PROPERTIES AND MORPHOLOGY OF UNSATURATED POLYESTER/ACRYLATE-TERMINATED POLYURETHANE/ORGANOMONTMORILLONITE NANOCOMPOSITES

Unsaturated polyester resin （UPR）/acrylate-terminated polyurethane （ATPU）/organo-modified montmorillonite （OMMT） nanocomposites were prepared by the in situ intercalative polymerization method. Samples were prepared by the sequential mixing, i.e. mixture of the ATPU and styrene （S） and OMMT were prepared in the first step; UPR was then added to the pre-intercalates of ATPU/S/OMMT. Results indicate that the mechanical properties and thermal properties of UPR/ATPU/OMMT nanocomposites greatly depend on the amount of ATPU and OMMT. Results show that the addition of ATPU could increase the impact strength of UPR/ATPU composites, but the tensile strength, flexural strength and heat resistance of the materials are obviously decreased. When the weight ratio between UPR, ATPU and OMMT were 82：15：3, the impact strength and heat distortion-temperature of nanocomposite were greatly improved, meanwhile there was little change for other properties of the nanocomposites. The synergistic enhancement effects of ATPU and OMMT on the composites were observed. The structures and morphology of the composites were investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy.     

Morphology and fracture behavior of toughening‐modified poly(vinyl chloride)/organophilic montmorillonite composites

Toughening‐modified poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC)/organophilic montmorillonite (OMMT) composites with an impact‐modifier resin (Blendex 338) were prepared by melt intercalation, and their microstructures were investigated with wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The mechanical properties of the PVC composites were examined in terms of the content of Blendex and OMMT, and the fracture toughness was analyzed with a modified essential work of fracture model. Intercalated structures were found in the PVC/OMMT composites with or without Blendex. Either Blendex or OMMT could improve the elongation at break and notched impact strength of PVC at proper contents. With the addition of 30 phr or more of Blendex, supertough behavior was observed for PVC/Blendex blends, and their notched impact strength was increased more than 3319% compared with that of pristine PVC. Furthermore, the addition of OMMT greatly improved both the toughness and strength of PVC/Blendex blends, and the toughening effect of OMMT on PVC/Blendex blends was much larger than that on pristine PVC. Blendex and OMMT synergistically improved the mechanical properties of PVC. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 286–295, 2004     

EFFECT OF SILANE COUPLING AGENT ON THE MECHANICAL, THERMAL PROPERTIES AND MORPHOLOGY OF TREMOLITE/PA1010 COMPOSITES

Tremolite,a kind of inorganic filler,was modified with a silane coupling agentγ-methacryloxypropyl trimethoxy silane (MPS) in ethanol/ammonia solution.The graft of MPS on tremolite was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS),IR and thermogramitric analysis (TGA) measurements.In addition,contact angle analysis showed that particle surface property was changed from hydrophilicity to hydrophobicity after the modification.Modified tremolite and pure tremolite were blended respectively with PA1010...     

硬脂酸/异氰酸酯摩尔比对聚丙烯/木粉复合材料性能的影响

用甲苯-2,4-二异氰酸酯（TDI）和硬脂酸（SA）复合改性木粉,在双螺杆挤出机中制备了聚丙烯（PP）基的木塑复合材料（WPC）,研究了SA/TDI摩尔比对木粉表面性能、复合材料力学性能和加工性能的影响。 结果表明,随着SA/TDI摩尔比的增大,改性木粉的表面张力逐渐减小,与PP的界面张力先减小后增大;与未改性的WPC相比,SA/TDI复合改性剂对WPC的拉伸强度、弯曲强度、缺口冲击强度影响不明显,但对无缺口冲击强度提升较大;当SA/TDI摩尔比为1.07时,复合材料的无缺口冲击强度和熔体质量流动速率分别达到9.74 kJ/m2和13.12 g/10 min,分别比未改性WPC提高了77%和22%。     

Evaluation of activation energy conformity derived from model-free non-isothermal predictions and Arrhenius isothermal results

