Mechanical properties and biodegradability of poly-?-caprolactone/soy protein isolate blends compatibilized by coconut oil

This study was performed for the mechanical properties, adhesion properties and biodegradability depending on the coconut oil content based on poly-?-caprolactone (PCL):soy protein isolate (SPI) blends. Coconut oil was capable of forming the PCL:SPI blend. Tensile strength (TS) of the blend decreased and elongation at break (EAB) increased when the concentration of coconut oil increased. Lap shear strength of all samples was observed in the values of the general formulated hot-melt but in particularly, high adhesive strength was shown at 20 mL of coconut oil. The improvement of surface hydrophilicity and biodegradation resulted from the addition of SPI rather than coconut oil. Consequently, coconut oil acted as a plasticizer and compatibilizer although it did not enhance in biodegradation and surface hydrophilicity.     

Development of biobased polyurethane‐imides from maleinized cottonseed oil and castor oil

An eco‐friendly coating system, which is largely biobased, has been developed from castor and cottonseed oil. Cottonseed oil was functionalized with maleic anhydride by “ene” reaction to give maleinized cottonseed oil (MACSO); the anhydride groups were reacted with isocyanates to yield –NCO terminated polyurethane prepolymer. The prepolymer was further chain extended with hydroxyl groups of castor oil to give polyurethane‐imides (PUIs). The cross‐linked films thus obtained had good mechanical properties, and the imide groups in the backbone improved the corrosion resistance of PUIs as revealed by potentiodynamic polarization study. With increasing content of MACSO, thermal stability, glass transition temperatures (T_g), tensile strength, and corrosion resistance of resulting PUIs significantly increased.     

The compatibilizing effect of epoxy resin (EP) on polypropylene (PP)/recycled acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBRr) blends

A new method was used to prepare thermoplastic elastomers based on polypropylene (PP)/recycled acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBRr) with improved mechanical properties. An epoxy resin (EP) was used as a compatibilizing agent. The effect of EP on mechanical properties, swelling percentage and morphological characteristics of the blends was investigated with different blend compositions. The results showed that the incorporation of EP has improved the tensile strength, Young's modulus and elongation at break of PP/NBRr-EP blends compared with PP/NBRr blends. The enhancement of tensile properties of PP/NBRr-EP blends is due to the better adhesion between the two phases with the incorporation of EP. This is quite evident by scanning electron microscopy of tensile fractured surfaces. PP/NBRr-EP blend exhibits lower stabilization torque and swelling percentage than PP/NBRr blends. The lower stabilization torque is an indication of better processing characteristics.     

Thermal and mechanical properties of UV irradiated collagen/chitosan thin films

The thermal and mechanical properties of collagen/chitosan blends before and after UV irradiation have been investigated using thermal analysis and mechanical (Instron) techniques. Comparisons were made with the thermal and mechanical properties of both collagen and chitosan films. Air-dried collagen, chitosan and collagen/chitosan films were exposed to UV irradiation (wavelength 254 nm) for different time intervals. Thermal properties of collagen/chitosan blends depend on the composition of the blend and are not significantly altered by UV irradiation.Mechanical properties such as ultimate tensile strength and ultimate percentage of elongation were much better for collagen films than for collagen/chitosan films. The results have shown that the mechanical properties of the blends were greatly affected by the duration of UV irradiation. Ultimate tensile strength and ultimate percentage elongation decreased after UV irradiation of the blend. Increasing UV irradiation leads to an increase in Young's modulus of the collagen/chitosan blend.     

Evaluation of compatibility and properties of biodegradable polyester blends

Three different biodegradable polyesters, namely, polycaprolactone (PCL), polybutylene succinate (BIONOLLE), and a copolyester of adipic acid, terephthalic acid, and 1,4‐butanediol (EASTAR) were melt‐blended using a twin‐screw extruder. The percentage composition of each of the aforementioned polymers was varied to obtain different blends, and the mechanical properties were evaluated. Selected blends showed significant improvement in tensile strength as compared with the individual polymers used to prepare the blend. The compatibility between the polymer phases was examined via Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonace (NMR) spectroscopy as well as dynamic mechanical analysis. FTIR and NMR data confirmed the occurrence of hydrogen‐bonding and ester‐interchange reactions. Thermal properties and changes in crystallinity of the blends were examined with differential scanning calorimetry and X‐ray diffraction. A considerable increase in crystallinity was shown by the blend system containing BIONOLLE/PCL. The morphology of the blends was observed and correlated to the improved mechanical properties of the blend system. Results revealed an intermediate multiphase system in which a significant degree of mixing was achieved through the chemical interaction of the functional groups present, while using the twin‐screw extruder. Significant improvement in mechanical properties of some blends was observed, and information about the miscibility of these polyesters is provided. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 2003–2014, 2002     

