Effect of temperature on the chemical relaxation process in rubbers

The effect of temperature on the chemical relaxation of rubbers has been investigated. With reference to nine industrial rubbers it has been shown that during storage in the stressed state (at =const) chemical relaxation is chiefly determined by two processes proceeding at different rates. Furthermore, the chemical relaxation of rubbers is determined not only by the rate constants of these two processes but also by the pre-exponential constants C_0i, the relationship between which varies with increase in temperature. It is possible to extrapolate the rate constants (k_i) and pre-exponential constants (C_0i) from elevated temperatures (110–50° C) to temperatures in the range 20–25° C. An equation is proposed that makes it possible to calculate the change in the elastic properties of rubbers in the stressed state at storage temperatures (20–25° C) by means of results obtained at elevated temperatures.Mekhanika Polimerov, Vol. 3, No. 3, pp. 448–454, 1967     

Investigation of the structure of carbon fibers by means of the scanning electron microscope

The structure of carbon fibers based on hydrated cellulose and polyacrylonitrile after heat treatment between 800 and 3000°C and of carbonized fibers based on polyacrylonitrile, submitted to oxidation in air, was investigated. It was established that significant changes in the surface structure occur after heat treatment at 2600°C and above. Structural changes in the carbonized fibers after various degrees of oxidation were demonstrated. Additional data were obtained on the change in the surface structure and the formation of a porous structure in carbon materials during oxidation under certain conditions.Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 5, pp. 925–926, September–October, 1972.     

Morphological characteristics of carbon fibers

Scanning electron microscopy has been used to study the surface, before and after thermochemical treatment, and the fracture sites of PAN carbon fibers heat-treated at 2100°C. The fractographs are analyzed in an attempt to estimate the effect of various defects on the strength of PAN carbon fibers.All-Union Scientific-Research and Design-Technological Institute of Electro-Carbon Products, Moscow Region. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 1, pp. 158–160, January–February, 1976.     

Influence of technological processing parameters on the properties of carbon filled thermoplastics

The effect of processing parameters of injection molding on the mechanical and tribotechnical properties of carbon plastics based on polyacetals is investigated. The copolymer of 1,3,5-trioxane with 1,3-dioxolane is used as the polymer matrix. Hydrated cellulose Ural LO-24 carbon fibers are used as the reinforcing filler. The effect of molding temperature, pressing time, and temperature of the casting mould on the properties of carbon plastics is investigated. It has been found that for improving the mechanical properties of carbon plastics it is necessary to raise the molding temperature up to 200–210°C. Prolongation of the technological cycle leads to thermal degradation of the polymer in the cylinder of a casting machine. The mould temperature only slightly affects the composite strength properties, but lower temperatures create better conditions for polymer crystallization. As a result of our investigations, the optimal processing parameters of the above carbon plastics are determined.Ukrainian State University of Chemical Technology, Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine. Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 35, No. 3, pp. 385–392, 1999.     

A study of the physicomechanical properties of carbon fibers at high temperatures

Conclusions 1. Carbon fibers, similar to graphite materials, are heat-resistant and do not Iose their short-term tensile strength in the temperature range studied — 20 to 2000°C.2. Young's modulus of carbon fibers hardly changes in the temperature range 20 to 1200°C, but a significant decrease is observed upon a further increase in temperature.Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 4, pp. 626–630, July–August, 1977.     

Static friction of metal - polymer pairs under vacuum conditions

The static friction of a series of polymer — steel friction pairs has been investigated as a function of the stationary contact time at temperatures from –150°C to +200°C. The experimental technique is described and the results of the experiments are evaluated.Novocherkassk Sergo Ordzhonikidze Polytechnic Institute. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 6, pp. 1065–1069, November–December, 1970.     

Effect of temperature on the nature of the tear surface of styrene polymers

The tear surfaces of polystyrene and SKS-85 butadiene-styrene copolymer (85% styrene) have been investigated at temperatures from –45 to +100°C and from –60 to +40°C, respectively. The fracture surface of these polymers changes not only on transition from the glassy to the high-elastic state, but also within the glassy state itself, changes being observed both in the relative extent of the individual zones contributing to the fracture surface and in the nature of those zones. Changes in the nature of the fracture surface associated with a slowing of the fracture process occur at 0 and 40°C in the case of polystyrene and at –10°C in the case of copolymer SKS-85 and are attributable to secondary transitions in the polymers.Moscow Technological Institute of the Meat and Dairy Industry. State Institute of Polymer Adhesives, Kirovakan. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 257–264, March–April, 1969.     

