The use of thermoplastic elastomers as polymer processing aids in processing of linear low density polyethylene

Commercially available thermoplastic elastomers based on block copolymers of diisocyanates and polyols and based on silicones have been reported by Kulikov et al. (2004 and 2006) to delay sharkskin in extrusion of Linear Low Density Polyethylene. In this work thermoplastic elastomers have been used as polymer processing additives in blown film extrusion of Linear Low Density Polyethylene. When a thermoplastic elastomer is added in small amounts to Linear Low Density Polyethylene it deposits at the die surface during extrusion and may postpone the onset of sharkskin enabling up to 20 times higher rate of extrusion. Many thermoplastic elastomers are certified for body and food contacts and could be a cost-effective substitution of fluorinated polymers in processing of Linear Low Density Polyethylene by extrusion. Oscillating and capillar rheometry have been used to reveal the mode of action of the additives. Results of capillar rheometry showed a decrease of apparent viscosity of the polymer melt when additive was added. Therefore Mooney method (Mooney, 1931) was applied to prove occurring slip inside of the die. Substantial delay of sharkskin was achieved also in conditions without slip of molten polyethylene inside the die by adding thermoplastic elastomer based on urethanes. Oscillating rheometry has been used to characterize elasticity of the materials. It could be shown that efficiency to delay sharkskin depends on elasticity of the specific thermoplastic elastomer at processing temperature. Surface tension of the solid materials was used to estimate the mutual affinity of the materials. Therefore a theoretical model of Rathod and Hatzikiriakos (2004) was used to evaluate the data. Finally a classification of polymer processing aids into “slip inducers” and “flow enhancers” by their mode of action was done. Ability of novel processing aids to postpone sharkskin was shown in blown film extrusion. Applicability of polymer processing aids in injection moulding could be proved by use of a mould with spiral cavity.     

Melt fracture of polyisobutylenes

The processability of different grades of polyisobutylene (PIB) was investigated using a capillary rheometer. Direct focus was given to the occurrence of melt fracture phenomena, such as sharkskin and gross melt fracture (GMF). The influence of molecular weight (MW) of PIB, temperature and die entrance angle on melt fracture was examined in detail. Due to their highly elastic nature, high MW PIBs were found to exhibit gross melt fracture instability even at low shear rates, rendering their processing an impossible task. An increase in temperature resulted in postponing both instabilities (sharkskin and gross) to higher shear rates, thus making their processing easier. Finally, decreasing the entrance angle below a critical value resulted in postponing the onset of GMF to higher shear rates.     

Efforts to find stick‐slip flow in the land of a die under sharkskin melt fracture conditions: polybutadiene

Because stick‐slip or other flow disturbances inside the die land have been suggested as a possible mechanism of the sharkskin, our effort was to observe any relevant periodic changes inside the die land during the sharkskin condition. We used particle tracking and time‐resolved birefringence and two‐dimensional light scattering in conjunction with a slit die attached to an extruder and a tubular glass die attached to a pressurized reservoir. Both dies could be observed up to the exit; both could also be directly observed downstream of the exit. While periodicities were easily seen in the slip‐stick regime, none of the methods revealed any periodicity in the sharkskin regime. Direct observation of the sharkskin formation outside the die suggests a tearing and rolling mechanism as the origin of the sharkskin ridges found on polybutadiene extrudates.     

4种低密度聚乙烯树脂的链结构及其性能

选用4种商品化的具有不同熔体流动速率的低密度聚乙烯(LDPE),利用高温凝胶渗透色谱仪(HT-GPC)、碳核磁共振谱仪(¹³C NMR)、差示扫描量热仪(DSC)和流变仪研究其链结构特点及其流变性能。 按照相对分子质量的差异分成两组,D-1和Q-1,D-3和Y-1,每组的两个样品具有相近的平均相对分子质量。 ¹³C NMR的结果表明,4种LDPE都既含有短链支化又含有长链支化,且短链支化含量均高于长链支化含量;而短链支化中丁基含量最多。 连续自成核退火热分级(SSA)结果表明,树脂中均含有不同长度的可结晶的亚甲基序列,即每种树脂分子链内的短链支化分布不均匀。 探讨了相对分子质量及其分布、亚甲基序列长度及其分布、支化含量、结晶度等因素对树脂熔融行为、流变行为和薄膜力学性能的影响,发现Q-1的低相对分子质量尾端和Y-1的长链支化含量均影响熔体流动速率,平均亚甲基序列长度决定熔融峰的位置,结晶度直接影响薄膜的力学性能。 基于上述结果,建立结构与性能的关联。     