Biocomposites of plasticized starch reinforced with cellulose crystallites from cottonseed linter

Environmentally friendly starch biocomposites were successfully developed using a colloidal suspension of cottonseed linter cellulose crystallite as a filler to reinforce glycerol plasticized starch (PS). The cellulose crystallites, having lengths of 350 +/- 70 nm and diameters of 40 +/- 8 nm on average, were prepared from cottonseed linters by acid hydrolysis. The dependence of morphology and properties of the PS-based biocomposites on cellulose crystallites content in the range from 0 to 30 wt.-% was investigated by scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning thermal analysis, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, and measurements of mechanical properties and water absorption. The results indicate that the strong interactions between fillers and between the filler and PS matrix play a key role in reinforcing the resulting composites. The PS/cellulose crystallite composites, conditioned at 50% relative humidity, undergo an increase in both tensile strength and Young's modulus from 2.5 MPa for PS film to 7.8 MPa and from 36 MPa for PS film to 301 MPa. Further, incorporating cottonseed linter cellulose crystallites into PS matrix leads to an improvement in water resistance for the resulting biocomposites. The mechanical behaviors of the starch-based biocomposites as a function of cellulose crystallites content.     

Blends of polycarbonate and ethylene-1-octylene copolymer

The mechanical properties and morphology of polycarbonate/ethylene-1-octylene copolymer (PC/POE) binary blends and PC/POE/ionomer ternary blends were investigated. The tensile strength and elongation at break of the PC/POE blends decreased with increasing the POE content. The impact strength of the PC/POE blends showed less dependence on thickness than that of PC. And the low-temperature impact strength of PC was modified effectively by addition of POE. The morphology of the PC/POE blends was observed by scanning electron microscope. The PC/POE weight ratio had a great effect on the morphology of the PC/POE blends. For the PC/POE (80/20)/ionomer ternary blends, low content (0.25 and 0.5 phr) of ionomer could increase the tensile properties of PC/POE (80/20) blend and had little effect on the impact strength. And 0.5 phr ionomer made the dispersed domain distribute more uniformly and finely than the blend without it. But with high content of ionomer, the degradation of PC made the mechanical properties of the blends deteriorate. Blending PC and ionomer proved the degradation of PC, and the molecular weight decreased with increasing the ionomer content.     

Compatibilized poly(ϵ‐caprolactone)/poly(L‐lactide) blends for biomedical uses

A binary poly(L ‐lactide)/poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PLLA/PCL) (70/30 w/w) blend and a ternary PLLA/PCL/PLLA‐PCL‐PLLA blend of the same composition which contains 4 wt.‐% of a triblock PLLA‐PCL‐PLLA copolyester as compatibilizing agent were prepared by melt mixing at 200°C. Investigation of the thermal and mechanical properties of the blends and scanning electron microscopy of their fracture surfaces showed in the case of the ternary blend a better state of dispersion of PCL in the PLLA matrix and an improved toughness.     

Electrospun Aligned Poly(L-lactide)/Poly(ϵ-caprolactone) /Poly(ethylene glycol) Blend Fibrous Membranes

Aligned poly(L-lactide) (PLLA)/poly(?-caprolactone) (PCL)/poly(ethylene glycol)(PEG) fibrous membranes were fabricated by electrospinning. Their morphology, thermal stability, mechanical properties, hydrophilic properties and in vitro degradation behaviors were investigated. With increasing the content of PEG, the PLLA/PCL/PEG blend fibers become thinner due to the increment in solution conductivity and decrease in solution viscosity. The thermal stability, hydrophilic properties, the tensile strength and elongation-at-break of PLLA/PCL/PEG blend fibrous membranes were improved, but porosity were decreased with the content of PEG changing from 10 wt% to 30 wt%. Furthermore, the incorporation of PEG enhanced the degradation of the PLLA/PCL/PEG fibrous membranes due to the better hydrophilic properties. In addition, the PLLA/PCL/PEG fibrous membranes have no toxic effect on proliferation of adipose-derived stem cells.     

