A new polymer/clay nano-composite hydrogel with improved response rate and tensile mechanical properties

A new type of stimuli-responsive organic/inorganic nano-composite hydrogel was prepared by introducing fibrillar attapulgite into poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate-co-methacrylic acid) network, in which the nanosized attapulgite fibril worked as the cross-linker instead of conventional chemical cross-linker. In the preparation process, a prepolymerization route was adopted to effectively stabilize the dispersion of attapulgite. The structure and morphology of the nano-composite hydrogels were characterized by SEM, FTIR and DSC. The swelling/deswelling behaviors and tensile mechanical properties of the nano-composite hydrogels were compared with that of the corresponding chemically cross-linked hydrogel. The results showed that the nano-composite hydrogels had much greater equilibrium-swelling ratio, much faster response rate to pH and significantly improved tensile mechanical properties. As the content of AT increased, the tensile strength, effective cross-link chain density and glass transition temperature increased, while the equilibrium swelling ratio, deswelling rate and elongation at break decreased.     

Synthesis of attapulgite-MnO2 nanocomposite from manganese complex by ultrasound for hydrogen storage

The research included the synthesis of a new complex of manganese with 3,4,5-tri-methoxybenzoic acid in the presence of triethylamine as a base to which gives the complex with formula [Mn (TMB)₂].2H₂O. This complex was characterized by FTIR, CHN, magnetic susceptibility and thermal analysis. Furthermore, this complex was used as a novel precursor of manganese in preparing the attapulgite-MnO₂ nanocomposite by one-pot addition method using ultrasound. The resulting nanocomposite was characterized by X-ray diffraction and TEM and the results prove that this composite was found as nanochannel of the diameter 45 nm decorated with 26–41 nm of MnO₂ nanoparticles. The attapulgite-MnO₂ nanocomposite was used in the application of hydrogen storage, and the results proved that attapulgite-MnO₂ nanocomposite has the ability to store 3.55 wt% of hydrogen under a pressure of 90 bar and a temperature of 77 K. Furthermore, the measurement demonstrated that increasing the pressure increased the stored hydrogen, implying that the stored gas will be liberated by altering the pressure, implying that the storage will be of the physical kind.     

凹凸棒石/硅橡胶复合材料的热氧化降解和老化性能研究

本文采用高压均质结合对辊挤压工艺对天然凹凸棒石进行棒晶解离得到了纯度较高和比表面积较大(133.7 m²/g)的纳米解离凹凸棒石. 进一步通过机械共混法分别将天然凹凸棒石和纳米解离凹凸棒石与硅橡胶生胶复合制备了天然凹凸棒石-硅橡胶和纳米解离凹凸棒石-硅橡胶材料,研究了天然凹凸棒石和纳米解离凹凸棒石对凹凸棒石/硅橡胶复合材料热氧化降解和老化性能的影响. 结果表明,天然凹凸棒石-硅橡胶和纳米解离凹凸棒石-硅橡胶在300 oC热氧老化处理0.5 h后,相比于纯硅橡胶,初始5%失重温度从385 oC提高至396∽399 oC. 系列表征结果表明,天然凹凸棒石和纳米解离凹凸棒石增强了纳米粒子与硅橡胶之间的相互作用从而抑制了纳米颗粒聚集,并且可显著提高硅橡胶侧链Si-CH₃的保存率,从而提高了该复合材料的热氧化降解和老化性能. 此外,纳米解离凹凸棒石可大大抑制纳米粒子的长大;因此老化后,纳米解离凹凸棒石-硅橡胶表现出了比硅橡胶(10.6%、7.4%和5.0%)更高的拉伸强度、断裂伸长率和撕裂强度保留率(40.6%、34.9% 和30.1%).     

凹凸棒土粘结剂对13X分子筛吸附性能的促进作用

以凹凸棒土为粘结剂制备了13X分子筛吸附剂.研究了其孔结构、表面电性和对水、CO2和N2分子的吸附性能,并与高岭土为粘结剂的同类吸附剂进行了比较.结果表明,凹凸棒土发达的孔隙结构、大的比表面和表面负电性质有利于其吸附容量的改善,而13X/凹凸棒土中丰富的中孔促进了其对CO2的吸附速率.另外由CO2吸附热力学分析可知,CO2在13X/凹凸棒土上具有较低的吸附热,结果将有利于其在吸附剂上的脱附.     

聚丙烯/凹凸棒土纳米复合材料结晶形态和形貌研究

采用熔融共混的方法 ,制备聚丙烯 凹凸棒土纳米复合材料 .通过X射线衍射 (XRD)分析凹凸棒土在聚丙烯复合材料中晶面间距的变化以及对聚丙烯晶型的影响 ,结果表明凹凸棒土在复合材料中晶面间距没有变化 ;聚丙烯晶型没有发生变化但晶粒尺寸增加了 .用示差扫描量热法 (DSC)分析聚丙烯复合材料的结晶度的变化 ,发现凹凸棒土的加入使复合材料的结晶温度提高 ,结晶速率增大 ,结晶度增加 .用偏光显微镜(POM)观察凹凸棒土对聚丙烯球晶的影响 ,结果表明凹凸棒土的加入起到了成核剂的作用 ,使得聚丙烯球晶尺寸减小 ,当凹凸棒土的加入量到 10 %左右时 ,观察不到完整的球晶 .利用扫描电子显微镜 (SEM)和原子力显微镜 (AFM)观察凹凸棒土在聚丙烯中的分散 ,发现凹凸棒土在聚丙烯基体中分散比较均匀 ,但呈无序分布 .     

