Thermogravimetric analysis of PVC/ELNR blends

The thermal behaviour of a series of solution-cast blends of polyvinyl chloride/epoxidised liquid natural rubber (ELNR) of different mole percentage of epoxidation has been examined using thermogravimetric analysis. Thermal degradation is found to occur through a two-step route in which the first step corresponds to the dehydrochlorination of PVC to form a polyene and the second step is attributed to the decomposition of the ELNR and the polyene. Introduction of 20 and 50 mol% of epoxy group into the liquid NR is found to enhance the thermal stability of PVC. Probable mechanisms of degradation have been suggested on the basis of the kinetic analysis of the degradation studies. It is found that the mechanism is influenced by the epoxy content of the blend system. Activation energy for the degradation and the entropy change have also been reported.     

Thermogravimetric analysis of PVC/NR-b-PU blends

Thermal stability of solution-cast blends of poly(vinylchloride) and NR-b-PU block copolymers of three different chain extender diols was studied by thermogravimetry. Thermal degradation of individual components and their blends were investigated with special reference to blend ratio. As the block copolymer content in the blends increased their thermal stability was also found to increase. Enhanced thermal stability of PVC is believed due to the favorable interaction with PVC and the PU hard segments of the block copolymer. DTG curves were used for the determination of different stages involved in the degradation. Activation energy for degradation was determined from Coats–Redfern plot.     

Studies on dynamic mechanical and mechanical properties of vinyloxyaminosilane grafted ethylene propylene diene terpolymer/linear low density polyethylene (EPDM-g-VOS/LLDPE) blends

The dynamic mechanical properties of vinyloxyaminosilane grafted ethylene propylene diene terpolymer/linear low density polyethylene (EPDM-g-VOS/LLDPE) blends have been evaluated with special reference to the effect of blend ratio. It has been found that increasing the proportion of LLDPE in the blends decreases the T_g values and increases the storage modulus (E^′) and loss modulus (E^′′) due to increase in crystallinity. A gradual increase in the values of tanδ_max is observed for the blends with increase in EPDM-g-VOS concentration, which indicates that no phase inversion occurs. But however the higher increase in tanδ_max after 50 wt.% of EPDM-g-VOS composition is due to small change in crystallinity and is ascertained by SEM micrographs. Mechanical properties such as tensile strength, Young’s modulus and hardness increase with increases in LLDPE concentration in the blends and with dicumyl peroxide (DCP) concentration whereas the values of elongation at break are decreased with increase in LLDPE and DCP concentration.     

Thermogravimetric and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis of pineapple fibre reinforced polyethylene composites

The thermal behaviour of pineapple leaf fibre (PALF) reinforced polyethylene composites was studied by thermogravimetric and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis. Fibre treatment was carried out using isocyanate, silane and peroxide to improve the interfacial adhesion between fibre and matrix. The effects of fibre loading and surface modification on the thermal properties were evaluated. It was found that at high temperature PALF degrades before the polyethylene matrix. The storage modulus increased with increase of fibre loading and decreased with increase of temperature. The treated fibre composites impart better properties compared to untreated system. Tan δ showed a distinct peak at low temperature ascribed to the glass transition temperature of polyethylene but no peak was observed for PALF fibre. The relative damping increased with fibre loading. Cole-Cole analysis was made to understand the phase behaviour of the composite samples.     

煤与生物质热重分析及动力学研究

利用热重分析仪对稻秆、麦秆、木屑和煤单独及混合热解特性进行了研究。通过对不同混合比例热解与单独热解对比表明,混合热解中不同生物质起始热解温度、生物质挥发分最大析出温度、煤挥发分最大析出温度随着煤混合比例的变化呈规律性变化。对混合热解实验数据与单独热解参数按混合比例后特性参数分析表明,混合热解导致固体产物产率提高。实验通过对稻秆两种方式的脱灰及脱挥发分处理后混合热解分析,脱挥发分稻秆与脱灰分稻秆对煤的热解都起到了促进作用,证明了生物质中的碱/碱土金属能促进煤在较低温度下热解,硅元素对热解速率起抑制作用。推测生物质与褐煤的共热解中存在协同作用。     