Flow boundary conditions for chain-end adsorbing polymer blends

Using the phenol-terminated polycarbonate blend as an example, we demonstrate that the hydrodynamic boundary conditions for a flow of an adsorbing polymer melt are extremely sensitive to the structure of the epitaxial layer. Under shear, the adsorbed parts (chain ends) of the polymer melt move along the equipotential lines of the surface potential whereas the adsorbed additives serve as the surface defects. In response to the increase of the number of the adsorbed additives the surface layer becomes thinner and solidifies. This results in a gradual transition from the slip to the no-slip boundary condition for the melt flow, with a nonmonotonic dependence of the slip length on the surface concentration of the adsorbed ends.     

Detection of long-chain branches in polyethylene via rheological measurements

The detection of long-chain branches(LCB) in polyethylene is of considerable importance as the processing properties of polyethylene are strongly affected by even a small amount of LCB. While the conventional characterization techniques such as GPC-MALS and13 C NMR fail or take very long time to detect low content of LCB, we turn to the rheological method, which is more sensitive to LCB. In our study, we performed oscillatory shear test, creep test and stress relaxation test on two series of metallocene linear low density polyethylene(LLDPE), revealing that the resins with LCB show higher zero-shear-rate viscosity, retarded relaxation and higher flow activation energy than those without or with less LCB. The resins with LCB showed shear thinning at very low shear rate and their zero-shear-rate viscosities were obtained via creep test. The content of LCB was quantitatively estimated from the flow activation energy. In addition, the modulus-time curves during stress relaxation of melt of the different resins obeyed the power law. The exponent of the resins with more LCB was 0.7, different from that of the resins with less LCB, around 1.7.     

线型聚乙烯及其共聚物的挤出畸变与熔体粘弹性的关系

采用恒速型双筒毛细管流变仪研究了一类线型聚乙烯熔体的挤出畸变与熔体非线性粘弹性的关系。实验研究了发生畸变时挤出压力的振荡规律,发现线型大分子或带小侧基的大分子熔体,容易发生壁滑和挤出压力振荡;而有较大侧基、或分子量分布宽、或带大量短支链的熔体,挤出畸变现象较轻。挤出畸变与熔体的弹性及熔体．壁面吸附状态紧密相关。容易发生壁滑和挤出压力振荡的熔体,弹性较大(入口压力降大);在壁面的吸附作用强(壁面临界剪切应力大)。稳态剪切粘度大小与挤出畸变和压力振荡的关系不大;而拉伸应力和拉伸粘度大的熔体较易发生壁滑和挤出压力振荡。     

化学结构变化对刚棒状环氧树脂相行为和热力学性能的影响

用线性酚醛树脂(PN)和4-氨基苯基氨基砜(SAA)作为固化剂, 与刚性棒状环氧树脂联苯环氧(DGEBP)、四甲基联苯环氧(DGETMBP)和传统双酚A环氧树脂(DGEBA)分别进行固化. 研究了固化剂和环氧树脂化学结构的改变对热固网络相行为和热力学性能的影响. 结果表明, 刚性环氧网络比传统的DGEBA具有更好的热力学性能. DGEBP可形成不同类型的取向网络, 而取向态的类型也直接影响了热固网络的热力学性能. 用扫描电镜(SEM)观察不同网络体系的断裂面结构, 发现取向的刚性棒状环氧网络的断裂面呈韧性断裂, 而其它无定形环氧网络则呈典型的脆性断裂.     

