Bundling influence on ultrafast optical nonlinearities of single-walled carbon nanotubes in suspension and composite film

Nonlinear optical characteristics of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) dispersed in dichlorobenzene and imbedded in polymer were investigated at 800 nm using the time-resolved optical Kerr gate technique. For systematic study of the influence of SWCNT bundling on optical nonlinearities, SWCNT solutions with different concentrations and a series of SWCNT/polymer composites deposited on glass substrates with different concentrations and thicknesses were prepared. The nonlinear response was comparable to the pulse duration of the laser used (～90 fs) both in SWCNT solutions and SWCNT/polymer composites. Over three orders of magnitude enhancement was observed in the third-order nonlinear susceptibility of SWCNT/polymer composite film compared with that of SWCNT solution. An appreciable reduction of microscopic and macroscopic nonlinearities was observed with increasing SWCNT concentrations due to stronger bundling of SWCNTs.     

Silane-modified polymers as interphases in glass-fibre-reinforced composites: 2. Grafting and crosslinking of interphase materials

_—This paper presents an interphase engineering technique suitable for grafting silane-modified polymers onto glass fibres to be used in composites with enhanced impact tolerance. The silane-modified polymers include ethylene polymers grafted with γ-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MPS) and a copolymer of butyl acrylate (BuA) and MPS. The grafting of functionalized interphase materials onto glass fibres is performed in solution. By changing the concentrations of the solutions, different amounts of polymer can be deposited on the fibres. Water crosslinking of the polymer gives the possibility of producing stabilised interfacial polymer coatings over a range of thicknesses. It is concluded that acidic conditions (1) promote the grafting of silane-modified polymers on glass fibres and (2) for a given reaction time, increase the amount of crosslinked polymer in the interphase, i.e. yield more stable interphases. It is also likely that preserving acidic conditions at the fibre/polymer interface is important for maintaining bonding across the interface. It is shown that polystyrene/glass-fibre composites having SEBS at the interface are promising candidates for high-impact-tolerance composites.     

Evaluation of boron industrial solid waste in composite materials

Boron industrial solid waste is used as reinforcement for preparing composite materials. This waste has boron trioxide which holds unique properties may affect the surface or interface of the composite. The prepared composites are characterized in order to determine the dispersion and the structure by means of inverse gas chromatography (IGC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). There is a strong relation between the dispersion of reinforcement and the properties of newly formed composite. The dispersive component of the surface energies of the composites and components are determined by IGC. This parameter is difficult to measure by other methods and it is related to the wettability and adhesive characters of solid materials. The effect of compounding ratios of reinforcement is also examined. Furthermore, XRD diffractograms and SEM images of composites showed well dispersion. Thermal analysis revealed that the addition of the boron industrial solid waste to the polymer increased the thermal stability of pure polymer. Infrared spectra of the composites indicated that the composites were formed from the waste reinforcement and the polymer matrix.     

Mechanical characteristics of composites of polylactide and nanosized calcium phosphates formed in supercritical carbon dioxide

Composite materials for biomedical applications based on polylactide, a bioresorbable polymer, and nanosized calcium phosphate (hydroxyapatite) were produced using supercritical (SC) carbon dioxide. For composites with different polymer-to-mineral ratios, the bending stress-strain diagrams were investigated. The elasticity moduli of composites obtained in SC-CO₂ from powdered bioresorbable polymer and bioactive nanoceramics ranged elastic modulus of natural bone. Experiments on adhesion of human embryonic fibroblasts demonstrated the suitability of generated samples for use in bone tissue scaffold engineering and regenerative medicine.     

Physical properties of a high molecular weight hydroxyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane modified castor oil based polyurethane/epoxy interpenetrating polymer network composites

A series of polyurethane (PU)/epoxy resin (EP) graft interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) composites modified by a high molecular weight hydroxyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane (HTPDMS) were prepared. The effects of HTPDMS content on the phase structure, damping properties and the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the HTPDMS-modified PU/EP IPN composites were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that the thermal decomposition temperature of the composites increased with the increase of HTPDMS content. The tensile strength and impact strength of the IPN composites were also significantly improved, especially when the HTPDMS content was 10%. The modified IPN composites were expected to be used as structural damping materials in the future.     

