Zinc Dimethacrylate-Reinforced Thermoplastic Vulcanizates Based on Chlorinated Polyethylene Rubber/Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate Copolymer

A chlorinated polyethylene rubber (CPE)/ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) (weight ratio = 70/30) thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) was prepared by dynamic vulcanization, with the TPV being reinforced by various amounts of zinc dimethacrylate (ZDMA). The effects of ZDMA content on the mechanical and morphological properties of the TPVs were investigated. Experimental results indicated that dynamically vulcanized CPE/EVA blends without ZDMA showed an elastomeric behavior when the CPE/EVA weight ratio ranged from 90/10 to 50/50. The mechanical properties of dynamically vulcanized CPE/EVA blends were enhanced remarkably by the incorporation of ZDMA, especially when the ZDMA content was 5 phr. The fracture surface morphology of the reinforced CPE/EVA TPVs was relatively rough and drawn fibers could be found clearly. There were many ZDMA particles dispersed on the etched surface of the reinforced CPE/EVA TPVs with diameters of below about 10 μm. Energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS) results showed that the ZDMA particles were coated with CPE, the ZDMA particles being surrounded by a large number of small crosslinked CPE particles with diameters of 1 μm.     

Shape Memory Properties of Melt-Blended Olefin Block Copolymer (OBC)/Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate Blends

The completely crosslinked shape memory polymer blends (SMPs) traditionally suffer from recycling problems due to their network structure. In this paper we describe the thermal, mechanical, and shape memory behavior of physical blends of OBC (Olefin block copolymer) and EVA (Ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer), with and without modification of one or both of the components, prepared using a melt-blending method. These behaviors of the modified blends, based on maleated OBC (OBC-g-MA) and/or vinyltriethoxysilane (VTEOS) modified EVA, included OBC/EVA-g-VTEOS, OBC-g-MA/EVA, and OBC-g-MA/EVA-g-VTEOS blends; they were investigated to compare with the OBC/EVA blend. The SEM (scanning electron microscopy) observations showed that the compatibility of the silane and maleic anhydride modified OBC/EVA blends were better than that of the unmodified OBC/EVA blend. The crystallization temperatures of OBC and EVA in the modified blends were higher than those in the neat blend. The OBC-g-MA/EVA-g-VTEOS blend had the highest modulus and thermal stability of all investigated blend systems due to the numerous interactions between maleic anhydride and silane. The shape memory performance, as defined by the shape fixity ratio (R_f) and shape recovery ratio (R_r), was higher for the modified blends of one or both of the modified components than that for the OBC/EVA blend. These modified blends were readily reprocessible, like thermoplastic vulcanizates, and still retained shape memory behavior, in contrast with the fully crosslinked shape memory polymer blends; thus they were also improved in terms of the environmental aspects of processing.     

Mechanical,Water-swelling,and Morphological Properties of Water-swellable Thermoplastic Vulcanizates Based on Polyvinyl Chloride/Crosslinked Sodium Polyacrylate/Chlorinated Polyethylene Blends

A novel water-swellable rubber (WSR) was prepared by dynamically vulcanizing polyvinyl chloride (PVC)/chlorinated polyethylene (CPE) blends where a crosslinked poly(sodium acrylate) (CPNaAA) was used as a super water-absorbent resin and dispersed in the CPE rubber. The mechanical, water-swelling, and morphological properties were investigated. The results showed that the dynamically vulcanized PVC/CPNaAA/CPE blends exhibited obvious elastomeric behavior and could be considered as thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs). The PVC/CPNaAA/CPE TPVs showed strong water-swelling ability, with the water-swelling ratio of the PVC/CPNaAA/CPE TPV with 30/60/70 weight ratio reaching 2400% at 200 h immersion. Moreover, compared with the first water-swelling behavior, the second and third water-swelling behaviors of the TPVs showed significantly improved water-swelling ratio and a remarkable decrease of weight loss. Morphological study showed that the interface interaction between the CPNaAA and CPE was weak. The CPNaAA particles in the blends could be separated and even be pulled out from the matrix under tensile stress, leading to the formation of suspended CPNaAA particles on the fracture surface of PVC/CPNaAA/CPE TPVs. The surface of the dried TPVs was rough and significant cavities could be found. The dynamic mechanical properties were investigated and the TPVs showed the typical Payne effect.     

