Preparation and properties of gluten/calcium carbonate composites

Environment friendly thermosetting composites were prepared by blending wheat gluten （WG） as matrix, calcium carbonate （CaCO3） as filler and glycerol as plasticizer followed by compression molding the mixture at 120 ℃ to crosslink the WG matrix. Morphology observation showed that the CaCO3 particles were finely dispersed in matrix. Incorporation of CaCO3 up to 10 wt% into the composites caused Young＇s modulus and tensile strength to increase markedly. On the other hand, the moisture absorption and elongation at break decreased slightly.     

CaCO3/PEEK复合体系的力学行为和热行为研究

以聚醚醚酮和碳酸钙复合体系为研究对象,考察了偶联剂和填料添加量对复合材料力学行为和热行为的影响.发现磺化聚醚醚酮作为偶联剂能有效地改善材料的力学性能,提高基体树脂的玻璃化转变温度,降低基体树脂的熔点,有助于改善聚醚醚酮的加工条件     

Mechanical properties of hybrid glass/sugar palm fibre reinforced unsaturated polyester composites

A research has been carried out to investigate the mechanical properties of composites made by hybridizing sugar palm fibre (Arenga pinnata) with glass fibre into an unsaturated polyester matrix. Hybrid composites of glass/sugar palm fibre were fabricated in different weight ratios of strand mat glass fibres: sugar palm fibres 4:0, 4:1, 4:2, 4:3, 4:4, and 0:4. The hybrid effects of glass and sugar palm fibre on tensile, flexural and impact properties of the composites were evaluated according to ASTM D5083, ASTM D790 and ASTM D256 respectively. Results have been established that properties of hybrid glass/sugar palm composites such as tensile strength, tensile modulus, elongation at break, toughness, flexural strength, flexural modulus and impact strength are a function of fibre content. The failure mechanism and the adhesion between fibres/matrix were studied by observing the scanning electron micrographs of impact fracture samples. In general, the incorporation of both fibres into unsaturated polyester matrix shows a regular trend of increase in the mechanical properties.     

Resin impregnation of cellulose nanofibril films facilitated by water swelling

Flexible composite films were produced by impregnating aqueous phenol formaldehyde (PF) resin into water-swollen cellulose nanofibril (CNF) films. CNF films were prepared using a pressurized filtration method in combination with freeze drying. The freeze-dried films were swollen with water then impregnated with PF resin by soaking in aqueous resin solutions of varying concentrations. Small amounts of PF slightly enhanced the tensile properties of CNF films. The formulation with the best mechanical properties was CNF/PF films with 8 wt % resin exhibiting tensile stress and toughness of 248 MPa and 26 MJ/m³, respectively. Resin concentrations higher than about 8 % resulted in composites with decreased tensile properties as compared to neat CNF films. The wet strength of the composite films was significantly higher than that of the neat CNF films. The resulting composites showed greater resistance to moisture absorption accompanied by reduced thickness swelling when soaked in water as compared to neat CNF films. The composites also showed decreased oxygen permeability at low humidity compared to neat films, but the composites did not show improved barrier properties at high humidity.     

Preparation and characterization of formaldehyde-modified black liquor lignin/poly (propylene carbonate) composites

In this paper, the black liquor lignin (BL) from pulp and paper industry was chemically modified using formaldehyde to adjust its aggregation structure and dispersion behavior. The properties of the formaldehyde-modified black liquor lignin (BLF) were measured by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry. Results indicated that the BLF had better dispersion ability than BL. Therefore, the BLF as reinforcing fillers was incorporated into poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) by melt compounding to prepare biodegradable BLF/PPC composites. The tensile properties, microstructure, thermal decomposition properties, and rheological properties of the BLF/PPC composites were investigated. Results showed that the performance of composites was depend on the dispersion of BLF. After adding a small amount of BLF into PPC, the tensile strength, tensile modulus, thermal stability, and processing stability of the composite were significantly improved.     