火试金减杂-电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱法（ICP-AES）法测定高冰镍的金、银、铂、钯含量

建立了火试金减杂-电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱法（ICP-AES）测定高冰镍中金、银、铂、钯含量的分析方法。实验采用火试金富集、熔融、灰吹得到合粒,通过减杂法得到银含量,通过ICP-AES法测定得到金、铂、钯含量。金、银、铂、钯的加标回收率在99.53%-101.83%之间,相对标准偏差小于3%。此方法快速、简洁,准确度高、精密度好,能够满足高冰镍的测定需求。     

Processability characteristics of chlorinated poly(vinyl chloride)

Chlorinated poly(vinyl chloride) (CPVC) is known to have a higher softening temperature than conventional poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). Its processability characteristics are, however, different; it has been reported that CPVC is more difficult to process. However, only limited information on the processability characteristics is available. This paper describes some studies of the flow behavior of CPVC melts in a capillary rheometer. The true melt viscosity and activation energy were determined between 190° and 210°C for a number of samples, and they appear to be related to the cohesive energy density of the samples. It was observed that melt fracture, i.e., gross distortion of the extrudate, occurs even at low shear rates in samples having a high chlorine content. This has been attributed to the relatively high pressures that have to be used, the pronounced non-Newtonian nature of the melt, and melt elasticity. It is postulated that melt elasticity could result from crosslinking at the site of the double bond which is known to be formed by dehydrochlorination.     

Rheological behavior of POM polymer melt flowing through micro-channels

Determination of the rheological behavior of the polymer melt within micro-structured geometry is vital for accurate simulation modeling of micro-molding. The lack of commercial equipment is one of main hurdles in the investigation of micro-melt rheology. In this study, a melt viscosity measurement system for POM melt flowing through micro-channels was established. For measured pressure drop and volumetric flow rate, both capillary and slit flow models were used for the calculation of viscosity. The calculated results were also compared with those of PS resin to discuss the effect of morphology structure on the viscosity characteristics of polymer within micro-channels. It was found that the measured POM viscosity values in the test ranges are significantly lower (about 29-35% for a channel size of 150 μm) than those obtained with a traditional capillary rheometer. Meanwhile, the percentage reduction in the viscosity value and the ratio of slip velocity relative to mean velocity all increase with decreasing micro-channel size, but less significantly when compared with PS resin. In the present study we emphasize that the rheological behavior of the POM resin in microscopic scale is also different from that of macroscopic scale as PS resin but displays a less significant lower. It also revealed that the wall slip occurs more easily for the PS resin within micro-channels than POM resin due to enlarge the effect of molecular weight.     

中空铜纳米线的拉伸断裂分布与初始滑移分布的关系

构建了系列球形中空结构的纳米线(NW),采用分子动力学(MD)对每个模型300个不同初始态的样本开展拉伸形变模拟。并利用基于密度的噪声应用空间聚类(density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise,DBSCAN)机器学习算法,获得了初始滑移面的位置。基于大数据统计,分析了初始滑移位置分布以及断裂位置分布两者之间的相关性。研究结果表明：当内部中空半径较小时,断裂位置分布形成于塑性形变阶段,初始滑移分布与断裂位置分布之间无显著的相关性;但是对于脆性特征明显的大中空半径的NW,高能内表面诱导产生的滑移面迅速积累,产生颈缩并导致最终的断裂。因此当内部中空结构达到一定尺寸时初始滑移位置的分布与最终断裂位置的分布之间有明确的因果关系。     

中空铜纳米线的拉伸断裂分布与初始滑移分布的关系

构建了系列球形中空结构的纳米线(NW)，采用分子动力学(MD)对每个模型300个不同初始态的样本开展拉伸形变模拟。并利用基于密度的噪声应用空间聚类(density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise，DBSCAN)机器学习算法，获得了初始滑移面的位置。基于大数据统计，分析了初始滑移位置分布以及断裂位置分布两者之间的相关性。研究结果表明：当内部中空半径较小时，断裂位置分布形成于塑性形变阶段，初始滑移分布与断裂位置分布之间无显著的相关性；但是对于脆性特征明显的大中空半径的NW，高能内表面诱导产生的滑移面迅速积累，产生颈缩并导致最终的断裂。因此当内部中空结构达到一定尺寸时初始滑移位置的分布与最终断裂位置的分布之间有明确的因果关系。     

Effects of hyperbranched poly(ester‐silane) as a coupling agent on the mechanical behavior of glass bead filled epoxy resin