Synthesis of a Novel Flame Retardant and Its Synergistic Effect With a Phosphapheanthrene Flame Retardant in Polypropylene/Polyethylene Vinyl Acetate Blends

A novel flame retardant (NSiB) containing nitrogen, silicon and boron was synthesized through reacting of N-(β-aminoethyl)-γ-aminopropyl trimethoxy-silane (KH-792) and boric acid. The structure of NSiB was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS). The effects of NSiB on the flame retardancy and thermal behaviors of polypropylene (PP)/polyethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) blends were investigated by limiting oxygen index value (LOI), vertical burning tests (UL-94) and thermal gravimetric analysis tests (TGA). The results showed that the flame retardancy and thermal stability of PP/EVA blends were improved with the addition of NSiB. When 7.5 wt% DOPO (phosphaphenanthrene) and 0.5 wt% NSiB were incorporated, the LOI value of the PP/EVA blends was 26.9%, and the class V-0 of UL-94 test was passed, as compared to the LOI value of 22.4% and class V-2 of UL-94 test for 8.0 wt% DOPO only and 16.7% and fail, respectively, for the PP/EVA blends alone. The char structure observed by SEM indicated that the surface of the char for the PP/EVA/7.5 wt% DOPO/0.5 wt% NSiB blends had a denser and continuous char structure when compared with that of the PP/EVA blends and PP/EVA/8.0 wt% DOPO blends. These results indicated that there was a good synergistic effect for NSiB and DOPO.     

Dynamically Vulcanized Cis-1,3-Butadiene Rubber/Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate Copolymer/High- Impact Polystyrene Blends Compatibilized by Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene Block Copolymer

Compatibilized Cis-1,3-butadiene rubber (BR)/ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA)/high-impact polystyrene (HIPS) thermoplastic blend vulcanizates (TPVs) were prepared by dynamic vulcanization, with TPVs being compatibilized by styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) block copolymer. The effects of SBS compatibilizer on mechanical, dynamic mechanical, and morphological properties of TPVs were investigated systematically. Experimental results indicated that the dynamically vulcanized BR/HIPS blends did not show an elastomeric behavior when the BR/HIPS blend ratio ranged from 30:70 to 70:30. However, the dynamically vulcanized BR/EVA/HIPS blends compatibilized with SBS showed obvious elastomeric behavior; thus SBS had a good compatibilization effect on BR/EVA/HIPS TPVs. The fractured surface morphology of compatibilized BR/EVA/HIPS TPV was relatively smooth, the interface interaction was strong, and there was no obvious micro-phase separation. BR particles were dispersed evenly in the etched surfaces of BR/EVA/SBS/HIPS TPV. A rubber process analyzer revealed that the storage modulus decreased significantly with increasing strain and the incorporation of compatibilizer SBS in TPVs weakened the Payne effect; the loss modulus showed a pronounced peak and tanδ increased continuously with increasing strain.     

Adhesion in polyamide/compatibilizer/polypropylene systems

The effect of compatibilization on the adhesion, fracture toughness, morphology, and mechanical properties of isotactic polypropylene (PP)/polyamide 6 (PA) blends was investigated. Maleic anhydride (MAH) functionalized poly-(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) (EVA-g-MAH) and nonreactive EVA copolymer were used as compatibilizers in binary blends. An attempt of in situ compatibilization via addition of pure maleic anhydride to PA/EVA/PP melt was also made. The blends containing maleated EVA copolymer showed more regular and finer dispersion of phases, better adhesion at the interface, and improved mechanical properties.     

Mechanical and Thermal Behavior of Blends of Poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) with Ethylene Vinyl Acetate Copolymer

Ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), with vinyl acetate contents of 60% or 80%, was used to improve the mechanical properties of poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV). Blends of PHBV/EVA were prepared with the ratios of 90:10, 70:30, and 50:50. Stress–strain results indicated that the tensile strength, elongation at break, Young's modulus, and toughness of PHBV blends could be adjusted by changing the composition of blends and miscibility. It was found that high elongation at break, ca. 200%, was obtained for PHBV/EVA80 (50:50).     