Organically modified montmorillonite (OMMT) was used as synergist to enhance the flame-retardant and mechanical properties of poly(butylene succinate)/intumescent flame retardant (PBS/IFR) composites. The flame-retardant, thermal degradation and combustion properties of PBS and its flame-retardant composites were characterized by limiting oxygen index (LOI) test, vertical burning (UL-94) test, thermogravimetric analysis, cone calorimeter and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The results indicate that PBS/IFR composites exhibit excellent flame retardance when OMMT is at an appropriate content. PBS/IFR composite with 20 wt% IFR and 1.5 wt% OMMT has an LOI of 40.1% and can pass the UL-94 V0 rating. The synergistic effect between OMMT and IFR on the flame-retardant properties of PBS depends on the content of OMMT, and excessive OMMT diminish this synergistic effect. The possible flame-retardant mechanism of OMMT on PBS/IFR composite is proposed. The results of mechanical test also indicate that OMMT can effectively increase the notched impact strength of PBS/IFR composites.     

Effects of Wood Flour (WF) Pretreatment and the Addition of a Toughening Agent on the Properties of FDM 3D-Printed WF/Poly(lactic acid) Biocomposites

In order to improve the properties of wood flour (WF)/poly(lactic acid) (PLA) 3D-printed composites, WF was treated with a silane coupling agent (KH550) and acetic anhydride (Ac₂O), respectively. The effects of WF modification and the addition of acrylicester resin (ACR) as a toughening agent on the flowability of WF/PLA composite filament and the mechanical, thermal, dynamic mechanical thermal and water absorption properties of fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D-printed WF/PLA specimens were investigated. The results indicated that the melt index (MI) of the specimens decreased after WF pretreatment or the addition of ACR, while the die swell ratio increased; KH550-modified WF/PLA had greater tensile strength, tensile modulus and impact strength, while Ac₂O-modified WF/PLA had greater tensile modulus, flexural strength, flexural modulus and impact strength than unmodified WF/PLA; after the addition of ACR, all the strengths and moduli of WF/PLA could be improved; after WF pretreatment or the addition of ACR, the thermal decomposition temperature, storage modulus and glass transition temperature of WF/PLA were all increased, and water absorption was reduced.     

Enhanced mechanical properties of carbon fiber composites by grafting different structural poly(amido amine) onto fiber surface

The mechanical properties of carbon fiber composites depend on the interfacial strength between fiber and epoxy matrix. Different poly (amido amine) (PAMAM) dendrimers were grafted onto carbon fiber to improve the interfacial strength of the resulting composites. Functional groups on the carbon fiber surface were examined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The surface morphology of the resulting materials was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscope. The characterization results revealed that PAMAM dendrimers were chemically grafted onto the surface of carbon fiber. More importantly, the mechanical properties of the resulting composites were enhanced owing to the presence of sufficient functional groups on the carbon fiber surface. In addition, after PAMAM containing chair conformations were grafted, the interlaminar shear strength had the highest increase of 53.13%, higher than that of the fiber grafted with PAMAM containing terminated linear amine. This work provides an alternative approach to enhance the mechanical properties of fiber composites by controlling the interface between fiber and epoxy matrix.     

Thermal,Mechanical and Morphological Behavior of Poly(propylene)/Wood Flour Composites

The comparative studies on the thermal, mechanical and morphological behavior of compression molded poly(propylene) (PP)/wood flour (WF) composites were performed using wood flours (WFs) of different origins. The comparison has been made on the basis of results obtained from thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and tensile testing. It has been demonstrated that an addition of 5 wt.-% of maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (PP-g-MA) has a significant effect on the morphological and thermomechanical behavior of the composites. Although, microscopic examinations revealed no significant differences in the morphology of the compatibilized composites, a remarkable improvement of thermal degradation behavior was observed. From the view point of mechanical properties, the composites with high amount of filler (60 wt.-%) showed similar behavior irrespective of the origin of wood flour.     

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.     