Influence of plasticizers and crosslinking on the properties of biodegradable films made from sodium caseinate

Plasticized protein films were prepared by the casting method from water solution of sodium caseinate and plasticizers with the aim to obtain environmentally friendly materials for packaging applications. Mechanical properties (tensile strength, elongation and Young’s modulus) of caseinate based films were determined versus ratio of protein to plasticizer, plasticizer type and relative humidity conditions. Among the different polyol-type plasticizers tested, glycerol (Gly) and triethanolamine (TEA) were the most efficient for the improvement of mechanical properties (high strains for low stresses). Further, chemical crosslinking between formaldehyde (HCHO) and free amino groups (ε-NH₂) of sodium caseinate was performed to increase water resistance of TEA plasticized films. Optimal mechanical properties, i.e. elastic modulus of 105 MPa, tensile strength of 8-9 MPa for elongation at break about 110-125% were obtained for HCHO/ε-NH₂ ratios higher than 1.35. Protein specific water solubility was determined from a 280 nm absorbance. For convenient crosslinker (HCHO) content sodium caseinate solubility can be lowered to less than 5 wt% after 24 h immersion in water.     

MgAlZnFe-CO3 LDHs对PBS膨胀阻燃体系性能的影响

采用恒定pH值共沉淀法在自制反应器中合成了不同原料配比的碳酸根型镁铝锌铁层状双羟基金属氧化物（MgAlZnFe-CO₃ LDHs）,并通过熔融共混MgAlZnFe-CO₃ LDHs、聚磷酸铵（APP）、三聚氰胺（MA）和全降解材料聚丁二酸丁二醇酯（PBS）制备出PBS膨胀阻燃材料. 采用傅里叶红外光谱（FTIR）、热失重（TG）、X射线衍射（XRD）、扫描电子显微镜（SEM）及元素分析（ICP）对MgAlZnFe-CO₃ LDHs进行了表征,并对PBS膨胀体系进行了力学性能和阻燃性能等测试. 结果表明,当Mg²⁺,Zn²⁺,Al³⁺和Fe³⁺的摩尔比为9：3：3：1时,合成的MgAlZnFe-CO₃ LDHs热稳定性最好,晶态结构规整,呈形貌规则的六边形片状;当MgAlZnFe-CO₃ LDHs的添加质量分数为1%时（阻燃剂的总添加质量分数为20%）时,PBS膨胀阻燃体系的极限氧指数（LOI）达到35%,垂直燃烧测试达到UL-94 V-0级别,力学性能得到较大改善. 实验结果表明,低添加量的MgAlZnFe-CO₃ LDHs与膨胀阻燃剂（IFR）协效阻燃PBS,一方面能够改善膨胀阻燃剂恶化PBS力学性能的现象,另一方面协同效应能够明显提高PBS的阻燃性能.     

Modified silica-based isoprene rubber composite by a multi-functional silane: Preparation and its mechanical and dynamic mechanical properties

Modified silica-based isoprene rubber (IR) composite has been designed and prepared by using a multi-functional silane, 2-aminoethyl-2-(3-triethoxysilylpropyl)aminoethyl disulfide (ATD), as coupling agent. Such modification significantly improved the dispersity of silica in the corresponding composites, as verified by SEM observation. And the hardness, tensile strength, stress at definite elongation, tear strength and temperature rise as well as the value of dynamic loss coefficient ranging from 0 °C to 80 °C of silica/IR vulcanized composites, are significantly improved, especially with low ATD dosage (2–4 phr). This modification of silica-based IR composite by employing ATD as coupling agent provides a facile and effective method to prepare silica-based rubber composites with improved mechanical properties and low hysteresis.     

Mechanical and morphological properties of injection-molded rice husk polypropylene composites

In this work, the investigation of the physical, mechanical, and morphological properties of the rice husk flour/polypropylene composites was performed utilizing various filler loadings and coupling agent. Five levels of filler loading (35, 40, 45, 50, and 55 wt%) were designed. In addition, to help the interaction between fiber and polypropylene matrix, struktol coupling agent was added to the composites. All of tensile strength, Young's modulus, flexural strength, flexural modulus, and impact strength properties of the composites were carried out. Moreover, the 50 wt% filler-loaded composites had optimum tensile strength, flexural strength, and flexural modulus, whereas the 35 wt% of filler loading case was the best regarding Young's modulus, flexural strength, flexural modulus, and impact strength. Furthermore, the scanning electron microscope results demonstrate that as filler loading increases, more voids and fiber pullout occur.     