Automatic dispersion,long-term stability of multi-walled carbon nanotubes in high concentration electrolytes

Nanoparticles have been known as the useful materials in working fluids for petroleum industry. But the stabilization of nano-scaled materials in water-based working fluids at high salinities is still a big challenge. In this study, we successfully prepared the anionic polymer/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) composites by covalently wrapping of MWNTs with poly (sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) to improve the stability of MWNTs in high concentration electrolytes. The PSS/MWNTs composites can automatically disperse in salinity up to 15 wt% NaCl and API brines (8 wt% NaCl?+?2 wt% CaCl₂). Hydrodynamic diameters of composites were measured as a function of ionic strength and API brines by dynamic light scattering (DLS). By varying the concentration of brines, hydrodynamic diameter of PSS/MWNTs composites in brines fluctuated between 545?±?110 nm for 14 days and 673?±?171 nm for 30 days. Above results showed that PSS/MWNTs could be well stable in high salts solutions for a long period of time. After wrapped with PSS, the diameters of nanotubes changed from 30?~?40 to ~?430 nm, the thickness of wrapped polymer is about ~?400 nm by analysis of morphologies. The zeta potentials of PSS/MWNTs composites in various salinity of brines kept at approximately ??41?~???52 mV. Therefore, the well dispersion of PSS/MWNTs in high salinity is due to large negative charges of poly (sodium 4-styrenesulfonate), which provide enough electrostatic repulsion and steric repulsion to hinder compression of electric double layer caused by high concentration electrolytes.     

CEMS Study on Fe–Si–Al Alloy Flakes–Polymer Composites

Hyperfine Interactions - The composites of Fe–Si–Al alloy flakes and dielectric polymer fabricated for a new noise suppression filter in high-frequency bands were characterized by...     

Enhanced thermal–mechanical properties of polymer composites with hybrid boron nitride nanofillers

The present work focuses on the investigation of the thermal–mechanical properties of the epoxy composites with hybrid boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) and boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs). The stable dispersions of BNNTs–BNNSs were achieved by a noncovalent functionalization with pyrene carboxylic acid. The resulting epoxy/BNNTs–BNNSs composites exhibited homogeneously dispersed BNNTs–BNNSs and a strong filler–matrix interface interaction. The composites showed a 95 % increase in thermal conductivity and a 57 % improvement in Young’s modulus by addition of only 1 vol. % BNNTs–BNNSs. Meanwhile, the composites also retained a high electrical resistance of pure epoxy. Our study thus shows the potential for hybrid BNNTs–BNNSs to be successfully used as the nanofillers of polymer composites for applications in electrically insulating thermal interface materials.     

Investigation on Properties of Polypropylene/Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes Nanocomposites Prepared by a Novel Eccentric Rotor Extruder Based on Elongational Rheology

The properties of polymer matrix composites are related not only to the chemical composition of the materials but also to the processing equipment used for their preparation which has a direct influence on the microstructure of the composites. In this paper polypropylene (PP)/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) nanocomposites were prepared by melt blending through a self-developed, eccentric rotor extruder (ERE). The structure and elongational deformation mechanism of an ERE were described in detail. The morphological, rheological, thermal and mechanical properties of the resulting PP/MWCNTs nanocomposites were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and rheological analysis showed that the MWCNTs were well dispersed in the PP matrix. The thermal stability was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and indicated that the addition of MWCNTs could effectively improve the thermal stability of pure PP. The percentage of crystallinity and tensile strength of the composites were improved as a result of the heterogeneous nucleation effect of the MWCNTs in the PP matrix. The research results revealed that the enhancement of the properties of PP/MWCNTs composites could be attributed to a better dispersion of the MWCNTs in the matrix as compared to samples prepared by conventional extrusion.     

Band structure and birefringence of LiRbSO<Subscript>4</Subscript> crystals

Composite light-transformig polymer materials were prepared from europium(III) and ittrium(III) cinnamates and high-pressure polyethylene. It was shown that combined use of these rare earth complexes leads to intense luminescence in the 400–700 nm region. Luminescent and photochemical characteristics of these polymer composites were determined by the dopant molar ratio: samples containing polymer europium cinnamate and ittrium cinnamate at a molar ratio of 1: 0.5 had the maximum luminescence intensity and photostability.     

Ionic noise measurement in polymer electrolytes

Electrical noise associated with ion transport (termed as “ionic noise”) has been measured at different temperatures, using a lock-in amplifier and dynamic signal analyzer for a polymer electrolyte PEO:NH₄I and its CdS dispersed composite. The ionic noise suddenly increases as the polymer passes through its phase transition at T _g and T _m. The T _g-peak in the noise measurement appears more clearly than what it does in DTA/DSC or conductivity measurements. Therefore, we suggest the noise technique as a good probe for studying phase transitions in ion conducting solid electrolytes. Further, the present noise measurements also confirm the known results of DTA/DSC studies that both T _g and T _m of polymer electrolytes shift on the formation of composites.     