Poly(lactic acid)/poly(butylene succinate)/calcium sulfate whiskers biodegradable blends prepared by vane extruder: Analysis of mechanical properties,morphology, and crystallization behavior

Ternary blends of PLA/PBS/CSW with different weight fractions were prepared using a vane extruder. The mechanical properties, morphology, crystallization behavior and thermal stability of the blends were investigated. For the PLA/CSW blend, the tensile strength decreased, the flexural strength and modulus increased compared with pure PLA. For PBS, the addition of CSW had little influence on the mechanical properties. For the ternary blends PLA/PBS/CSW, the tensile strength, flexural strength and modulus decreased compared with pure PLA, while the elongation at break and the impact strength increased significantly. The brittle-ductile transition of the blends took place when the PBS weight fraction reaching 30 wt%. As a soft component in the blends, PBS was beneficial to improve the tensile ductility and the toughness of PLA. SEM measurements reveal that PLA/PBS/CSW blends were immiscible. When the weight fraction of PBS was 50 wt%, significant phase separation was observed, and CSW had preferential location in the PBS phase of the blend. DSC measurement and POM observation reveal that CSW had a heterogeneous nucleation effect on PLA and PBS matrix. The addition of PBS improved the crystallization of PLA and the thermal resistance of the PLA/PBS/CSW blends significantly.     

Fabrication of open‐porous PCL/PLA tissue engineering scaffolds and the relationship of foaming process,morphology, and mechanical behavior

Tissue engineering scaffolds should provide a suitable porous structure and proper mechanical strength, which is beneficial for the delivery of growth factor and regulation of cells. In this study, the open‐porous polycaprolactone (PCL)/poly (lactic acid) (PLA) tissue engineering scaffolds with suitable porous scale were fabricated using different ratios of PCL/PLA blends. At the same time, the relationship of foaming process, morphology, and mechanical behavior in the optimized batch microcellular foaming process were studied based on the single‐factor experiment method. The porous structures and mechanical strength of the scaffolds were optimized by adjusting foaming parameters, including the temperature, pressure, and CO₂ dissolution time. The results indicated that the foaming parameters influence the cell morphology, further determine the mechanical behavior of PCL/PLA blends. When the PCL content is high, with the increase of temperature and time, the cell diameter and the elastic modulus increased, and the tensile strength and elastic modulus increased with the increase of the average cell size, and decreased as the increase of the cell density. While when the PLA content was high, the cell diameter showed the same trend, and the tensile strength and elastic modulus were higher, and the elongation at break was lower, and tensile strength and elastic modulus decreased with the increase of the average cell size and increased with the increase of cell density. This work successfully fabricated optimized porous PCL/PLA scaffolds with excellent suitable mechanical properties, pore sizes, and high interconnectivity, indicating the effectiveness of modulating the batch foaming process parameters.     

Development of novel elastomeric blends derived from chlorinated nitrile rubber and chlorinated ethylene propylene diene rubber

Chlorinated nitrile rubber (Cl-NBR) has been blended with chlorinated ethylene propylene diene rubber (Cl-EPDM) in different ratios by a conventional mill mixing method. The effect of the blend ratio on processing characteristics, mechanical properties (such as tensile and tear strength, elongation at break, hardness, abrasion resistance, heat build-up and resilience), structure, morphology, glass transition temperature (Tg), thermal stability, flame retardancy, oil resistance, AC conductivity, dielectric properties and transport behavior of petrol, diesel and kerosene were investigated. The shift in absorption bands of blends studied from FTIR spectra, single Tg from DSC analysis and decrease in amorphous nature from XRD showed the molecular miscibility in Cl-NBR/Cl-EPDM blends. SEM images showed the uniform mixing of both Cl-NBR and Cl-EPDM in a 50/50 blend ratio. The TGA curves indicated the better thermal stability of the polymer blend. The elongation at break, heat build-up, resilience and hardness of the polymer blend decreases with an increase in Cl-NBR content in the blend whereas the flame and oil resistance were increased with increase in Cl-NBR content. Among the polymer blends, the maximum torque, tensile strength, tear and abrasion resistance was obtained for the 50/50 blend ratio because of the effective interfacial interactions between the blend components. AC conductivity and dielectric properties of polymer blend increased with increase in the ratio of Cl-NBR in the blend. Different transport properties such as diffusion, permeation and sorption coefficient were measured with respect to nature of solvent and different blend ratios. Temperature dependence of diffusion was used to estimate the activation parameters and the mechanism of transport found to be anomalous.     