Water absorption and enzymatic degradation of poly(lactic acid)/rice starch composites

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composites consisting of PLA, rice starch (RS) (0–50 wt%) and epoxidised natural rubber (ENR50) were compounded by a twin-screw extruder and compression moulded into dumbbell specimens. Tensile tests were performed to characterize the mechanical properties of the PLA/RS composites. Morphological studies were done on the tensile fractured surface of the specimens by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Twenty weight percent of RS achieved a good balance of strength and stiffness. Beyond 20 wt% loading of RS, the tensile strength and elongation at break of PLA decreased drastically. This may be attributed to the agglomeration of RS, which could then act as stress concentrator. The incorporation of ENR50 increased the tensile strength and elongation at break of the PLA/RS composites remarkably, owing to the elastomeric behaviour and compatibilisation effects of ENR50. Interestingly, the morphology of PLA/RS composites transformed to a more ductile one with the addition of ENR. The kinetics of water absorption of the PLA/RS composites conforms to Fick's law. The M_m and D values are dependent on the RS and ENR concentrations. The tensile properties of the PLA/RS composites deteriorated after water absorption. The retention-ability and recoverability of the PLA/RS composites are relatively low, attributed to the hydrolysis of PLA, degradation of the PLA–RS interface and leaching of the RS particles. In addition, the tensile properties of PLA/RS composites decreased drastically upon exposure to enzymatic degradation. Extensive pinhole and surface erosion on the PLA/RS composites indicate high degree of hydrolysis. Whilst the addition of ENR leads to some improvements in tensile properties, nevertheless, it enhanced the biodegradability of the PLA/RS composites when exposed to water and -amylase enzymatic treatments.     

PTFE/纳米SiO2复合材料的制备及其力学性能

聚合物／纳米级无机粒子复合材料是纳米材料中的一种具有重要价值的新型材料，可广泛应用于橡胶、塑料、纤维三大合成材料之中。采用纳米级无机粒子填充聚合物基复合材料，可以在材料的补强、增韧等改性中获得良好的效果。本文以纳米SiO2为填料，将其经过有机处理后，制备了FIFE／纳米SiO2复合材料，并研究了纳米SiO2的含量对PTFE复合材料性能的影响。     

LLDPE/纳米SiO_2复合材料的力学性能和光学性能研究

采用熔融共混方法制备了LLDPE 纳米SiO2 复合材料 ,并对该体系的力学性能和光学性能进行了系统研究 .结果表明 ,随着纳米SiO2 的加入 ,复合材料的弹性模量显著提高 ,冲击强度与拉伸强度呈峰形变化 ,且均在SiO2 含量为 3phr左右达到最大值 .加入少量的纳米SiO2 后 ,复合材料薄膜对长波红外线 (7～ 1 1 μm)的吸收能力较LLDPE膜有了显著提高 ,透光率略有下降但雾度提高 ,透光质量得到改善 .同时表明 ,纳米SiO2 的表面处理方法对膜的光学性能有显著影响     

Comparison of the effect of mica and talc and chemical coupling on the rheology,morphology, and mechanical properties of polypropylene composites

