Reduced curing kinetic energy and enhanced thermal resistance of phthalonitrile resins modified with inorganic particles

The effects of inorganic particles such as Al₂O₃ and B₄C on the solidification kinetics and heat resistance of phthalonitrile resin were investigated. The properties of the blends and the cured products were tested by rheometer, differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. The results revealed that B₄C and Al₂O₃ inorganic particles could prolong the gel time of phthalonitrile resin and broaden the processing window. The curing kinetic analysis showed that the presence of the particles could significantly reduce the curing activation energy of phthalonitrile resins by 72.38 kJ/mol down to 43.03 kJ/mol. Meanwhile, the heat resistance of the phthalonitrile resin was improved. Among them, the blend system combined with 30% B₄C showed prominent thermoresistance. And while the T_d5% weight loss temperature was 600°C, char yield at 1000°C was higher than 86% under nitrogen atmosphere; while the T_d5% weight loss temperature was 581°C, char yield at 1000°C was higher than 80% under air atmosphere. Hence, the resulting resins were good candidate matrix of high‐temperature structural composites.     

Homopolyimides containing both benzimidazole and benzoxazole with high Tg and low coefficient of thermal expansion

A pair of isomer diamines containing both benzimidazole and benzoxazole and derived homopolyimides were synthesized for the first time. Due to rich rigid and linear benzoazole units, as well as the strong intermolecular interactions from the hydrogen bonding and the charge transfer complexation (CTC), the obtained polyimides (PIs) exhibited outstanding thermal properties, including high thermal weight loss temperature (T_d5% = 540–561°C), high glass transition temperature (T_g = 392–421°C), and low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE = 1.3–20.9 ppm/°C). In addition, the obtained PIs also showed ideal mechanical properties (T_S = 189–240 MPa, T_M = 4.1–5.0 GPa and E_B = 2.9%–4.7%). These potential novel PI films with high T_g and low CTE were expected to be applied to next generation of flexible display substrate material.     

The effect of different types of carbon blacks on the rheological and thermal properties of acrylonitrile butadiene rubber

The influence of two types of carbon black filler N330 and N990 (primary particle size 46 nm and >230 nm) on elastomeric composites based on acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR) have been investigated. The activation energy (E _a) were determined from two high temperature rheokinetic curves (T ₁ = 180 °C and T ₂ = 190 °C). For tensile testing, the compounds with different content of carbon black were vulcanized in a hydraulic press at 150 °C. The stress-strain experiments were performed before and after ageing the specimens in an air-circulating oven at 100 °C for 168 h. The thermal degradation and thermal stability of carbon black filled NBR rubber was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis in a flowing nitrogen atmosphere at a heating rate of 10 °C/min.     

Ring-opening polymerization of 1,4-oxathian-2-one and its copolymerization with δ-valerolactone

Monomer 1,4-oxathian-2-one ( OX ) was synthesized by a one pot two-step method, and it was oxidized to the sulfone ester monomer, 1,4-oxathian-2-one-4,4-dioxide ( OX-SO ₂ ). Three organic catalysts, 1,5,7-triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec-5-ene (TBD), 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU), and diphenyl phosphate (DPP) were screened for the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of OX in dichloromethane at 30°C. It was found that OX has a high polymerizability, the TBD-catalyzed ROP is very fast but with serious side reactions, the DBU-catalyzed ROP is moderately controlled, and the DPP-catalyzed ROP is well controlled until the polymerization reach equilibrium. Bulk ROP of OX-SO ₂ was achieved with stannous octoate ((Sn[Oct]₂) at 130°C. Poly(OX) is a semicrystalline polyester (T_m = 40-60°C, T_g = −39.6°C), while Poly(OX-SO ₂ ) is a highly crystalline polyester(T_g = 55°C, T_m = 211°C with decomposition). Kinetics experiments of OX and δ-valerolactone (VL) revealed that VL polymerized faster than OX with DPP as the catalyst. Thermodynamic parameters of the ROP of OX and VL under identical conditions were measured; the ROP of OX is thermodynamically more favorable than that of VL. A series of random copolymers of OX and VL was prepared using TBD as the catalyst and confirmed that the in-chain heteroatom greatly affected the crystallization of the copolymers.     

Bio-based copolyesters poly(butylene 2,6-naphthalate-co-butylene furandicarboxylate) derived from 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA): Synthesis,characterization, and properties

A series of copolymers poly(butylene 2,6-naphthalate-co-butylene furandicarboxylate) (PBNFs) derived from 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) were synthesized. The molecular weight, microstructures, thermal and mechanical properties were characterized. DSC results show that PBN and PBNF25 can crystallize rapidly. However, the crystallization rates of PBNF50, PBNF75 and PBF are very slow. The T_d,5% and T_d,max values of all polyesters were higher than 360 °C and 390 °C, respectively. Compared with PBN, PBNF25, PBNF50, PBNF75 and PBF exhibited much higher elongation at break (214–295%) and bio-based content (46–100%).     