Thermal and dynamic mechanical properties of PES/PPS blends

Blends of poly(ether-sulfone) (PES) and poly(phenylene sulfide) (PPS) with various compositions were prepared using an internal mixer at 290°C and 50 rpm for 10 min. The thermal and dynamic mechanical properties of PES/PPS blends have been investigated by means of DSC and DMA. The blends showed two glass transition temperatures corresponding to PPS-rich and PES-rich phases. Both of them decreased obviously for the blends with PES matrix. On the other hand, T_g of PPS and PES phase decreased a little when PPS is the continuous phase. In the blends quenched from molten state the cold crystallization temperature of PPS was detected in the blends of PES/PPS with mass ratio 50/50 and 60/40. The melting point, crystallization temperature and the crystallinity of blended PPS were nearly unaffected when the mass ratio of PES was less than 60%, however, when the amount of PES is over 60% in the blends, the crystallization of PPS chains was hindered. The thermal and the dynamic mechanical properties of the PPS/PES blends were mainly controlled by the continued phase. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effect of electron beam irradiation on dynamic mechanical,thermal and morphological properties of LLDPE and PDMS rubber blends

The effect of electron beam irradiation on the blends of linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) and poly dimethyl siloxane rubber (PDMS) prepared over a wide range of compositions starting from 70:30 to 30:70 (LLDPE: PDMS) by varying the radiation doses from 50 to 300 kGy has been studied. The dynamic modulii and dielectric strength of the blends increase on irradiation at 100 kGy as compared to that for the unirradiated blends. Degree of crystallinity and melting behaviour remain unchanged upon irradiation upto a dose of 100 kGy, beyond which it decreases. Thermal stability increases with increase in the proportion of PDMS rubber in the blend as well as on irradiation at 100 kGy. The phase morphology of the blends examined under the SEM exhibit two phase morphology before electron beam irradiation, whereas single phase morphology is observed after electron beam irradiation due to intra- as well as inter-molecular crosslinking leading to a miscible system.     

Plasticization and cocrystallization in LLDPE/wax blends

The structure and thermal properties of linear low‐density polyethylene (LLDPE)/medium soft paraffin wax blends, prepared by melt mixing, were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and small‐ and wide‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS and WAXS). The blends form a single phase in the melt as determined by SAXS. Upon cooling from the melt, two crystalline phases develop for blends with more than 10 wt % wax characterized by widely different melting points. The wax acts as an effective plasticizer for LLDPE, decreasing both its crystallization and melting temperature. The higher melting point crystalline phase is formed by less branched LLDPE fractions. On the other hand, the lower melting point crystalline phase is a wax‐rich phase constituted by cocrystals of extended chain wax and short linear sequences of highly branched LLDPE chains. The presence of cocrystals was evidenced by standard DSC results, successive self‐nucleation and annealing (SSA) thermal fractionation and by the detection of a new SAXS signal attributed to the lamellar long period of the cocrystals. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2016 , 54, 1469–1482     

Thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetric studies on nanoclay-filled TPU/PP blends

Thermal stability of ester-thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)/polypropylene (PP) and ether-TPU/PP blends was evaluated by thermogravimetric studies. Thermal studies were made as a function of blend ratio. Effects of compatibilization using MA-g-PP and nanoclay addition on thermal stability were evaluated. Mass loss at 400 °C was found to decrease with increasing PP content were determined. Finally the compatibility and crystallization behavior of the blends were studied by differential scanning calorimetry. Compared to the ether-TPU blend nanocomposites, the ester-TPU blends showed better compatibility and thermal stability.     

