Curcuma longa L. Rhizome Extract as a Poly(vinyl chloride)/Graphene Nanocomposite Green Modifier

In this work, a method to increase the dispersion of graphene (GN) in the matrix of rigid poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) by using a natural plant extract from Curcuma longa L. (CE) is proposed. Currently, despite the increasing number of reports on the improvement of GN dispersion in PVC blends, still there is a need to find environmentally friendly and economical dispersion stabilizers. We proposed a stabilizer that can be easily obtained from a plant offering thermal stability and high effectiveness. PVC/GN nanocomposites stabilized with the proposed extract were investigated by SEM, AFM (structure), TGA, and Congo red test (thermal properties). Additionally, static and dynamic mechanical properties and electrical resistivity were measured. The use of CE as a graphene dispersant improved its dispersion in the PVC matrix, influenced tensile properties, increased the storage modulus and glass transition temperature, and extended the thermal stability time of nanocomposites. In this work, a CE extract is proposed as an efficient eco-friendly additive for the production of nanocomposites with an improved homogeneity of a nanofiller in the matrix and promising characteristics.     

Manufacturing homogenous PVC/graphene nanocomposites using a novel dispersion agent

The goal of the study was to prepare a graphene (GN) dispersion in a poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC) solution with enhanced stability of the nanofiller thanks to the application of curcuma extract (CE). The stable dispersion was used to obtain PVC/GN nanocomposites with more homogeneous graphene by the solvent evaporation method. The CE effectiveness was compared with two commercially available dispersants in the form of oleic acid (OA) and polysorbate 80 (P80).The chemical composition of the CE was examined by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The dispersion stability was tested by the multiple light scattering method (Turbiscan Lab) and evaluated visually over a period of 40 days. The homogeneity of the filler's dispersion in the PVC matrix was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy.The application of the dispersing agents led to improved stability of the graphene dispersion in PVC solution. CE was the agent that most effectively improved the homogeneity of graphene dispersion, both in dispersions in a PVC solution and in PVC/GN nanocomposite films.     

Effect of new melamine-terephthaldehyde resin modified graphene oxide on thermal and mechanical properties of PVC

In this study a new melamine-terephthaldehyde resin modified graphene oxide was synthesized and used as a reinforcement of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). Characterization, morphology, thermal and mechanical properties of the nanocomposites were examined by means of attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, field emission-scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimeter and tensile properties. The first hydrochloric acid releasing data of poly(vinyl chloride) was removed by incorporation of the modified graphene oxide as compare to the neat polymer. The temperatures at 2 wt% losses, main decomposition temperatures, maximum decomposition temperatures, also shift to higher temperature in the corresponding nanocomposites as compared to the neat PVC. The tensile strength and elongation at break of the nanocomposite films was increased as compared to the neat PVC. The interesting results in crystallinity of PVC were observed with adding 5 wt% of the modified graphene oxide.     

Antimicrobial,mechanical, optical and thermal properties of PVC/ZnO‐EDTA nanocomposite films

Covalent surface functionalization of synthesized ZnO nanoparticles (NP)s with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) was successfully carried out. Modified ZnO‐EDTA NPs as a viable and inexpensive filler were incorporated into poly(vinyl chloride) PVC matrix after their chemical modification to investigate the agglomeration behavior. All prepared materials including modified NPs and PVC/ZnO‐EDTA nanocomposites (NC)s were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X‐ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Fabricated PVC/ZnO‐EDTA NCs were reported to have high transparency and improved mechanical properties compared with PVC. Modified ZnO and the fabricated NCs were shown to exhibit excellent antibacterial activity against two bacteria species: Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The obtained NCs could be considered as self‐extinguishing materials on the basis of the LOI values. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preparation and characterization of thermoplastic elastomer of poly(vinyl chloride) and chlorinated waste rubber

In order to develop applications for the abundant waste rubber powder, chlorinated waste rubber (Cl-WR) was prepared by a water based chlorination method using chlorine as chlorinating agent. In this paper, Cl-WR was used as an elastic filler and blended with poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) matrix to develop a new thermoplastic elastomer PVC/Cl-WR. The mechanical properties, hydrophilicity, swelling resistance, morphology and thermal properties of PVC/Cl-WR were characterized and compared with those of PVC/waste rubber powder (PVC/WR) blends. The results indicated that the mechanical properties, hydrophilicity, swelling resistance and thermal properties of the PVC/Cl-WR blends showed noticeable improvements over PVC/WR blends due to the improved polarity of Cl-WR. Also, the excellent miscibility and compatibility of Cl-WR with PVC was demonstrated by scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of the resulting blends.     