Hyperbranched poly(ester‐silane)s (HPE‐Si, including HPE‐Si4 and HPE‐Si8) were synthesized for glass bead filled epoxy resins. The grafting reaction and the degree of grafting of HPE‐Si onto the surface of glass beads were characterized by Fourier transform infrared photoacoustic spectroscopy (FT‐IR‐PAS) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) measurements. The degree of grafting was calculated to be in the range 1.0–4.2% for different HPE‐Si treatments. The tensile strength and modulus of glass bead filled epoxy resins were found to increase with increasing filler content. Moreover, HPE‐Si4 series have the highest tensile strength and modulus at the same glass bead size and volume fraction in the composites compared with HPE‐Si8 series. The fracture toughness (K_1c) of specimens with different glass bead sizes (4.8 and 2.0 μm) has the same trend that changes with the filler content and the modification of the surface of glass beads. The investigation of the toughening mechanism using Irwin's model through the yield stress measurements suggest that the toughening mechanism for small glass bead filled resins does not involve matrix plasticity, whereas the toughening mechanism involving matrix shear banding for large glass bead filled resins with higher filler content (up to 10 wt%) was proposed. The morphology of the filled resins studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the interface compatibility between the glass beads and epoxy matrix was greatly improved by the treatment with HPE‐Si. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Oligo-fluoropolymer Modified Cycloaliphatic Epoxy Resins with Excellent Compatibility,Waterproof and Mechanical Properties for LED Encapsulation

An oligo-fluoropolymer(PFM) with functional cycloaliphatic epoxy and fluorinated groups was obtained via free radical polymerization and applied to the modification of cycloaliphatic epoxy resins(CE). The chemical structure of PFM was characterized by Fourier transform infrared(FTIR) spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography(GPC) and nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR) spectroscopy, and the effects of different PFM concentrations(0.5%—6%, mass fraction) on the thermal resistance, mechanical properties, surface dewettability, light transmission, refractive index and various cured polymer properties were studied in detail. The DSC and TGA results demonstrate that the modified epoxy resins possess a higher thermal resistance than the neat epoxy resin. The improvements in the surface dewettability and water resistance are caused by the high crosslinking density and the enrichment of the oligo-fluorinated random copolymers dispersed in the matrix. The fracture surface morphologies of the thermosets were investigated by scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and transmission electron microscopy(TEM). It was observed that the optical transmittance of the composites was maintained even though microphase separation occurred during the curing process. With respect to the corresponding properties of the neat epoxy resins, the 2 phr(parts per hundreds of resin) PFM thermoset exhibited relatively better comprehensive properties, making the cured material a good candidate for light-emitting diode(LED) encapsulation.     

Morphological explanation of the extraordinary fracture toughness of linear low density polyethylenes

The fracture toughness of commercial linear low-density polyethylenes (LLDPE) has been found to be extraordinarily high relative to commercial low-density (LDPE) and high-density (HDPE) polyethylenes in previously reported investigations. The present investigation shows that this extraordinary fracture toughness cannot be explained by differences in molecular structure variables, such as molecular weight, long-chain and short-chain branching, fractional crystallinity, and comonomer content. Instead, the presence of a second soft phase, which was extractable with a weak solvent, in a hard semicrystalline matrix was discovered by morphological investigations of LLDPE resins. This second phase arises from the extreme compositional heterogeneity of the copolymers which comprise these LLDPE resins. No evidence for a similar morphological entity was found in LDPE and HDPE resins. This finding provides persuasive evidence that this very-low-crystallinity second phase performs a function similar to that of the rubberlike second phase in other high impact resins and, thus, leads to the observed extraordinary fracture toughness of LLDPE resins. Evidence for the nature and existence of this second phase is given from temperature-rising elution fractionation and scanning electron microscopy investigations.     

High flow addition curing polyimides

A new series of high flow PMR-type addition curing polyimides was developed, which employed the substitution of 2,2′-bis(trifluoromethyl)-4,4′-diaminobiphenyl (BTDB) for p-phenylenediamine (p-PDA) in a PMR-II formulation. These thermoset polyimides, designated as 12F resins, were prepared from BTDB and the dimethyl ester of 4,4′-(hexafluoroisopropylidene)-diphthalic acid (HFDE) with either nadic ester (NE) or p-aminostyrene (PAS) as the endcaps for addition curing. The 12F prepolymers displayed lower melting temperatures in DSC analysis, and higher melt flow in rheological studies than the corresponding PMR-II polyimides. Long-term isothermal aging studies showed that BTDB-based 12F resins exhibited comparable thermo-oxidative stability to p-PDA based PMR-II polyimides. The noncoplanar 2- and 2′-disubstituted biphenyldiamine (BTDB) not only lowered the melt viscosities of 12F prepolymers, but also retained reasonable thermal stability of the cured resins. The 12F polyimide resin with p-aminostyrene endcaps showed the best promise for long-term, high-temperature application at 343°C (650°F). © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Preparation and cryogenic mechanical properties of epoxy resins modified by poly(ethersulfone)