Signal-to-noise ratio enhancement based on the whitening transformation of colored structural noise

In the ultrasonic testing and evaluation of highly scattering materials (i.e. non-homogeneous media such as composites, layered and clad materials) structural noise is an important limitation to the visibility of flaw echoes. This noise cannot be reduced by conventional linear filtering or by time-averaging techniques. In order to enhance the defect-to-background noise ratio (SNR), many different algorithms have been developed over the years. This work analyzes three new strategies for SNR enhancement based on the whitening transformation of the colored structural noise. By using this transformation, the small spectral differences between noise and flaw echoes are exploited, thereby allowing an improvement in the visibility of the flaw.     

Facile synthesis of Ag-reduced graphene oxide hybrids and their application in electromagnetic interference shielding

A fast and environmentally friendly method was proposed toward one-pot synthesis of Ag-reduced graphene oxide (Ag-RGO) hybrids by a chemical reduction method assisted by microwave irradiation treatment with the use of sodium citrate as green reductant. The as-synthesized samples were characterized systematically, and the results indicated the successful synthesis of Ag-RGO. Ag-RGO was further applied as filler in polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) matrix polymer composites, and their electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performance was investigated. The prepared Ag-RGO/PMMA composites with 3.0 vol% Ag-RGO exhibited an excellent EMI shielding effectiveness (EMI SE) of average 26.8 dB in the 8–12 GHz X-band range, which outperformed the RGO/PMMA composites (18.4 dB) with bare RGO as fillers.     

A Review on Mechanical Behavior of FRP Composites at Different Loading Speeds

Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites are increasingly becoming suitable and durable materials in the repair and replacement of traditional metallic materials. The built-in promise of performance assurance and retention of structural integrity in harsh and hostile environments of these materials certainly offers an alternative and attractive avenue for a wider range application to explore its potential to the zenith. The toughest challenge faced by material scientists is to assess and ascertain its behavioral log in a range of loading rates. The heterogeneity and responses of multiple distinct phases to varying loading conditions are most often complex and far away from comprehensive conclusion. Furthermore, composites with common structural polymer matrices quite often absorb moisture during service period. Then, FRPs become a much more complex system to comprehend its sensitivity to experimental variation. The present article emphasizes the need for understanding this perpetual problem of FRPs which might pose a threat to its prospects.     

The interfacial effects on the conductive performance of the composite films based on materials with electron and ionic conductors

Laminated and blending composites are designed to study the interfacial effects on the overall conductivity based on materials with different conductive mechanisms. The blends exhibit porous morphology because of the phase separation among the components, providing lager contacting areas between polymer chains and ions, and also more moving spaces for them, and hence their conductivity increases with the addition of polyaniline (PAN) to a maximum value of 0.075?S?cm^?1 at 75% PAN of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) (wt.%). The laminated films also show conductivity improvement, but inferior to that of blends from room temperature to 60?°C. The element parameters of the interfaces have great effects on their conductive performances as tested by the electrode/solid polymer electrolytes (SPE)/electrode model. The values of the electrode/SPEs interface are in the same magnification, while the value between PAN and PVB/polyethylene glycol₄₀₀/LiClO₄ layers is much bigger than those of the electrode/SPEs, providing the fact that the interface effect between different materials (metal/polymer, polymer/polymer) plays a vital role in determining their overall conductive performances.     

Optical method of caustics applied in viscoelastic fracture analysis

The optical method of caustics is developed here to study the fracture of viscoelastic materials. By adopting a distribution of viscoelastic stress fields near the crack tip, the method of caustics is used to determine the viscoelastic fracture parameters from the caustic patterns near the crack tip. Two viscoelastic materials are studied. These are PMMA and ternary composites of HDPE/POE-g-MA/CaCO₃. The transmitted and reflective methods of caustics are performed separately to investigate viscoelastic fracture behaviors. The stress intensity factors (SIFs) versus time is determined by a series of shadow spot patterns combined with viscoelastic parameters evaluated by creep tests. In order to understand the viscoelastic fracture mechanisms of HDPE/POE-g-MA/CaCO₃ composites, their fracture surfaces are observed by a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The results indicate that the method of caustics can be used to characterize the fracture behaviors of viscoelastic materials and further to optimize the design of polymer composites.     