The effect of filler types of mica and talc on the oscillatory shear rheological properties, mechanical performance, and morphology of the chemically coupled polypropylene composites is studied in this work. The Maleic Anhydride grafted Polypropylene (MAPP) was used as an adhesion promoter for coupling mineral particles with the polypropylene matrix. The samples were prepared by a co‐rotating, L/D = 40, 25 mm twin screw extruder. The tensile tests carried out on the injection molded samples showed a reinforcing effect of talc up to 20 wt% on the Polypropylene (PP). The tensile strength of PP‐mica composites showed a slight decrease at all percentages of mica. The effect of chemical coupling by using MAPP on the tensile strength was more pronounced in increasing the tensile strength for PP‐mica than PP‐talc composites. The complex viscosity curve of pure PP and the composites, showed a Newtonian plateau (η₀) up to 30 wt% at low frequency terminal zone. By increasing the filler content to 40 and 50 wt%, the complex viscosity at very low shear rates sharply increased and showed yield behavior that can be due to the formation of filler particles networks in the melt. At the optimum amount of coupling agent, a minimum in cross over frequency curve against MAPP content is observed. The optimum amount of coupling agent for PP‐talc composites is about 1.5%, and about 3% for PP‐mica formulations. The analysis of viscosity behavior at power‐law high region, revealed the more shear thinning effect of mica than talc on the PP matrix resin. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Properties of ethylene propylene diene rubber/white and black filler composites cured by gamma radiation in presence of sorbic acid

The effect of incorporating sorbic acid (SA), an echo-friendly curing agent, and silica or carbon black (CB) filler, as well as gamma irradiation on the physico-chemical, mechanical and thermal properties of ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber (EPDM) was investigated. The results indicated that the developed composites revealed improvement in the studied parameters over the untreated samples. Filler incorporation into rubber matrix has been proven a key factor in enhancing the swelling resistance, tensile strength and thermal properties of the fabricated composites. The improvement in tensile strength and modulus was attributed to better interfacial bonding via SA. Alternatively, a comparison was established between the performance of the white and black fillers. The utmost mechanical performance was reported for the incorporated ratios 10 phr SA and 40 phr white filler into a 50 kGy irradiated composite. Meanwhile, the incorporation of CB yielded better thermally stable composites than those filled with silica at similar conditions.     

Kapok/cotton fabric–polypropylene composites

Kapok/cotton fabric has been used as reinforcement for conventional polypropylene and maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene resins. Treating the reinforcement with acetic anhydride and sodium hydroxide has modified the fabric (fibres). Thermal and mechanical properties of the composites were investigated. Results show that fibre modification gives a significant improvement to the thermal properties of the plant fibres, whereas tests on the mechanical properties of the composites showed poor tensile strength. Mercerisation and weathering were found to impart toughness to the materials, with acetylation showing slightly less rigidity compared to other treatments on either the fibre or composites. The modified polypropylene improved the tensile modulus and had the least toughness of the kapok/cotton reinforced composites. MAiPP reinforced with the plant fibres gave better flexural strength and the same flexural modulus at lower fibre content compared with glass fibre reinforced MAiPP.     

Enhancement of mechanical and thermal properties of oil palm empty fruit bunch fiber poly(butylene adipate-co-terephtalate) biocomposites by matrix esterification using succinic anhydride

In this work, the oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) fiber was used as a source of lignocellulosic filler to fabricate a novel type of cost effective biodegradable composite, based on the aliphatic aromatic co-polyester poly(butylene adipate-co-terephtalate) PBAT (Ecoflex?), as a fully biodegradable thermoplastic polymer matrix. The aim of this research was to improve the new biocomposites' performance by chemical modification using succinic anhydride (SAH) as a coupling agent in the presence and absence of dicumyl peroxide (DCP) and benzoyl peroxide (BPO) as initiators. For the composite preparation, several blends were prepared with varying ratios of filler and matrix using the melt blending technique. The composites were prepared at various fiber contents of 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 (wt %) and characterized. The effects of fiber loading and coupling agent loading on the thermal properties of biodegradable polymer composites were evaluated using thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was used for morphological studies. The chemical structure of the new biocomposites was also analyzed using the Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy technique. The PBAT biocomposite reinforced with 40 (wt %) of EFB fiber showed the best mechanical properties compared to the other PBAT/EFB fiber biocomposites. Biocomposite treatment with 4 (wt %) succinic anhydride (SAH) and 1 (wt %) dicumyl peroxide (DCP) improved both tensile and flexural strength as well as tensile and flexural modulus. The FTIR analyses proved the mechanical test results by presenting the evidence of successful esterification using SAH/DCP in the biocomposites' spectra. The SEM micrograph of the tensile fractured surfaces showed the improvement of fiber-matrix adhesion after using SAH. The TGA results showed that chemical modification using SAH/DCP improved the thermal stability of the PBAT/EFB biocomposite.     