Thermal stability, smoke emission and mechanical properties of poly(vinyl chloride)/hydrotalcite nanocomposites

Poly(vinyl chloride)/hydrotalcite (PVC/HT) nanocomposites were prepared through vinyl chloride suspension polymerization in the presence of HT nanoparticles surface modified with alkyl phosphate (AP). The thermal stability, smoke emission and mechanical properties of PVC/HT nanocomposites were investigated. It was found that AP molecules were effectively absorbed by HT particles with no intercalation into the interlayer of HT. The dispersion morphologies of PVC/HT nanocomposites were observed by transmission electron microscopy showing that the majority of HT particles were dispersed in the PVC matrix in the nanoscale. The Congo Red measurement and thermogravimetric analysis showed that the thermal stability time, and the temperatures at 10% weight loss and at the maximum weight loss rate of PVC resins increased as the weight fraction of HT in the composite resins increased. The well-dispersed nano-sized HT showed an obvious smoke suppression effect on PVC. The maximum smoke density decreased about 1/3 and 1/2 when 2.5 wt% and 5.3 wt% nano-sized HT were incorporated into PVC, respectively. Furthermore, PVC/HT nanocomposites exhibited greater tensile strength and impact strength than the pristine PVC.     

Effect of montmorillonite treatment on the thermal stability of poly(vinyl chloride) nanocomposites

The aim of this research was to study the effect of different intercalants on the thermal degradation/dehydrochlorination of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). PVC nanocomposites were prepared containing 2 phr of montmorillonite clay. The montmorillonite was treated with different organic intercalants and analysed by thermogravimetric analysis and X-ray diffraction. All intercalants were found to intercalate the clay. The nanocomposites were prepared on a two-roll mill and pressed into 0.7 mm thick plates. The degradation was analysed by yellowness index, Congo red test and UV–visible spectroscopy. All cationic intercalants were found to accelerate the dehydrochlorination of PVC whereas the non-ionic did not affect thermal degradation. On the other hand, some non-ionic intercalants showed poor dispersion.     

Effects of plasticizers on novel electromechanical actuations with different poly(vinyl chloride) gels

Four different plasticizers were applied to make different poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) gels, poly(vinyl chloride)‐bis(2‐ethylhexyl)phthalate (PVC‐DOP), poly(vinyl chloride)‐di‐n‐butylphthalate, poly(vinyl chloride)‐bis(2‐ethylhexyl)adipate, and poly(vinyl chloride)‐tris(2‐ethylhexyl)trimellitate. In our previous work, we reported that PVC‐DOP gel exhibits novel and reversible deformations of creeping and jointlike bending induced by direct current electric fields. In this article, we scrutinize the effects of plasticizers on electromechanical actuations, that is, reversible creeping and bending actuation with four of the different aforementioned gels. We measured the relative creeping distance, creeping area, creeping velocity, current observed, and bending angle as a function of applied electric fields for different PVC gels and found significant differences among them. To explain these variations, we compared the utility of plasticizers on the basis of the properties of different PVC gels, such as plasticizer‐retention ability, bending modulus, elongation at break, and the dielectric constant. The mentioned properties of the PVC gels played vital roles on their electromechanical actuations. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 2119–2127, 2003     

聚氯乙烯/层状双氢氧化物纳米复合材料研究进展

聚氯乙烯(PVC)/层状双氢氧化物(LDHs)纳米复合材料相比于纯聚氯乙烯具有更好的热稳定性、力学性能、阻燃抑烟性、耐候性与耐光性等,是一种性能优异并具有广泛应用前景的新型聚合物基纳米复合材料。本文首先介绍了LDHs的化学组成和结构特点,并对其制备过程和性质特点进行了分析和探讨;然后综述了PVC/LDH纳米复合材料的制备、结构表征及性能等方面的最新研究进展,重点阐述了LDHs的表面有机化处理及其对PVC/LDH纳米复合材料制备与性能的重要作用;最后对其应用前景进行展望。     

Properties of ethylene–propylene–vinyl chloride graft copolymers. II. Viscoelasticity and composition of graft copolymer and composite

The viscoelasticity and volume expansion of the raw polymerizate of ethylene–propylene copolymer with vinyl chloride grafts, and of the individual components has been studied. The raw polymerizate (composite) and the pure ethylene–propylene–vinyl chloride graft copolymer were found to consist of two phases. The pure graft copolymer has an ethylene–propylene matrix containing some fraction of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) grafts and a microphase with the remainder of the PVC grafts. The raw polymerizate consists of a PVC matrix plasticized with ethylene–propylene chains and a microphase of the ethylene–propylene copolymer. An attempt has been made to calculate the participation of components in microphases and the minimum dimension of the PVC microphase aggregates.     