Structure and properties of thin-film metal-poly(p-xylylene) hybrid nanocomposites

Thin-film hybrid metal-poly(p-xylylene) composites synthesized by vacuum co-condensation were examined. It was demonstrated that the structure of the composites consists of a matrix comprised of polymer globules and inorganic filler nanoparticles. The shape, structure, and size of the polymer globules depend on the film thickness and the nature of the filler nanoparticles. Studying the conductivity of these materials demonstrated that it is determined by hopping conduction via surface states of the matrix. At high frequencies of the voltage applied (above 500 Hz), the electric conduction characteristics depend appreciably on the processes of recharging of the surface states of the matrix and of the nanoparticle-matrix interfaces. Tests of lithium battery anodes prepared from nanocomposites showed that these materials are promising for manufacturing chemical current sources.     

Improving the properties of polypropylene–wood flour composites by utilization of maleated adhesion promoters

Polymer composites filled with natural organic fillers have gained a significant interest during the last few years, because of several advantages they can offer compared with properties of inorganic-mineral fillers. However, these composites (based, in most cases, on polyolefins) often show a reduction in some mechanical properties. This is mainly due to the problems regarding dispersion of the polar filler particles in the non-polar polymer matrix and their interfacial adhesion with polymer chains. In this work, polypropylene–wood flour composites were prepared and the effect of the addition of a maleated polypropylene was investigated. The two materials were compounded by an industrial co-rotating twin screw extruder, with two different compositions, without and with addition of Licomont AR504^® (maleic anhydride-grafted polypropylene wax). The extruded material was then compression molded, which provided the specimens for tensile and impact tests. Water uptake was measured; the morphology of the fracture surfaces of the samples coming out from mechanical tests was investigated through SEM analysis. Rheological characterization was carried out as well. The addition of the adhesion promoter allowed a decrease in water uptake; mechanical properties were improved as well, especially elastic modulus and tensile strength; impact strength increased in the case of unnotched samples, while notched ones did not show remarkable differences. SEM analysis of the fracture surfaces also showed an overall change in the morphology as a consequence of the utilization of the adhesion promoter.     

Thermal and electrical conductivity of poly(l-lactide)/multiwalled carbon nanotube nanocomposites

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are considered to be the ideal reinforcing agent for high-strength polymer composites, because of their fantastic mechanical strength, high electrical and thermal conductivity and high aspect ratio. Polymer/MWCNTs composites are easily molded, and the resulting shaped plastic articles have a perfect surface appearance compared with polymer composites made using usual carbon or glass fibers. Good interfacial adhesion between the MWCNTs and the polymer matrix is essential for efficient load transfer in the composite. The ultrahigh strength polymer composites demand the uniform dispersion of the MWCNTs in the polymer matrix without their aggregation and the good miscibility between MWCNT and polymer matrix. This approach can also be applied to biodegradable synthetic aliphatic polyesters such as poly(l-lactide) (PLLA), which has received a great deal of attention due to environmental concerns. In this study, PLLA was melt-compounded with MWCNTs. A high degree of dispersion of the MWCNTs in the composites was obtained by grafting PLLA onto the MWCNTs (PLLA-g-MWCNTs). After oxidizing the MWCNTs by treating them with strong acids, they were reacted with l-lactide to produce the PLLA-g-MWCNTs. The mechanical properties of the PLLA/PLLA-g-MWCNT composite were higher than those of the PLLA/MWCNT composite. The electrical conductivity of the composites was determined by measuring the volume resistivity, which is a value of the resistance expressed in a unit volume by two-probe method. The thermal diffusivity and heat capacity of composites was measured by laser flash method, and the effects of modification of the MWCNT in PLLA matrix are discussed.     

铁电/铁磁三相颗粒复合材料的磁电性能计算

采用格林函数方法给出了三相复合材料的磁电系数的解析式，对稀土-铁合金/压电陶瓷/高分子（Terfenol-D/PZT/PVDF）三相颗粒复合材料的磁电系数进行了计算.计算结果给出了复合材料的磁电性能与材料显微结构的关系，包括三相颗粒复合材料的磁电性能随组分、颗粒的长径比、PZT颗粒的电极化方向以及外磁场的变化趋势，可为实验设计提供参考和指导.通过合理设计，三相磁电复合材料的性能可以达到数百mV/A.作为一种新的磁电复合材料，三相颗粒复合材料有望成为一种新型高性能易制备的磁电材料. 关键词： 磁电效应 复合材料 格林函数