Interface morphology and thermoplasticization behavior of bamboo fibers benzylated with benzyl chloride

In this study, benzylated bamboo flour (BBF) was synthesized using benzyl chloride under mild conditions. This material can be added to medium density polyethylene (MDPE) as a reinforcing filler material. The crystal structure and properties of the BBF and corresponding BBF/MDPE panels were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, mechanical tests and surface hydrophobicity measurements, and the obtained results are in good agreement. According to the scanning electron microscopy and X‐ray diffraction investigations, the crystal structure of the bamboo material disappeared after the addition of benzyl chloride. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis provided further evidence for the successful benzylation. The intensity of the bands attributed to the O—H stretching or deformation vibrations decreased, and the intensity of the bands attributed to the C = O and C—O bonds in the benzyl group increased, which was confirmed by the X‐ray spectroscopy analysis. The volume fraction of the dispersed phase increased dramatically, and the interfacial fusion between the BBF particles and the MDPE matrix improved. The tensile strength and flexural strength of the prepared BBF/MDPE panels were up to 24.21% and 26.73% higher, respectively, compared with panels fabricated from unmodified bamboo flour. Furthermore, the surface hydrophobicity was found to be higher, which confirmed the good interface fusion. The strengthening mechanism is discussed in this paper, and the overall results suggest that BBF is a promising candidate material for the substitution of traditional wood fibers and unmodified bamboo flour in wood plastic composites. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

氯化聚丙撑碳酸酯增容聚丙撑碳酸酯/秸秆粉复合材料的制备及性能

聚丙撑碳酸酯(PPC)是一种新型热塑性生物降解材料,但其热性能及力学性能较差,应用受到限制。以秸秆粉这种农作物副产品作为增强体改性PPC,既可以提高PPC的力学性能同时又可开发利用秸秆资源。氯化聚丙撑碳酸酯(CPPC)是聚丙撑碳酸酯(PPC)经过氯化得到的,对天然纤维表面具有良好的浸润性和粘结性。本文以CPPC为增容剂,通过熔融共混法制备了PPC/秸秆粉复合材料。采用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、拉伸实验、动态力学性能测试(DMA)及转矩流变仪对复合材料的结构及性能进行了表征,重点考察了CPPC的添加量对复合材料力学和流变性能的影响。结果表明,当CPPC质量分数为1.8%时,可使添加质量分数为30%秸秆粉的PPC复合材料拉伸强度提高38%,模量提高30%。同时,CPPC的引入使复合材料的粘度下降,改善了PPC/秸秆粉复合材料的加工性能。因此,作为增容剂的CPPC为制备高性能PPC/天然纤维复合材料提供了新的解决办法。     

THERMAL AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF SOME POLY(METHYL ACRYLATE)/SILICA COMPOSITES WITH INTENTIONALLY SUPPRESSED INTERFACIAL BONDING

ABSTRACT

Poly(methyl acrylate)/silica composites were prepared using a silane coupling agent designed to suppress the bonding between the silica and the acrylate elastomeric matrix. These composites were characterized using a scanning electron microscope, a differential scanning calorimeter, thermogravimetric analyzer, and an Instron mechanical tester. The mechanical properties of these materials were much poorer than those of the corresponding composite having a silane giving strong interfacial bonding, thus documenting the effects of these interactions on the reinforcement of a typical elastomeric material.     

Improving the interfacial property of carbon fibre/epoxy resin composites by grafting amine-capped cross-linked poly-itaconic acid

To improve the interfacial properties of carbon fibre-reinforced polymer composites, a surface treatment was used to cap cross-linked poly-itaconic acid onto carbon fibres via in-situ polymerization after itaconic acid grafting. The chemical composition of the modified carbon fiber (CF) surface was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectral and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy images showed that the poly-itaconic acid protective sheath was uniformly capped onto the CF surface and that the surface roughness was obviously enhanced. Chemical bonds also played a key role in the interfacial enhancement. The results showed that the interfacial shear strength of the composites with poly-itaconic acid on the carbon fibres (72.2 MPa) was significantly increased by 89.5% compared with that of the composites with pristine CF (38.1 MPa). Moreover, the poly-itaconic acid sheath promoted a slight increase in mono-fibre tensile strength. In addition, the interfacial mechanisms were also discussed. Meanwhile, the mechanical property of the functionalized CF/epoxy resin composites was also significantly improved.     