Effect of gaseous oxygen pressure on the kinetics of accumulation of residual deformation in resins

The authors studied changes in the properties of resins in the static deformed state under the effect of gaseous oxygen pressures of up to 200 atm at 25, 50, and 70° C for 20–500 days, depending on the experimental conditions. It was shown that an increase in gaseous oxygen pressure significantly affects the process of accumulation of residual deformation up to 30–40 atm while a further pressure rise has practically no effect on changes in the accumulation rate of residual deformation.Scientific-Research Institute of the Resin Industry, Moscow. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, Vol. 9, No. 3, pp. 552–554, May–June, 1973.     

Effect of annealing temperature on the mechanical properties of polyethylene terephthalate fiber

The mechanical properties of polyethylene terephthalate fibers stretched at 45 and 110° C have been investigated in relation to annealing temperature. It is shown that for fibers with the maximum degree of stretch the annealing temperature has no effect on mechanical strength. Reduction in the stretch of the fibers leads to an increase in strength upon annealing, and this may be associated with densification of the amorphous zones due to the formation of a large number of intermolecular bonds between the links of the polymer chains.Mekhanika Polimerov, Vol. 3, No. 3, pp. 503–506, 1967     

Modification of glass-filled polyamide 66 by reactive oligoorganosilane

Properties of glass-filled polyamide 66 modified by reactive oligoorganosilane were investigated. It was found that modification led to the improvement of the rheological properties of polyamide. The addition of the modifier decreased the glass transition temperature T_g of the polyamide from 60 to 50–59°C, without affecting the melting point. Composites modified by oligoorganosilane are characterized by higher (10–40°C) temperatures of onset and 50% weight loss as compared to the initial composite. It was found that chemical reaction of oligoorganosilane with polyamide and glass fibers took place during coextrusion of the modifier and polyamide, which formed firm chemical bonds between the polyamide and filler and thus favored a considerable improvement in the physicomechanical properties of the composite. The change in the structure and properties of the polyamide observed during modification by oligoorganosilane significantly affected its behavior during friction. The modification made it possible to increase the wear resistance of the composite 1.5 to 2 times and to decrease its friction coefficient from 0.38 to 0.27–0.33. It was also found that the ability of oligoorganosilane to react during its processing with water in the polyamide allowed for a significant decrease in the intensity of hydrolytic processes in the polymer. Because of this, the physicomechanical, rheological, and antifrictional properties of modified composites with an increased content of moisture (up to 3%) in the initial polyamide surpass similar characteristics of the composites containing no modifier, with not only enhanced but also optimum (0.2%) humidity of polymer granules.Nesmeyanov Institute of Organoelement Compounds, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia. Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 34, No. 4, pp. 545–553, July–August, 1998.     

Regulation of the mechanical properties of thermoplastic carbon fiber-reinforced plastics by changing their production conditions and surface treatment of the fibers

The effect of technological parameters of processing and surface treatment of carbon fibers on the mechanical properties of carbon fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRPs) was investigated. The copolymer of 1,3,5-trioxane with 1,3-dioxolane was used as the polymer matrix, and medium-modulus hydrated cellulose Ural LO-24 carbon fibers served as the reinforcing filler. The polymer matrix was mixed with the carbon fibers by the method of combined extrusion. The dependence of the mechanical properties of CFRPs on the technological parameters of screw-disk extrusion was studied. It was found that the properties of the composites were greatly affected by the size of the working disk gap, the disk rotation rate, and the temperature in the zone of normal stresses. The surface of the carbon fibers was activated with atmospheric oxygen in the temperature range of 450–600°C, with mass loss of the fibers no greater than 3–4%. A 30–40% increase in the mechanical properties of the CFRPs was achieved. A decrease in the melt index of the 1,3,5-trioxane copolymer with 1,3-dioxolane reinforced with oxidized carbon fibers was observed, which should be taken into account in processing the composites into products. Introduction of carbon fibers in the 1,3,5-trioxane copolymer with 1,3-dioxolane allows us to increase the wear resistance and decrease the friction coefficient, which makes it possibile to use these materials in the friction units of machines and mechanisms, such as plain bearings, gears, and flange packings.Presented at the 10th International Conference on the Mechanics of Composite Materials (Riga, April 20–23, 1998).Ukrainian State University of Chemical Technology, Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine. Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 34, No. 5, pp. 673–682, September–October, 1998.     

