leads to a fibrillized structure of the urea-formaldehyde polymer. The polycomplex, as well as composites with high content of polyacrylic acid, are glasses characterized by high compressive strength and ability to forced elastic deformation. They swell in water. The highly cooperative character of potentiometric titration curves for swollen gels and the quantitative yield in intermolecular amidation indicate an ideal structure of the polycomplex stabilized by hydrogen and ionic-type bonds.     

UV-initiated solidification of liquid crystalline ethylcellulose/acrylic acid films and bands formed in this process

Solidification of liquid crystalline ethylcellulose/acrylic acid films was realized by UV-initiated polymerization of the solvent acrylic acid. It has been found that the original textures were immobilized to a great extent, and a novel “banded texture” formed at the same time. The optical properties of this texture were different from the banded texture formed by shearing lyotropic or thermotropic polymer liquid crystals. Formation of such bands is assumed to be related to an uncompleted phase separation.