Shape Memory Properties of Melt-Blended Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (Eva)/Metallocene Polyethylene Eco-Blends

EVA(ethylene vinyl acetate) was melt-blended with mPE(metallocene polyethylene elastomer) to form shape memory, eco-based blends with and without vinyl triethoxysilane (VTEOS) modification. The silane crosslinking modification slightly suppressed the crystallization temperatures of the mPE component due to the increased gel content. The crystallinity of mPE also decreased slightly, from 4.1% to 1.8%, due to the silane crosslinking effect, and further, to 1.3%, due to the interference effect of EVA. Despite this negative contribution to thermal crystallization behaviors, the highest tensile strength and Young's modulus were still observed for the EVA/mPE-g-VTEOS blend, attributed to the higher interaction between the silane groups on mPE and the vinyl acetate groups on EVA. In addition, the silane grafting modification on mPE improved the thermal stability and shape fixity of the EVA/mPE-g-VTEOS blend further with respect to their corresponding EVA/mPE blend. The recovery ratio of the EVA/mPE-g-VTEOS system was still high, up to 92.8±0.3%, for the recovery from a temporary deformed shape. In considering both the shape fixity and recovery ratios together, the SMI (shape memory index) of the EVA/mPE-g-VTEOS blend was about 81%, which was higher than that of the EVA/mPE, at about 75%. In particular, the EVA/mPE-g-VTEOS could still be melt processed, in comparison with conventional crosslinked shape memory polymer blends which are hard to be recycled. Herein we justify the merit of the silane modification in the preparation of the EVA/mPE-g-VTEOS shape memory eco-blend to expand its applications, especially in terms of environmental concerns.     

Effects of Blend Ratio on Rheology,Morphology, Mechanical and Oil-Resistant Properties in Chlorinated Polyethylene Rubber and Copolyamide Blends

The elastomeric chlorinated polyethylene (CPE) blended with a low melting point copolyamide (PA6/PA66/PA1010, PA) was prepared by a melt mixing technique. The mixing characteristics of the blends were analyzed from the rheographs. The influence of copolyamide (PA) content on the morphology, mechanical properties, crystallization and oil-resistance, and the addition of compatibilizers on the mechanical properties were also systematically investigated. Morphological examinations clearly revealed a two-phase system in which CPE/PA blends exhibit a cocontinuous morphology for 50/50 composition, and the continuous phase of PA turns into a disperse phase for 70/30, 80/20, and 90/10. There is a distinct interface between the two phases. The mechanical properties, crystallization, and oil-resistance have a strong dependence on the amount of PA. The blends with higher proportions of PA have superior mechanical properties; they are explained on the basis of the morphology of the blend and the cystallinity of PA. In addition, compatibilizers, including chlorinated polyethylene-graft-copolyamide (CPE-G-PA), chlorinated polyethylene-graft-maleic anhydride (CPE-G-MAH), ethylene-n-butyl acrylate-monoxide (EnBACO), and ethylene-n-butyl acrylate-monoxide-graft-maleic anhydride (EnBACO-g-MAH) were added into the blends. Tensile strength and elongation at break go through a maximum value at a compatibilizer resin content (on the basis of the total mass of the blend) of 20 wt% while the PA content is 30 wt%.     

Dynamically Vulcanized Styrene-Butadiene Rubber/Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate Copolymer/High Impact Polystyrene Blends Compatibilized by Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene Block Copolymer

Thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs) based on styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR)/ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA)/high-impact polystyrene (HIPS) blends were prepared by dynamic vulcanization, and the TPVs was compatibilized by styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer (SBS). The effects of SBS compatibilizer on mechanical, dynamic mechanical, and morphological properties of the TPVs were investigated systemically. Experimental results indicate that SBS had a good compatibilization effect on the SBR/EVA/HIPS TPVs. The tensile strength went through a maximum value at a compatibilizer resin content of 6 phr, and the elongation at break and tear strength increased with increasing SBS content. Morphology study shows that the vulcanized SBR particles were dispersed in the HIPS matrices. A rubber process analyzer reveals that the elastic modulus increased with increasing frequency and the incorporation of EVA in the TPVs led to the obvious decrease of elastic modulus; however, the further addition of compatibilizer SBS affected the elastic modulus less. The tan δ decreased continuously with increasing frequency. The addition of SBS in the TPVs led to enhanced hysteresis behavior and relatively high tan δ.     

Crystalline and relaxation properties of ethylene copolymer films inserted between two steel sheets

The relaxation and crystalline properties of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) co-polymers inserted in steel/polymer/steel assemblies were studied. To investigate the properties of the interfacial region, polymers of different thickness inserted in the assemblies were analyzed. The studied EVA copolymers are semicrystalline polymers. The relaxation properties of the amorphous phase were investigated by dynamic mechanical measurements performed on the steel/polymer/steel assemblies, and the crystalline properties were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results indicate that, for low polymer thicknesses, the mobility of the amorphous phase is significantly reduced. Significant changes in the crystalline organization also were observed when the polymer thickness decreased, with the presence of more numerous disorganized crystals for thin EVA layers. These crystals can act as physical ties that reduce the mobility of the neighboring amorphous chains. These results indicate the formation of an interphase layer of reduced mobility.     