Investigation of the friction of rubber under constant compressive strain conditions at low pressure

A vacuum tribometer was developed which was used to investigate the maximum friction force occurring at the initial instant of slipping in rubber-metal friction pairs under conditions of a given (from 5 to 40%) compressive strain at a low pressure in the temperature range from +100 to –100°C. Filled rubbers on a base of nitrile-butadiene rubbers were studied. Up to the glass transition temperature T_g the vacuum had practically no effect on the maximum friction frocef _m; at temperatures T_g and lower the values off _m obtained in a vacuum were 10–15% higher than those obtained in the atmosphere. It is shown that with a decrease of temperature from 20°C to the glass transition temperature T_g the slope of the dependence of the maximum friction force on the degree of deformation increases, and below T_g decreases. The effect of the slipping speed v on the maximum friction forcef _m was also studied.Laboratory of Polymer Physics, V. I. Lenin Moscow State Pedagogical Institute. Leningrad Branch, Scientific Research Institute of the Rubber Industry. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 3, pp. 486–492, May–June, 1970.     

Thermal effects in a glass laminate in tension

The results of a calorimetric investigation of a glass-reinforced textolite in uniaxial tension are presented. The specimens were deformed on the interval of strain rates from 0.3 to 10.5 mm/min at test temperatures from –30 to 80°C. The thermal effects are shown to depend on strain rate and test temperature.Institute of Polymer Mechanics, Academy of Sciences of the Latvian SSR, Riga. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 4, pp. 599–604, July–August, 1971.     

Structural characteristics of materials reinforced with high-modulus fibers

Research on the mechanics of boron and carbon-reinforced plastics is briefly reviewed. The design and testing characteristics of these materials associated with the high degree of anisotropy of their elastic properties, as compared with those of glass-reinforced plastics, are discussed. Problems relating to testing at an angle to the direction of the reinforcement, the effect of misorientation and distortion of the fibers, and the consequences of the low shear strength are considered. Experimental confirmation has been obtained by testing unidirectional (1 : 0), orthogonally reinforced (1 : 1 and 2 : 1), and tridirectional (1 : 1 : 1 in the 0°, +60°, and –60° directions) boron and carbon-reinforced plastics.DeceasedInstitute of Polymer Mechanics, Academy of Sciences of the Latvian SSR, Riga. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 4, pp. 676–685, July–August, 1971.     

Scanning electron microscope study of the structure of carbonized polyacrylonitrile fibers

The morphology and physicomechanical properties of carbonized PAN fibers (oxidized and heat-treated to 1500, 2000, and 2750°C) have been studied. It is shown that surface and internal structural defects sharply reduce the values of the physicomechanical characteristics of the carbonized fibers. The scanning electron microscope reveals the nonuniformities of the fiber over the fracture surface and makes it possible to take into account the effect of macro- and microdefects in studying fiber strength.Topchiev Institute of Petrochemical Synthesis, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. Institute of Fossil Fuels, Moscow. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 6, pp. 1122–1124, November–December, 1971.     

Effect of thermal treatment temperature on the structure and properties of carbon fibers

Conclusions 1. It has been shown that the presence of a maximum in the dependence of strength on Young's modulus for carbon fibers made from PAN fiber may be explained by an effect of the process of temperature stress accumulation which takes place under the conditions of isometric heating. The start of this process, which causes a rearrangement of the internal structure of the high-modulus fiber, coincides with the start of the anomalous rise in fiber density.2. The interconnection between surface and internal defects and the elastic-strength properties of carbon fibers made in the temperature treatment range 600–3000°C has been studied.3. Original data on the elastic-strength properties of borided carbon fibers have been obtained; the structure of these is marked by a high degree of perfection. It has been shown that in boriding, which facilitates graphitization of the carbon, the process of regular reduction in fiber strength which is reached in the precrystallization stage is somewhat retarded.All-Union Scientific-Research Institute of Aviation Materials, Moscow. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 6, pp. 1036–1042, November–December, 1976.     