Melt miscibility of HDPE/UHMWPE,LDPE/UHMWPE,and LLDPE/UHMWPE blends detected by dynamic rheometer

The dynamic rheological behavior of high density polyethylene (HDPE)/ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) blends, low density polyethylene (LDPE)/UHMWPE blends and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE)/ UHMWPE blends was measured in parallel plate rheometer at 200°C. The analysis of log-additivity rule, Cole-Cole plots and Han curves of the three series blends indicated that the LDPE/UHMWPE blends were miscible in the melt, while the HDPE/UHMWPE blends and LLDPE/UHMWPE blends showed phase separation. The DSC results of LLDPE/UHMWPE blends and HDPE/UHMWPE blends were consistent with the rheological properties, while for the thermal properties of LDPE/UHMWPE blends, results revealed three endothermic peaks, which indicated a liquid-solid phase separation in LDPE/UHMWPE blends.     

Thermorheological properties of LLDPE/LDPE blends: Effects of production technology of LLDPE

The thermorheological behavior of a number of LLDPE/LDPE blends was studied with emphasis on the effects of the production technology of the linear low‐density polyethylene (LLDPE) and the effects of long chain branching (LCB). Two Ziegler‐Natta LLDPE's (LL3001.32 and Dowlex2045G) and two metallocene LLDPEs (AffinityPL1840 and Exact 3128) were blended with a single low‐density polyethylene (LDPE), with all LLDPEs having distinctly different molecular weight. The weight fractions of the LDPEs used in the blends were 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 75%. DSC analysis has shown that the blends with metallocence LLDPEs are miscible in the crystal state, whereas for the Ziegler‐Natta, apart from the two distinct peaks of the individual components, a third peak appears which indicates the existence of a third phase that is created from the cocrystallization of components from the two blended polymers. The linear viscoelastic characterization was performed and mastercurves at 150 °C were constructed for all blends to check miscibility using the time temperature superposition principle. In addition, Van Gurp Palmen and zero‐shear viscosity versus composition were constructed to check the thermorheological behavior of all blends. In general, good agreement is found among these various methods. It was concluded that metallocene LLDPEs are more compatible with LDPE at all LDPE compositions when compared with their Ziegler‐Natta counterparts. Finally, the extensional properties of all blends were studied to examine the effects of different levels of LCB on their extensional rheological properties. It was concluded that extensional rheology is a sensitive tool capable of detecting subtle changes in the polyethylene macrostructure, that is, low levels of LCB. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 46: 1669–1683, 2008     

Effective nondestructive evaluations on UHMWPE/Recycled-PA6 blends using FTIR imaging and dynamic mechanical analysis

The noninvasive and nondestructive Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) imaging and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) are developed in this work to evaluate the microstructure-related properties of UHMWPE/Recycled-PA6 blends. FTIR imaging which is of in-situ and visualizing capabilities is shown to be extremely valuable in determining the phase structure of a multiphase system. It is found that small quantities of the HDPE-g-MAH compatibilizer could significantly improve the miscibility of the two immiscible polymers. It is further proved that in the UHMWPE/R-PA6 blends the R-PA6 phase distributes continuously, while the UHMWPE phase disperses in a discontinuous manner. Moreover, the blends with 44 wt% R-PA6 is found to exhibit an optimal miscibility behavior. This work demonstrates that FTIR imaging is a direct method in visualizing the miscibility of polymer blends. The combined FTIR imaging and DMA testing offers a new approach for qualitative and quantitative investigations on polymer blends with complex microstructures.     

Melt elongation flow behaviour of LDPE/LLDPE blends

The extensional rheological properties of low density polyethylene (LDPE)/linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) blend melts were measured using a melt spinning technique under temperatures ranging from 160 to 200 °C and die extrusion velocities varying from 9 to 36 mm/s. The results showed that the melt elongation stress decreased with a rise of temperature while it increased with increasing extensional strain rate and the LDPE weight fraction. The dependence of the melt elongation viscosity on temperature roughly obeyed the Arrhenius equation, it increased with increasing extensional strain rate and the LDPE weight fraction when the extensional strain rate was lower than 0.5 s⁻¹, and it reached a maximum when the extensional strain rate was about 0.5 s⁻¹, which can be attributed to the stress hardening effect.     