Interlaminar and ductile characteristics of carbon fibers-reinforced plastics produced by nanoscaled electroless nickel plating on carbon fiber surfaces

In this work, a new method based on nanoscaled Ni-P alloy coating on carbon fiber surfaces is proposed for the improvement of interfacial properties between fibers and epoxy matrix in a composite system. Fiber surfaces and the mechanical interfacial properties of composites were characterized by atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS), interlaminar shear strength (ILSS), and impact strength. Experimental results showed that the O(1s)/C(1s) ratio or Ni and P amounts had been increased as the electroless nickel plating proceeded; the ILSS had also been slightly improved. The impact properties were significantly improved in the presence of Ni-P alloy on carbon fiber surfaces, increasing the ductility of the composites. This was probably due to the effect of substituted Ni-P alloy, leading to an increase of the resistance to the deformation and the crack initiation of the epoxy system.     

Effect of silane coupling agent on mechanical interfacial properties of glass fiber‐reinforced unsaturated polyester composites

A silane coupling agent, γ‐methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, for the surface modification of glass fibers was varied between 0.1 and 0.8 wt %. To understand the role of interfacial adhesion of glass fiber/unsaturated polyester composites, contact angles of the silane‐treated glass fibers were measured by the wicking method on the basis of the modified Washburn equation with deionized water, diiodomethane, and ethylene glycol as testing liquids. As a result, silane‐treated glass fibers led to increased surface free energy, mainly because of their increased specific or polar component. The mechanical interfacial behaviors based on the interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) of the composites determined by short‐beam tests and the critical stress‐intensity factor (K_IC) were also improved in the case of silane‐treated composites. The surface free energy and the mechanical interfacial properties especially showed the maximum value in the presence of 0.4 wt % silane coupling agent. It revealed that the increase of a specific component of the surface free energy or hydrogen bonding between the glass fibers and the coupling agents plays an important role in improving the degree of adhesion at interfaces in a composite system. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 55–62, 2003     

Physical properties of PVC/aminosilane‐treated wood flour/organoclay composites

Most physical properties of a wood plastic composite (WPC) with poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) matrix are lower than those of corresponding neat PVC because of poor interfacial adhesion between hydrophobic PVC and hydrophilic wood. In this study, to improve the interfacial adhesion, wood flour was pre‐treated with N‐2(aminoethyl)‐3‐aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, and the surface modification was characterized and confirmed by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Furthermore, to improve the performance of PVC/wood composites, a type of organoclay was added as nanofiller. PVC/wood/clay composites were prepared by melt blending a heavy metal‐free PVC compound, the aminosilane‐treated wood flour, and the organoclay, and their physical properties were tested by universal testing machine and thermal gravimetric analyzer. X‐ray diffractometer (XRD) analyses of the WPCs showed an intercalated structure of the organoclay. The scanning electron microscope images for the fracture surfaces of the WPCs confirmed the positive effect of the aminosilane pre‐treatment by showing reduced debonding of wood flour from the PVC matrix. The performance of the WPCs was improved by the aminosilane pre‐treatment of the wood flour and the organoclay. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Study on ablative properties and mechanisms of hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR) composites containing different fillers