The research on the mechanical properties improvement of HDPE/ABS blends reinforced with acid‐treated wood fiber

In this study, the effect of acid‐treated wood fiber modifications on the mechanical behaviors of HDPE/ABS blend is investigated. Wood fiber/HDPE/ABS composites were fabricated by incorporating acid‐treated wood fiber into HDPE/ABS blends. The results showed that both the tensile strength and flexural strength of wood fiber/HDPE/ABS composites were greater than those of HDPE/ABS blend, regardless of wood fiber modification. The results also showed that the impact strength of HDPE/ABS composites is improved by the addition of wood fiber. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) examination of fractured surfaces showed that the improvement in the mechanical properties of the wood fiber/HDPE/ABS composites was attributed to the improved dispersion of wood fiber in the HDPE/ABS and the better interfacial characteristics caused by the acid treatment of the wood fiber.     

Properties of Natural Rubber/Recycled Chloroprene Rubber Blend: Effects of Blend Ratio and Matrix

The present study investigated the effects of two types of natural rubber and different blend ratios on the cure, tensile properties and morphology of natural rubber/recycled chloroprene rubber blends. The blends of natural rubber/recycled chloroprene rubber were prepared by using laboratory two-roll mill. The result showed that the cure time prolonged with the addition of recycled chloroprene rubber (rCR). Comparability, natural rubber/recycled chloroprene rubber (SMR L/rCR) blendcured rapidly than epoxidized natural rubber/recycled chloroprene rubber (ENR 50/rCR) blend. The addition of rCRalso caused a decrement in the tensile strength and elongation at break for both rubber blends. The SMR L/rCR blendsshowed higher tensile strength and elongation at break compared to those of ENR 50/rCR blends at any blend ratios.     

Studies on poly(ε‐caprolactone)/thiodiphenol blends: The specific interaction and the thermal and dynamic mechanical properties

The effects of several low molecular weight compounds with hydroxyl groups on the physical properties of poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) were investigated by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and high‐resolution solid‐state ¹³C NMR. PCL and 4,4′‐thiodiphenol (TDP) interact through strong intermolecular hydrogen bonds and form hydrogen‐bonded networks in the blends at an appropriate TDP content. The thermal and dynamic mechanical properties of PCL/TDP blends were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, respectively. The melting point of PCL decreased, whereas both the glass‐transition temperature and the loss tangent tan δ of the blend increased with an increase in TDP content. The addition of 40 wt % TDP changed PCL from a semicrystalline polymer in the pure state to a fully amorphous elastomer. The molecules of TDP lost their crystallizability in the blends with TDP contents not greater than 40 wt %. In addition to TDP, three other PCL blend systems with low molecular weight additives containing two hydroxyl groups, 1,4‐dihydroxybenzene, 1,4‐di‐(2‐hydroxyethoxy) benzene, and 1,6‐hexanediol, were also investigated with FTIR and DSC, and the effects of the chemical structure of the additives on the morphology and thermal properties are discussed. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 1848–1859, 2000     

Characterization of cottonseed protein isolate as a paper additive

There is current interest in using agro-based biopolymers in industrial applications. Because cottonseed protein is abundantly available, it would be useful to explore its feasibility as a polymeric additive and possible substitute for petroleum-based materials. In this work, we studied cottonseed protein isolate as a paper additive and observed its effects on the paper’s dry and wet strength. The tensile strength of paper was found to vary with the amount of the protein applied. By application of an 11% protein solution to the paper, the dry and wet strength increased by 33 and 16% compared with the paper by itself, respectively. The combined use of cottonseed protein and an acid (acetic, adipic, aspartic, and citric acids) to promote adhesion resulted in even greater dry paper strength but not in greater wet paper strength. Thermogravimetric analysis, infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopic studies suggested that the protein interacted with acid and that both components interacted with paper fibers to produce increased strength.     