Structure Analysis of PVC Nanocomposites

In this paper poly(vinyl chloride)/clay nanocomposites were prepared by melt intercalation using a single screw extruder. Problems with thermal stability of these nanocomposites during compounding were largely eliminated by pre-treatment of the organoclay with plasticizer (dioctyl phthalate), which created a barrier between polymer and quaternary amine. These nanocomposite materials were analyzed with respect to their morphology. The intercalation, exfoliation, nano-phase dispersion and orientation were investigated using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Moreover, different types of sample preparation for these techniques were tested as well. It was found that partially intercalated and disordered structure arose in poly (vinyl chloride) composites containing sodium type of montmorillonite, while a fine dispersion of partial to nearly full exfoliation of individual montmorillonite layers in poly (vinyl chloride) matrix was observed when this clay was organically modified. Finally, the influence of different mixing time (in extruder) on nano-phase morphology was surveyed.     

Preparation and characterization of wet poly(vinyl chloride)-polypyrolle composite film

Wet poly(vinyl chloride) (wPVC) coated glassy carbon (GC) electrode was prepared by casting a DMF solution of poly(vinyl chloride) on glassy carbon and immersing it in methanol, and then in water. The wPVC coated GC (wPVC/GC) electrode showed electrochemical activity in aqueous solution; therefore, it was possible to obtain a wPVC/polypyrolle (PPy) composite by electropolymerization from aqueous solution of pyrolle (Py) into the wPVC matrix on the electrode. PPy segregated in wPVC matrix and the mechanical properties of PPy was improved by forming a composite without changing the electrochemical properties of PPy. The PPy/wPVC ratio can be controlled by controlling the concentration of PVC in DMF solution.     

Stability of new electrostatic discharge protection and electromagnetic wave shielding effectiveness from poly(vinyl chloride)/graphite/nickel nanoconducting composites

Poly(vinyl Chloride)/graphite nanosheet/nickel (PVC/GN) nancomposites are new alternative candidates for electrostatic charge dissipation and electromagnetic interference shielding applications due to their lightweight, ease processing and tunable conductivities. The structures of the nanocomposites were examined by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray analysis. The mechanical properties such as hardness, modulus of elasticity and elongation at break as a function of GN content were examined. The applicability of the nanocomposites as electrostatic charge dissipation was tested in terms of displaying the variation of decay voltage with time. In addition, the dielectric properties such as real and imaginary permittivity of composites as functions of frequency were investigated. Finally, the electromagnetic properties were measured in the frequency range from 1 to 12 GHz and compared with theoretical modeling. The highest shielding effectiveness at microwave frequency of these nanocomposites was 47 dB which is realistic for defense applications like radar evasion.     

强紫外光作用下PVC/增韧剂体系结构与性能的演变

通过UV, FTIR, DSC及力学性能和色差的测试分析, 实时追踪了在紫外光老化过程中, 聚氯乙烯/氯化聚乙烯(PVC/CPE), 聚氯乙烯/丙烯酸酯类共聚物(PVC/ACR)及聚氯乙烯/丙烯腈-丁二烯苯乙烯共聚物(PVC/ABS)体系的微观结构和宏观性能的演变过程. 结果表明, 在光老化过程中, ACR和CPE对PVC脱HCl生成共轭双键反应、氧化降解反应、交联反应及玻璃化转变温度(T_g)的变化等均有抑制作用, 而ABS则对这些反应起促进作用. 在宏观上表现为ACR和CPE的加入能提高体系的色泽稳定性, 体系的力学性能保持率较高. 而ABS的作用相反.     