The ablative properties of hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR) composites filled with fumed silica, organically modified montmorillonite (OMMT), or expanded graphite (EG) were examined. The HNBR/OMMT composite has the lowest linear ablation rate and the highest mass ablation rate and does not tend to be carbonized. On the other hand, the HNBR/EG composite has the highest linear ablation rate and the lowest mass ablation rate, and is prone to carbonization. The ablative properties of the HNBR/silica composite are between those of HNBR/OMMT and HNBR/EG. From the viewpoint of thermal shielding capability, the HNBR/OMMT has the best ablation resistance. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) on different HNBR composites indicated that the filler type has no significant effect on the thermal stability of the composites. To understand the ablation mechanisms, the char layers of different HNBR composites after ablation experiments were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy disperse X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD). The results showed that the porosity in the char layers of the HNBR/OMMT composite was the highest and the corresponding structure was the loosest of the three composites. The montmorillonite (MMT) dispersed in HNBR experienced phase transition, melting and vaporization when exposed to the flame with the temperature over 2000 °C. Fumed silica only melted at such situation. On the other hand, the EG kept their original crystalline structures after the ablation test. Based on these results, the effect of the filler type on the ablation mechanisms of the HNBR composites was discussed.     

硅烷功能化石墨烯/硅树脂纳米复合材料的制备与表征

先用乙烯基三甲氧基硅烷(A-171)和二甲肼改性并还原氧化石墨烯(GO),制备A-171功能化的石墨烯(FG).研究结果表明A-171与GO上的羟基发生了反应,以共价键连接到了石墨烯的表面;FG能在四氢呋喃中均匀分散并且剥离成厚度约为0.9 nm的单一片层,其干燥后表面呈褶皱状.然后将FG与双组分硅树脂用溶液共混法制备了FG/硅树脂纳米复合材料.运用X射线衍射、扫描电子显微镜、动态热机械分析、拉伸试验等手段分析了复合材料的形态与性能,结果表明,与未处理过的石墨烯相比,FG在复合材料中有更好的分散和更强的界面作用.含0.5 wt%FG的复合材料的拉伸强度较硅树脂提高了87.7%,玻璃化温度提高了23.9℃,失重5%时的温度也提高了20.1℃.     

碳纳米管改性聚苯硫醚熔纺纤维的结构与性能研究

将多壁碳纳米管(MWCNTs)和聚苯硫醚(PPS)经过熔融挤出后制备成复合材料切片,并采用熔融纺丝法制得碳纳米管改性聚苯硫醚复合纤维.采用扫描电镜(SEM)、拉曼光谱、示差扫描量热分析(DSC)、动态机械分析(DMA)以及力学性能测试等表征手段研究了复合纤维中碳管的分散状态,与基体的界面作用,复合纤维的结晶性能以及力学性能,从而探讨了聚苯硫醚/碳纳米管复合纤维体系的微观结构与宏观性能之间的关系.研究表明,聚苯硫醚分子结构与碳纳米管之间具有的π-π共轭作用使碳管较为均匀的分散在基体中,界面结合较为紧密.同时熔融纺丝过程中的拉伸作用使碳管进一步解缠并使碳管沿纤维拉伸方向取向.另一方面,拉曼光谱显示拉伸作用有效地增强了界面作用,有利于外界应力的传递.碳管的良好分散以及强的界面作用使复合纤维力学性能得到大幅度的提高,当碳管含量达到5 wt%时,复合纤维的模量有了明显的提高,拉伸强度较纯PPS纤维提高了近220%.     

Effect of chemical treatment of Kevlar fibers on mechanical interfacial properties of composites

In this work, the effects of chemical treatment on Kevlar 29 fibers have been studied in a composite system. The surface characteristics of Kevlar 29 fibers were characterized by pH, acid-base value, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and FT-IR. The mechanical interfacial properties of the final composites were studied by interlaminar shear strength (ILSS), critical stress intensity factor (K(IC)), and specific fracture energy (G(IC)). Also, impact properties of the composites were investigated in the context of differentiating between initiation and propagation energies and ductile index (DI) along with maximum force and total energy. As a result, it was found that chemical treatment with phosphoric acid solution significantly affected the degree of adhesion at interfaces between fibers and resin matrix, resulting in improved mechanical interfacial strength in the composites. This was probably due to the presence of chemical polar groups on Kevlar surfaces, leading to an increment of interfacial binding force between fibers and matrix in a composite system.