Time and temperature dependent deformation of poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK)

The stress-strain behavior in tension and the effect of temperature on the creep of poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) have been studied. At room temperature, 130° below the glass-transition temperature, the material does not become brittle, and the specimens show necking in tension over a wide range of elongation rates. The stress and strain at yield and the strain at break are almost linear functions of the logarithmic elongation rate. The values of stress and strain at yield increase slightly with increasing elongation rate, while the strain at break decreases markedly. The short-term creep tests were conducted at temperatures extending from 20 to 200°C. The glass-transition temperature was found to be about 155°C. The creep of PEEK is greatest at temperatures above 130°C. In the glass region the time dependence of the deformation is much weaker. It has been found that the time-temperature relation for PEEK corresponds well with its thermorheological simplicity in the temperature range investigated. The data on the temperature shift factor below and above the glass-transition temperature may be fitted separately to the Arrhenius and Williams-Landel-Ferry (WLF) equations, respectively. The long-term creep tests show that PEEK has excellent creep resistance at room temperature. After 14-month tests at a stress level of 30 MPa the total strain exceeds the instantaneous elastic strain only by a factor of 1.15.Institute of Polymer Mechanics. Latvian Academy of Sciences, 23 Aizkraukles St., LV-1006 Riga. Latvia. Department of Polymeric Materials, Chalmers University of Technology. S-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden. Published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, No. 6, pp. 734–746, November–December, 1997.     

Features of viscoelastic behavior of materials based on heat-resistant polymers

Conclusions In the example of polybenzoxazole, the relationships of viscoelastic behavior have been investigated for monolithic heat-resistant polymers over a wide range of temperatures (from 22° to 230°C) and initial deformations (from 0.5 to 2.5%). The experimental data on stress relaxation, covering the regions of linear and nonlinear viscoelasticity, are approximated by the basic equation of the primary cubic theory of Il'yushin, using the singular kernel of Rzhanitsyn. For the first time, the region of stable mechanical capability of monolithic heat-resistant polymers has been defined with due regard for relaxation characteristics.Paper presented at Fourth All-Union Conference on Polymer Mechanics and Composite Materials (Riga, October 1980).Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, No. 6, pp. 978–983, November–December, 1980.     

Effect of the molecular weight of polystyrene on the viscosity of concentrated solutions

The viscosity of solutions of polystyrene of various molecular weights (from 1.04 · 10² to 3.8 · 10⁵) in a poor solvent (decalin) and a good solvent (ethylbenzene) has been measured at temperatures from 15 to 70°C over a broad range of shear stresses from 10² to 10⁶ dyne/cm². The nature of the solvent has a considerable influence on the critical molecular weight and the absolute value of the viscosities of the solutions over the entire range of molecular weights and on the form of the flow curves of decalin solutions of polystyrene as a function of temperature. The heat of activation of viscous flow increases with increase in molecular weight and shear stress on the interval 20–80°C. The results obtained are explained in terms of the effect of the molecular weight of the polymer, the nature of the solvent, stress and temperature on structure formation in the solution and on the orientation of the macromolecules and structures in the flow process.Ural Gor'kii State University, Sverdlovsk. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 5, pp. 920–926, September–October, 1970.     

The dynamic properties of polyethylene and an acrylonitrile — Butadiene — Styrene material in a broad range of temperature and strain-rate variation

Conclusions The mechanical properties of an acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene material and polyethylenes of densities =0.92 and 0.96 g/cm³ are studied within the temperature range of from 100 to –196°C and at strain rates of from 10^–3 to 1.3 · 10³ sec^–1. It is observed that under low-temperature and high-strain-rate conditions, the laws governing the mechanical properties of the acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene material and polyethylenes are similar. Regions of strain rates and temperatures are found for which the behavior of the test materials is in good agreement with the Ree-Eyring equation, and, consequently, conforms to a temperature-time analogy. No embrittlement of the polyethylene is observed during tests at strain rates to 1.3 · 10³ sec^–1 and temperatures down to –196°C. In approximating these values of and T, the mechanical properties of polyethylenes will cease to be dependent on initial density.Institute of Polymer Mechanics, Academy of Sciences of the Latvian SSR, Riga. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 6, 1027–1033, November–December, 1978.