The Effect of Poly(Ethylene Succinate) on Mechanical Properties of PLLA/PES Blend Prepared by Melt-Blending

Fully biodegradable poly(L-lactide) and poly(ethylene succinate) (PLLA/PES) blends were prepared via melt-blending using PLLA and PES as reactants in a stainless steel chamber. The prepared PLLA/PES blend, as well as neat PLLA and PES, was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) to confirm the structure and the crystallization of PLLA in the blend. The mechanical properties of PLLA/PES blends were determined by bending and tensile tests and the effects of PES content on the mechanical properties of PLLA/PES blends were investigated. It was found that blending some amount of PES could significantly improve the elongation at break while still keeping considerably high strength and modulus. With increasing PES content, both strength and modulus gradually decreased; however the elongation at break significantly increased. SEM was used to examine the morphology of fracture surfaces of PLLA/PES blends.     

离子液体[BDMIM]PF_6修饰碳糊电极的制备及其电化学性能

以离子液体1,2-二甲基-3-丁基咪唑六氟磷酸盐（[BDMIM]PF6）代替传统液态石蜡为粘合剂与石墨粉相混合,制备了一种新型的离子液体修饰碳糊电极（IL/CPE）。采用扫描电子显微镜分别对其表面形貌和石蜡碳糊电极（CPE）表面形貌进行了表征。以亚铁氰化钾为电化学探针对IL/CPE的电化学行为进行了研究,并与CPE进行了比较。结果表明,[BDMIM]PF6由于具有较高的导电性,使IL/CPE比CPE具有更高的导电效率,铁氰化钾在电极上的可逆性变好,ΔEP值变小,峰电流响应增加10倍,电极过程由CPE上的吸附控制变为扩散控制,根据计时库仑法求解出铁氰化钾的扩散系数为5.52×10^-6cm2/s（25℃）。电化学交流阻抗图亦表明与不导电的液态石蜡油相比,离子液体的存在加快了电子传递。     

Hydroxyapatite/polyamide66 porous scaffold with an ethylene vinyl acetate surface layer used for simultaneous substitute and repair of articular cartilage and underlying bone

In this paper, tissue scaffold made from polyamide66 (PA66) and hydroxyapatite (HA) was prepared by co-precipitation and thermal-induced phase inversion method, in which biomimetic HA crystals were uniformly distributed in PA66 matrix. The porosity of the scaffold is about 81% and the macropore size is from 50 to 500 μm. The ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) layer was thermally molded on one surface of HA-PA66 scaffold to develop EVA/HA-PA66 composite for articular cartilage/bone substitute, i.e., upper EVA layer for cartilage substitute and underlying HA-PA66 scaffold for bone bonding and fixation. The physicochemical and mechanical properties of EVA were also investigated. The results indicate that the tensile and compressive strength of EVA is about 4.65 MPa and 9.44 MPa respectively, while its mean friction coefficient is very small, only about 0.23. The cell culture of EVA and HA-PA66 scaffold shows that these materials possess good cytocompatibility. The proposed preparation method is novel and effective, and the EVA/HA-PA66 composite has good potential for simultaneous substitute of articular cartilage and underlying bone.     

Morphology,Rheology, and Mechanical Properties of Polylactide/Poly(Ethylene-co-octene) Blends

Polylactide (PLA)/poly(ethylene-co-octene) (POE) blends containing ethylene-glycidyl methacrylate copolymer (EGMA) as a compatibilizer were prepared by melt blending. An immiscible, two-phase structure with POE dispersed in the PLA matrix was observed by scanning electron microscopy. It was found that the POE particle size was significantly decreased by the addition of EGMA, and the POE particle size and distribution decreased with the increase of the compatibilizer content up to 2% EGMA, beyond which the POE particle size and distribution remained unchanged. The reactions between the epoxy groups of EGMA and carboxylic or hydroxyl groups of PLA were elucidated by the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Rheological results showed that the G′(ω), G″(ω), and complex viscosity of PLA/POE blends significantly increased at low frequencies with the addition of EGMA. The failure mode changed from brittle fracture of the neat PLA to ductile fracture of the PLA/POE blends.     