中空多壳层TiO2填充对环氧树脂复合材料力学性能的影响

为改善环氧树脂(EP)材料的力学性能, 采用次序模板法合成了TiO₂中空多壳层结构(HoMS)材料, 利用偶联剂对获得的TiO₂ HoMSs进行接枝改性后填充到EP中, 制备了TiO₂ HoMSs/EP复合材料; 并与单壳层TiO₂中空结构进行比较, 研究了壳层数和偶联剂改性对复合材料力学性能的影响规律. 结果表明, 随着壳层数的增加, 复合材料的力学性能增强, 并且偶联剂改性的TiO₂ HoMSs可进一步提高复合材料的力学性能. 在该体系中, 经硅烷偶联剂KH-560改性后的三壳层TiO₂ HoMSs(3S-TiO₂ HoMSs)/EP复合材料的拉伸强度、 断裂伸长率和冲击强度可分别达到71.66 MPa, 7.4%和35.81 kJ/m². 扫描电子显微镜(SEM)断面形貌表征结果显示, 相较于纯EP材料, TiO₂ HoMSs/EP复合材料的断面更加粗糙, 说明TiO₂ HoMSs材料起到了吸收外界应力和阻碍裂纹扩展的作用, 提高了复合材料的韧性, 提升了复合材料的冲击性能.     

MMA接枝改性PVC/CaCO3纳米复合材料的力学性能

采用熔融共混法制备PMMA接枝改性纳米CaCO3增韧PVC（PVC/CaCO3）复合材料,并研究了复合材料的力学性能.结果表明,通过表面PMMA的接枝改性,可以显著提高纳米CaCO3增韧聚氯乙烯复合材料的拉伸强度和拉伸模量,在纳米CaCO3颗粒表面PMMA包覆层厚度为2nm时,复合材料的拉伸强度和拉伸模量达到极大值.对比于未处理纳米CaCO3和钛酸酯偶联剂处理纳米CaCO3,PMMA接枝改性纳米CaCO3增韧PVC复合材料的拉伸强度得到较大幅度提高.SEM显示,经过PMMA接枝改性后的碳酸钙在PVC基体中分散均匀,与基体界面结合良好.     

The tensile properties of HNO3‐treated carbon fiber reinforced ABS/PA6 composites

In this study, acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene (ABS) terpolymer was reinforced with HNO₃‐treated short carbon fibers (SCFs) [(hollow carbon fibers (HCFs)]. The effects of HCF concentration on the tensile properties of the composites were examined. Increasing the HCF concentration in the ABS matrix from 10 to 30 wt% resulted in improved tensile strength and tensile modulus. To obtain a strong interaction at the interface, polyamide 6 (PA6) at varying concentrations was introduced into the ABS/10 wt% SCF composite. The incorporation and increasing amount of PA6 in the composites increased tensile properties of the ABS/PA6/HCF systems due to the improved adhesion at the interface, which was confirmed by the ratio of tensile strength as an adhesion parameter. These results were also supported by scanning electron micrographs of the ABS/PA6/HCF composites, which exhibited an improved adhesion between the SCFs and the ABS/PA6 matrix. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

PREPARATION AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF T-ZnOw/PS COMPOSITES

The main subject of this work is about the preparation of T-ZnOw/PS composites through different methods and the evaluation of mechanical properties of the composites.Different surface modification methods of T-ZnOw whiskers,the so called wet-type modification and dry-type modification,and different molding processing methods of T-ZnOw/PS composites,namely compression molding and injection molding,have been employed.Two different coupling agents, titanate coupling agent (NDZ105) and silane coupling agent...