聚乳酸/凹凸棒土纳米复合材料的结构与性能

采用熔融复合方法制备了不同填料质量分数的聚乳酸/纳米凹凸棒土复合材料,纳米凹凸棒土的加入可以显著提高聚乳酸纳米复合材料的拉伸强度和断裂伸长率.扫描电镜结果表明,凹凸棒土粒子在复合材料中实现了均匀分散.DSC曲线在降温过程中出现明显结晶峰,说明纳米凹凸棒土对聚乳酸有一定的成核作用.当纳米凹凸棒填料含量>8%时,在聚合物基体中可形成完善的网络状结构.填料粒子作为体系中的物理缠结点使得复合材料熔体的应力松弛时间延长.红外谱图显示纳米凹凸棒土和聚乳酸分子间存在较强的相互作用.我们推测,纳米凹凸棒土的加入减少了PLA基体层的厚度,使其由三维应力转变为二维应变状态,导致最大切应力可以达到剪切屈服强度,产生剪切滑移形变带,使得呈现出韧性材料性质,有效提高了材料的断裂伸长率.     

Preparation and characterization of waterborne polyurethane/attapulgite nanocomposites

In this paper, waterbrone polyurethane (WPU)/attapulgite (AT) nanocomposites have been prepared by direct emulsion blending. The WPU was synthesized from poly(tetramethylene glycol), 4,4-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, dimethylol butanic acid, and neutralized by triethylamine. SEM examination of fractured surfaces showed that AT particles were irregularly dispersed in the WPU matrix. FTIR analysis suggested no major chemical structural changed in the presence of a small amount of AT. DMA results showed that the storage modulus of WPU/AT nanocomposites was increased and the glass transition temperatures of both soft and hard segments shifted to higher temperature compared to the pristine WPU. Thermal resistance of the samples measured by TGA was improved with the addition of AT. The mechanical properties of the nanocomposites, examined by tensile tests, showed higher tensile strength and elongation at break than that of the pristine WPU.     

An electron-microscopic study of Na-attapulgite particles

A scheme for the separation, purification and preparation of sub-micron, homoionic, Na-attapulgite from a natural mineral deposit is presented together with represen-tative analysis of the particle size distribution. Transmission electron microscopic examination indicated that particles were predominantly <1μm long and “lath-like” with aspect ratios (length:width:thickness) 100:3:1 which provide for a variety of modes of particle/particle interaction. The scheme involves physical and mild chemical treatment of the natural material and appears to preserve the physico-chemical integrity of the attapulgite particles and provides material within a narrow size range. Received: 30 March 1998 Accepted: 27 April 1998     

Helical polyurethane@attapulgite nanocomposite: Preparation, characterization and study of optical activity

Helical polyurethane@attapulgite (BM-ATT) based on R-1,1′-binaphthyl-2′,2-diol (R-BINOL) composite was prepared after the surface modification of attapulgite (ATT). BM-ATT was characterized by Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HTEM) and vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectroscopy. FT-IR and XRD analyses indicate that the helical polyurethane has been successfully grafted onto the surfaces of the modified ATT without destroying the original crystalline structure of ATT. BM-ATT exhibits the rod-like structure by SEM, TEM, and HTEM photographs. BM-ATT displays obvious Cotton effect for some absorbance in VCD spectrum, and its optical activity results from the singlehanded conformation of helical polyurethane.     

Structure and properties of biodegradable wheat gluten/attapulgite nanocomposite sheets

Wheat gluten (WG) and Attapulgite (ATP) was mixed in acidic solution and freeze-dried, thermally compression-molded to form nanocomposite sheet. The influences of reduction and sonication on structure of wheat gluten were examined by Raman spectrum. The variation of disulfide bonding in wheat gluten show that the sonication is more effective than reduction on the breakage of disulfide bonds, whereas the content of disulfide bonds in the WG sheet molded by sonicated WG powder is the highest in the molded sheets. FT-IR analysis displays that the bands in the range of 1700-1600 cm⁻¹ shift to higher frequency after mixing WG and ATP powders and molding the nanocomposite. The tensile and bending properties of the WG sheet increase with addition of ATP powder, and the properties of the sheet molded by sonicated WG powder decrease for the reduction of the disulfide bonding, but the properties of the sheet can be improved by addition of ATP. The WG/ATP nanocomposite images observed by SEM and TEM show that rod-like ATP particles are evenly dispersed in WG matrix, but the crystal structure of ATP is impervious. The viscoelasticity of the WG sheet declines with addition of ATP particle, and that the α-relaxation of the WG sheet molded by sonicated WG powder shift to high temperature and become broad. Both mass and bending strength of 7 wt% WG/ATP nanocomposite sheet show a decline over a soil exposure time of 20 days.