EVA-enhanced embedding medium for histological analysis of 3D porous scaffold material

When sectioning a 3D porous scaffold made of a soft elastomeric material embedded in paraffin medium, it is not easy to obtain a section because of the different mechanical properties of the paraffin and tissue/scaffold. We describe a new embedding material for histological analysis of various biomaterials that is composed of paraffin and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) resin (0, 3, 7, and 13 wt.%). 3D porous poly(l-lactide--caprolactone) (PLCL) and chitosan scaffolds were fabricated to test the sectioning efficiency of the paraffin/EVA embedding material. The new embedding material was characterized by rheological analysis and solvent solubility testing in xylene and n-hexane. The hydrophilicity of the new material was assessed by contact angle measurement and its surface roughness was measured using AFM analysis. The staining efficiency of sections embedded in a paraffin/EVA mixture was determined by eosin staining of the chitosan scaffold and chitosan/collagen hybrid scaffold using a fluorescently labeled collagen. Section roughness decreased with increasing EVA content. The softening temperature of the paraffin/EVA mixture was similar to that of paraffin (50–60 °C by rheometer). The paraffin/EVA mixture dissolved completely in xylene after 30 min at 50 °C, and after 30 min in n-hexane at 60 °C. Therefore, the new embedding medium can be used for histological analysis of various biomaterials and natural tissues.     

Seven-hole hollow polyester fibers as reinforcement in sound absorption chlorinated polyethylene composites

A series of thin, lightweight and low-cost sound absorption composites consisting of chlorinated polyethylene (CPE) and seven-hole hollow polyester fibers (SHPF) were fabricated. The sound absorption property of the fiber composites was tested in an impedance tube, the morphology was characterized by a scanning electron micrographs (SEM) and the mechanical property of fiber composites was measured by strength tester. The effect of fiber content, composite thickness, and cavity depth on the sound absorption property, and the effect of fiber content on mechanical property and micro-structure were investigated. The results demonstrated that acoustical characteristics of porous materials were exhibited by mixing with SHPF. Acoustical absorption of materials increased significantly with increasing SHPF content. Furthermore, the acoustic property of composite with 20% SHPF concentration and 3 mm thickness was noted in the low frequency range, giving a sound absorption coefficient peak, 0.695 at 2500 Hz. Composite with air back cavity had resonance characteristics of a lamella with an absorption peak only occurring at a specific frequency. Compared with pure CPE of similar thickness, mechanically CPE/SHPF composite at the 1 mm thickness and 20% SHPF exhibited 228% higher tensile stress and 96% lower breaking strain. It appears from these results that CPE/SHPF composites have potential for engineering applications especially as sound absorbers.     

Effect of pre-irradiation PPO-grafted maleic anhydride on structure and properties of PPO-g-MAH/PA66 blends

The pre-irradiation polyphenylene oxide (PPO)-graft-maleic anhydride (PPO-g-MAH) was carried out by reactive extrusion. The chemical structure of PPO-g-MAH was characterized by means of Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The wettability of PPO-g-MAH was characterized by the contact angle method. The blends of PPO-g-MAH/polyamide 66 (PA66) were prepared. Compared with the PPO/PA66 blends, mechanical properties of PPO-g-MAH/PA66 blends were distinctly improved. Smaller dispersed particle sizes with narrower distribution were found in PPO-g-MAH/PA66 blends, via field-emitted scanning electron microscopy. Rheological properties of PPO-g-MAH/PA66 blends were studied with a rotational rheometer.     

Thermoplastic Elastomers Based on High-Impact Polystyrene/Waste Styrene Butadiene Rubber Powder Blends Enhanced by Styrene–Butadiene–Styrene Block Copolymer and Aromatic Oil

Thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) based on high-impact polystyrene (HIPS)/waste styrene–butadiene rubber powder (WSBRP) blends were prepared by melt-compounding; they were enhanced by incorporation of styrene–butadiene–styrene block copolymer (SBS) and aromatic oil (AO). The effects of SBS and AO dosage on the mechanical properties, Mullins effect and morphological properties of the blends were investigated. Experimental results showed that the incorporation of SBS and AO in the HIPS/WSBRP blends could improve the mechanical properties significantly. Compared with that of HIPS/WSBRP blends, the elongation at break had a maximum value with 9 phr SBS and 15 phr AO loading, being improved by about 220%. The Mullins effect results showed that a softening effect appeared obviously after the first loading–unloading cycle, while the residual deformation and internal friction loss of the HIPS/SBS/AO/WSBRP TPEs were much lower than those of the HIPS/WSBRP blends, indicating the improvement of elasticity.