Poly(vinyl chloride)/clay nanocomposites: X-ray diffraction, thermal and rheological behaviour

The paper concentrates on poly(vinyl chloride) - PVC - from the point of view of structural characterisation of PVC/clay nanocomposites through X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis and dynamic rheometric analysis. PVC plasticizer was mixed with clay, natural and organophilic, and the suspension was then compounded with other components. Two factors were followed: effect of shearing alone, and in combination with temperature. The type of filler and the method of composite preparation affect the mechanical and thermal properties of the composite, through delamination and exfoliation levels. The results showed that the thermal degradation is shifted towards higher temperatures for organophilic clays, compared to chemically untreated natural clay.     

Poly(vinyl chloride) Nanocomposites

Poly(vinyl chloride) is one of the major thermoplastics beside other commodities polymers like polyethylene and polystyrene. However, some of its main characteristics such as plasticity, thermal and photo stability are inferior to other commodity polymers. Adding nano scale inorganic fillers to poly(vinyl chloride) or other polymers in view to obtain polymer nanocomposites with superior properties has drawn the attention of many researchers in the last decades. Poly(vinyl chloride) nanocomposites are obtained mainly by in situ polymerization, solution based or mixing techniques. The resulting products show improvement of most important properties of poly(vinyl chloride) such as thermal, mechanical, rheological, flammability, antibacterial, etc. This paper presents preparation ways of poly(vinyl chloride) nanocomposites using different nano fillers and the improved properties compared with those of virgin poly(vinyl chloride).     

Polymer/boron nitride nanocomposite materials for superior thermal transport performance

Boron nitride nanosheets were dispersed in polymers to give composite films with excellent thermal transport performances approaching the record values found in polymer/graphene nanocomposites. Similarly high performance at lower BN loadings was achieved by aligning the nanosheets in poly(vinyl alcohol) matrix by simple mechanical stretching (see picture).     

TG/FT-IR Studies of Poly(Vinyl Chloride) Blends

Thermogravimetry coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (TG/FT-IR) was used to investigate the stabilizing action of 3-(2,4-dibromophenylazo)-9-(2,3-epoxypropane)carbazole on the degradation of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). It was found that this secondary stabilizer increases the initial temperature of hydrogen chloride evolution (the main process responsible for PVC decomposition), thereby allowing its application for novel PVC systems with enhanced thermal stability. The application of TG/FT-IR technique for study of the thermal properties of polymeric materials offers additional characterization options in comparison with thermogravimetry, if used alone. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Improvement of PVC/α-MnO2–LVA nanocomposites properties: A promising adsorbent for Pb(II) uptake

Poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) has some defects which have limited its utilization. Incorporation of nanoparticles within the PVC matrix is a suitable solution. Therefore, the alpha manganese dioxide (α-MnO₂) nanorods (NRs) were modified with l-valine amino acid (LVA) and incorporated into the PVC matrix. Thermal stability and mechanical properties of PVC/α-MnO₂–LVA nanocomposites (NCs) were improved. In following, the PVC/α-MnO₂–LVA NC 5?wt% was used as a sorbent for the elimination of Pb(??) ions from the aqueous medium. This work not only attempts to cover the weaknesses of the PVC properties with proper filler but also introduces a new adsorbent in water treatment applications.     

Preparation and characterization of rigid poly(vinyl chloride)/MMT nanocomposites. II. XRD,morphological and mechanical characteristics

A Haake torque rheometer equipped with an internal mixer is used to study the influence of the amount of sodium montmorillonite (Na⁺‐MMT) and organically modified MMT (O‐MMT) on X‐ray diffraction (XRD), morphology, and mechanical characteristics of rigid poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC)/Na⁺‐MMT and PVC/O‐MMT nanocomposites, respectively. Results of XRD and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) indicate that MMT is partially encapsulated and intercalated in the rigid PVC/Na⁺‐MMT nanocomposites. However, results of XRD and TEM show MMT is partially intercalated and exfoliated in the rigid PVC/O‐MMT nanocomposites. Tensile strength, yield strength, and elongation at break of the rigid PVC/MMT nanocomposites were improved simultaneously with adding 1–3 wt % Na⁺‐MMT or O‐MMT with respect to that of pristine PVC. However, the addition of Na⁺‐MMT or O‐MMT should be kept as not more than 3 wt % to optimize the mechanical properties and the processing stability of the rigid PVC/MMT nanocomposites. SEM micrographs of the fractured surfaces of the rigid PVC/Na⁺‐MMT and PVC/O‐MMT nanocomposites both before and after tensile tests were also illustrated and compared. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 2145–2154, 2006