Thermogravimetric analysis of polyester/cotton blends treated with Thpc-urea-poly(vinyl bromide)

Polyester/cotton fabric swith blend ratios of 0/100, 11/89, 20/80, 30/70, 50/50, and 65/35 were investigated via thermogravimetric analysis in both nitrogen and air atmospheres. The samples were heated from ambient to 750°C at a heating rate of 5°C min^?1. The same fabrics were analyzed after treatment with tetrakis (hydroxymethyl) phosphonium chloride-urea-poly(vinyl bromide) (Thpc-urea-PVBr) flame retardant.Weight losses observed during pyrolysis were assigned to the cotton and polyester portions of the blends. Both cotton and polyester thermally decompose to yield gases and solid char byproducts. In nitrogen the 100% cotton fabric undergoes one major weight loss between 270 and 370°C, with the maximum rate of weight loss, 0.15 mg/min-mg occurring at 346°C. Thermal decomposition of the 100% polyester occurs over a range of 335–470°C, with the peak rate of weight loss, 0.11 mg/min-mg, measured at 416°C. In an air atmosphere, both volatile gases and solid char by- products of pyrolysis undergo combustion. The combustion reactions are associated with measured weight losses. The maximum rate of weight loss for the cotton portion increases to 0.25 mg/min-mg and occurs at 317°C. The maximum rate of polyester decomposition remains the same in both air and nitrogen, but the temperature decreases to 405°C.     

Thermogravimetric analysis of lignocellulosic and microalgae biomasses and their blends during combustion

Thermogravimetric analysis was used to study and compare the combustion of different blends of corn bioresidues with sunflower, rape and algae bioresidues. Non-isothermal thermogravimetric data were used to obtain the combustion kinetics of these bioresidues. This paper reports on the application of the Vyazovkin and Ozawa–Flynn–Wall isoconversional methods for the evaluation of kinetic parameters (energy activation, pre-exponential factor and order of reaction) for the combustion of the biomasses studied. Differences were found in the TG curves in accordance with the proximate analysis results for the cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin content of biomasses. The activation energy obtained from combustion (E ~ 151.6 kJ mol^?1) was lower than that from the blends (similar values were obtained for corn–sunflower, E ~ 160.5 kJ mol^?1 and corn–rape, E ~ 156.9 kJ mol^?1) whereas the activation energy obtained from the microalgae was higher (E ~ 171.5 kJ mol^?1). Both the Vyazovkin and Ozawa–Flynn–Wall methods yielded similar results.     

Morphology and dynamic mechanical properties of epoxy/poly(styrene-co-allylalcohol) blends

Blends based on epoxy resins and a random copolymer, poly(styrene-co-allylalcohol) (PS-co-PA) were studied, analysing the effect of epoxy nature. The epoxy cross-linking reaction was carried out by homopolymerisation, using an imidazole as initiator, and by addition of several amine hardeners. The imidazole acts as initiator of anionic epoxy etherification and as catalyser of epoxy-hydroxyl reaction. Important differences were observed on the network structure and phase behaviour of blends depending on the nature of epoxy matrix. These cause that the blends present different morphologies and different dynamic mechanical properties.     

Thermogravimetric and FTIR studies of chitosan blends

Results of spectrophotometric and thermogravimetric studies of chitosan (CH) blends with polyvinyl alcohol (PVAL), starch (S) and hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC) obtained by casting from solutions in the form of transparent films containing 0–1.0 weight fraction of CH were discussed. Blends containing S are homogeneous only in the case of low-weight fraction of S (to 0.3).On the basis of results of thermodegradation in dynamic and isothermal conditions, thermal stability of the tested systems was estimated. Thermogravimetric measurements in dynamic conditions were carried out in the temperature range of 100–450 °C at constant heating rate 15 °C/min. From thermogravimetry (TG) and DTG curves the activation energy and characteristic parameters of degradation of the tested blends were determined. The observed growth of activation energy and T_p—temperature of initial weight loss, T_max—temperature of maximal rate and C_e—degree of conversion at the end of the measurement (at temperature 450 °C) along with the increase of polymer fraction (HPC and S) in the CH blend provides an evidence of improved thermal stability of the systems tested.Investigations in isothermal conditions in air at temperature from 100 to 200 °C confirmed appreciable improvement of CH thermal stability in the blends being tested.Infrared spectroscopic analysis of the blends showed a distinct stabilization of the process of chain scission. In the band at 1080 cm⁻¹ associated with absorption in –C–O–C– group during degradation of the blends at temperature 200 °C much smaller decrease due to molecular scission were observed than in the case of pure CH.     