Correlative analysis between morphology and mechanical properties of poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) blended with polycarprolactone (PCL) using solid-state NMR

Blends of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and poly(caprolactone) (PCL) were evaluated using multiscale instrumental analyses to reveal the effects of blend ratio and crosslinking reagent. In the multiscale instrumental analyses, molecular mobility from molecular to nano scales was examined by solid-state NMR, while the morphology at the micron scale was revealed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). PHB-rich blends adopted a sea-island morphology and showed a larger maximum stress due to dispersed PHB filler. A PCL-rich blend also adopted a sea-island morphology but the sea domain consisted of PCL and showed a larger strain at break. An equal ratio PHB/PCL blend had a bicontinuous morphology which showed lower maximum stress and lower strain at break because of large hemispherical defects. The crosslinking reagent changes these heterogeneous morphologies of PHB/PCL blends to homogeneous at the micron scale, which improved tensile properties. Even though the molecular mobility changed with the polymer content and the crosslinking reagent, the bicontinuous and homogeneous morphologies more significantly affected the tensile properties of the PHB/PCL blends.     

Structure–property relationship in PCL/starch blend compatibilized with starch‐g‐PCL copolymer

The polycaprolactone (PCL)/starch blends were prepared by using the starch‐g‐PCL (SGCL) graft copolymers as compatibilizers, and their mechanical properties were correlated with the compatibilizing effect of the SGCL copolymers having various molecular structures. The modulus and strength of the PCL/starch blend were decreased, whereas the percent elongation and the toughness were increased remarkably with the addition of SGCL having appropriate graft structure. These property changes were analyzed in terms of the PCL crystallinity and the interfacial adhesion between the PCL matrix and starch dispersion phases, which were dominated by the compatibilizing effects of the SGCL copolymers. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 2430–2438, 1999     

Effect of soy protein isolate on the thermal, mechanical and morphological properties of poly (-caprolactone) and corn starch blends

The development of biodegradable polymers is considered to be a good alternative to decrease the volume of the plastic waste disposed into the environment every year. The use of natural polymers as raw materials to develop polymer blends and composites has increased the demand for renewable sources such as starch and soy protein.In this work, the authors prepared and characterized the thermal, mechanical and morphological properties of blends based on poly (-caprolactone) and modified corn starch, with added soy protein isolate (SPI) and sorbitol. All samples were processed by extrusion in a single-screw extruder and hot pressing. It was observed that the addition of modified corn starch and SPI were responsible for the reduction of thermal and mechanical properties of the materials, compared to pristine PCL. However, with increasing amounts of SPI and the reduction of starch incorporated into the samples, their properties tend to recover. The insertion of soy protein isolate in the formulations was done with the aim of balancing the C/N ratio of the blend, which plays a key role in the biodegradation process of these materials.     

Rheology, morphology and mechanical properties of polyethylene/ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (PE/EVA) blends

Rheology, morphology and mechanical properties of binary PE and EVA blends together with their thermal behavior were studied. The results of rheological studies showed that, for given PE and EVA, the interfacial interaction in PE-rich blends is higher than EVA-rich blends, which in turn led to finer and well-distributed morphology in PE-rich blends. Using two different models, the phase inversion composition was predicted to be in 45 and 47 wt% of the PE phase. This was justified by morphological studies, where a clear co-continuous morphology for 50/50 blend was observed. The tensile strength for PE-rich blends showed positive deviation from mixing rule, whereas the 50/50 blend and EVA-rich blends displayed negative deviation. These results were in a good agreement with the results of viscoelastic behavior of the blends. The elongation at break was found to follow the same trend as tensile strength except for 90/10 PE/EVA blend. The latter was explained in terms of the effect of higher co-crystallization in 90/10 composition, which increased the tensile strength and decreased the elongation at break in this composition. The results of thermal behavior of the blends indicated that the melting temperatures of PE and EVA decrease and increase, respectively, due to the dilution effect of EVA on PE and nucleation effect of PE on EVA.