A thermoplastic, poly(ethersulfone) (PES) was used to modify a bisphenol‐F based epoxy resin cured with an aromatic diamine. The initial mixtures before curing, prepared by melt mixing, were homogeneous. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs of solvent‐etched fracture surfaces of the cured blends indicated that phase separation occurred after curing. The cryogenic mechanical behaviors of the epoxy resins were studied in terms of tensile properties and Charpy impact strength at cryogenic temperature (77 K) and compared to their corresponding behaviors at room temperature (RT). The addition of PES generally improved the tensile strength, elongation at break, and impact strength at both RT and 77 K except the RT tensile strength at 25 phr PES content. It was interesting to observe that and the maximum values of the tensile strength, elongation at break, and impact strength occurred at 20 phr PES content where a co‐continuous phase formed. Young's modulus decreased slightly with the increase of the PES content. Moreover, the tensile strength and Young's modulus at 77 K were higher than those at RT at the same composition, whereas the elongation at break and impact strength showed the opposite results. Finally, the differential scanning calorimetry analysis showed that the glass transition temperature (T_g) was enhanced by the addition of PES. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 612–624, 2008     

Hybrid resins from polyisocyanate/vinyl ester/water glass systems: Structure and properties

Polysilicate modified polyurea/vinyl ester hybrid resins were produced by dispersing water glass (WG) in a mixture of vinyl ester (VE) and polyisocyanate in presence of a liquid phosphate as emulsifier. As styrene-crosslinkable VE resins bisphenol A (BA) and novolac types (N), whereas as polyisocyanate a polymeric methylene diphenyl isocyanate (PMDI) were used. The structure and selected properties of the hybrid resins were determined and compared to those of the neat VEs and polysilicate filled polyurea (denoted as 3P resin). Using VE for resin hybridization, which worked as an additional emulsifier for the WG/PMDI/phosphate system, resulted in a fine particle dispersion of the polysilicate. It was found that the type of VE affected not only the dispersion of WG (and thus of the polysilicate) but also the network formation of the polyurea/VE hybrids and their properties. Information about the structure of the polysilicate filled hybrid resins was gained from dynamic-mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), scanning electron and atomic force microscopic measurements. It was argued that the resin hybridization yielded a conetwork instead of an interpenetrating one. The properties of the hybrid systems were determined by DMTA, fracture mechanical tests, thermogravimetric analysis and flammability measurements. It was established that the stiffness and resistance to thermal degradation of the initial 3P resin was strongly improved by hybridization with VEs. The fracture toughness (K_c) proved to be less sensitive to the formulation of the hybrid resins. On the other hand, the fracture energy (G_c) and limiting oxygen index experienced a positive deviation from the additivity as a function of the 3P/VE composition, at least in a given range.     

Fracture toughness and fracture mechanism of liquid‐crystalline epoxy resins with different polydomain structures

Liquid‐crystalline (LC) epoxy resins were cured at different temperatures to obtain polydomain LC phase–cured resins. The cured resins had polydomain structures with a nematic LC phase and their domain diameters differed depending on the curing temperatures. The relationship between the domain diameter and fracture toughness of the diglycidyl ether of terephthalylidene‐bis‐(4‐amino‐3‐methylphenol) (DGETAM)/m‐phenylenediamine (m‐PDA) systems with the nematic phase and the previously reported smectic LC phase structures was investigated. It was clarified that the highly ordered LC structure (smectic phase) in each domain could improve the fracture toughness. In addition, the changes in the network orientation of the DGETAM/m‐PDA systems were evaluated by a mapping of the microscopic infrared dichroism in the fracture process and their toughening mechanism was suggested. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2010