Nonisothermal crystallization and melting behavior of mPE/LLDPE/LDPE ternary blends

Nonisothermal crystallization kinetics of ternary blends of the metallocence polyethylene (mPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) were studied using DSC at various scanning rates. The Ozawa theory and a method developed by Mo were employed to describe the nonisothermal crystallization process of the two selected ternary blends. The results speak that Mo method is successful in describing the nonisothermal crystallization process of mPE/LLDPE/LDPE ternary blends, while Ozawa theory is not accurate to interpret the whole process of nonisothermal crystallization. Each ternary blend in this study shows different crystallization and melting behavior due to its different mPE content. The crystallinity of the ternary blends rises with increasing mPE content, and mPE improve the crystallization of the blends at low temperature. The crystallization activation energy of the five ternary blends that had been calculated from Vyazovkin method was increased with mPE content, indicating that the more mPE in the blends, the easier the nucleus or microcrystallites form at the primary stage of nonisothermal crystallization. LLDPE and mPE may form mixed crystals due to none separated-peaks were observed around the main melting or crystallization peak when the ternary blends were heating or cooling. The fixed small content of LDPE made little influence on the main crystallization behavior of the ternary blends and the crystallization behavior was mainly determined by the content of mPE and LLDPE.     

Effect of melt temperature on the phase morphology, thermal behavior and mechanical properties of injection-molded PP/LLDPE blends

<正>The phase morphology and thermal behavior of various isotactic polypropylene(PP)/linear low density polyethylene(LLDPE) blends were investigated with aid of scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and differential scanning calorimetry(DSC),respectively.The effect of barrel(melt) temperature on the morphology,thermal behavior and the resultant mechanical properties of the injection molded bars was the research focus,and the influence of LLDPE composition was also taken into account.It was found that the mechanical properties,especially the tensile ductility and the impact strength,were greatly affected by the processing temperature.The samples obtained at low temperatures had the highest elongation at break and impact strength,while those molded at high temperatures had the poorest toughness.Two reasons were responsible for that:first,the phase size in the samples increased with the processing temperature;second, possible orientation existed in the samples obtained at low processing temperatures.     

Effect of diblock copolymers on dynamic mechanical properties of polyethylene/polystyrene blends

A systematic investigation of the dynamic mechanical properties of high-density polyethylene (HDPE)/high-impact polystyrene (HIPS)/copolymer blends was carried out. Blends of 80/20 weight percent of HDPE/HIPS were prepared in the melt state at 180°C in a batch mixer. Synthesized pure diblock (H77) and tapered diblock (H35) copolymers of hydrogenated polybutadiene (HPB) and polystyrene (PS) were added at different concentrations (1, 3, and 5 wt %), and the dynamic mechanical properties were investigated. The results show that: (1) both the tapered and the pure diblock copolymers enhance the phase dispersion and the interphase interactions; (2) structure and molecular weight are both important parameters in the molecular design of copolymers; (3) important effects occur when only small amounts of copolymer are added (up to the interface saturation concentration SC); (4) a micellar structure formation is possible when the copolymer is in excess in the blend; (5) the effect of the copolymer structure on the SC and the critical micellar concentration (CMC) is more pronounced than the effect of molecular weight. These concentrations are found to be lower for the tapered diblock copolymer. The analysis of the dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) results obtained for the 20/80 HDPE/HIPS blend leads to the conclusion that the copolymers also enhance the interactions between heterogeneous phases. Similar conclusions based on electron microscopy were reported in the literature. DMTA shows great potential to relate macroscopic observations to the state of a copolymer in an immiscible blend.