Differential scanning calorimetric examination of ruptured lower limb tendons in human

The tendon ruptures are serious injuries of the lover limb in middle age and physically active population. While the Achilles tendon rupture is common, the patellar ligament and quadriceps ligament ruptures are an absolutely rare injury. Usually there is no correlation between the velocity of the trauma and the supervening of the rupture. The aetiology of the degenerative changes in the collagen structures of the tendons and ligaments which could be disposed for the rupture are still not clear. Our hypothesis was that before the injury there are clear pathological abnormalities in the tissues of the tendons, which are predisposed for the rupture, and could be monitored besides the classical histological methods by differential scanning calorimetry. The thermal denaturation of human samples was monitored by a SETARAM Micro DSC-II calorimeter. All the experiments were performed between 0 and 100 °C. The heating rate was 0.3 K/min. DSC scans clearly demonstrated significant differences between the control and ruptured samples (control: T _m = 59.7 °C, T _1/2 = 1.4 °C and ΔH _cal = 8.54 J/g; ruptured Achilles tendon: T _m = 62.75 °C, T _1/2 = 2.6 °C and ΔH _cal = 1.54 J/g, ruptured Quadriceps tendon: T _m = 64.8 °C, T _1/2 = 1.6 °C and ΔH _cal = 1.53 J/g, ruptured Patellar tendon: T _m = 63.9 °C, T _1/2 = 1.41 °C and ΔH _cal = 0.97 J/g). These observations could be explained with the structural alterations caused by the biochemical processes. With our investigations we could demonstrate that DSC is a useful and well applicable method for the investigation of collagen tissue of the degenerated human tendons and ligaments. We can prove with this method that the degenerative changes of the tissue elements increase the thermal stability of collagen tissues of the tendons which could be disposed for the rupture.     

Intercalation of water and guest molecules within Ca<Superscript>2+</Superscript>–Montmorillonite

The high potential for intercalations by water and various guest molecules is induced by the exchangeable cation inside Ca²⁺–Montmorillonite gallery. XRD peak for Mon at 2θ = 6.04° (d ₀₀₁ = 1.462 nm) shows the structural effect on the clay gallery influenced by the intercalated water layers. Further increases in the gallery height are observed with the intercalation of octadecyl ammonium cations in OMON (d ₀₀₁ = 1.840 nm) and ENR-50 matrix chains in CENR-50 (d ₀₀₁ = 1.954 nm). DSC studies on the other hand reveal the thermal behaviors of intercalated molecules that are linked to the exchangeable cations. The endothermic of Ca²⁺–Montmorillonite (H _Mon = 356.3 J/g) in low temperature range (30–100 °C) indicates the removal of free water and hydrogen bonded water molecules, while the endothermic around 150 °C is related to the induced skeletal layer of water within Ca²⁺–Montmorillonite. The OMON endothermic (H _OMON = 47.0 J/g, T _m = 36.94 °C) tells that cation exchange had modified the water structures and content inside the renewed clay. The intercalation of ENR-50 chains into OMON gallery reveals two endothermic with the T _m1 and T _m2 are at 86.24 and 113.80 °C, respectively. These T _ms confirm that the alkyl chain segment on octadecyl ammonium cation occupy the OMON interlayer space.     

Cure mechanism of novel bismaleimide resins based on fluorene cardo moiety and their thermal properties

In this paper, two novel bismaleimide resins based on 9, 9-bis[4-(4-maleimidophenoxy) phenyl] fluorene (PFBMI), 9, 9-bis[4-(4-maleimidophenoxy)-3-methylphenyl]fluorene (MFBMI), and 2, 2’-diallyl bisphenol A (DABPA) were prepared. Their curing mechanism and curing kinetic were carefully investigated by Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The thermal mechanical properties of the composites based on these BMI resins and the glass cloth were obtained by Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), displaying that the novel resins whose T_g were 296°C and 289°C had excellent thermal performance. In addition, Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) results showed that both the cured PD and MD resins possessed good thermal stability, and their T_5% were all higher than 410°C.     

Catalytic soot combustion of α-Fe/Ce–K–O nanocomposites via citrate-gel route

The binary phase, porous, nanocomposite xα-Fe/(1 − x)Ce_0.9–K_0.1–O (x = 0.05–0.2) catalysts and the catalyst-coated honeycomb ceramic device have been prepared by the citrate-gel thermal decomposition-reduction process and the sol–gel assisted dip-coating method, respectively. The nanocomposite of fluorite-type structure CeO₂ nanoparticles about 18–51 nm and α-Fe nanoparticles about 32 nm is obtained at 600 °C for 2 h in a deoxidization atmosphere and the α-Fe in nanocomposite has the suppression effect on grain growth of CeO₂. With Fe content increasing from 0.05 to 0.1, the specific surface area for the nanocomposites increases dramatically from about 4.4 to 43.0 m²/g, reaching a maximum value 57.7 m²/g at x = 0.15, and the pores vary from macropores to micro- or mesopores. Due to the presence of nano α-Fe, all the catalysts exhibit a very high soot catalytic activity, with the lowest T₂₀ (255 °C) and T₅₀ (291 °C) for the nanocomposite with x = 0.15, and it is confirmed by the bench test under practical diesel exhaust gases.     

Dispersion of silica nanoparticles bearing perfluorohexyl units into fluorinated copolymers

This study aims at determining the compatibility behavior of nanoparticles surface with fluorinated matrices to obtain a homogenous dispersion and better composites properties. First, modified silica nanoparticles by C₆F₁₃I and C₆F₁₃‐C₂H₄‐SH led to various fluorinated silica of different massic concentrations and grafting rates. The dispersion of these nanoparticles (in 5 wt %) into molten poly(VDF‐co‐HFP) and poly(TFE‐co‐HFP) matrices were studied as well as the hydrophobic, mechanical, and thermal properties of both fluorinated copolymers and resulting composites. In both series, the storage modulus of nanocomposites increased while the melting (T_m) and decomposition (T_10%) temperatures varied with the polymer matrix. They increased for poly(VDF‐co‐HFP) composites (T_m= 134 to 144 °C and T_10%= 441 to 464 °C) but decreased for poly(TFE‐co‐HFP) nanocomposites (T_m= 276 to 268 °C and T_10%= 488 to 477 °C). © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 1512–1522     

Hydrogenation of poly(myrcene) and poly(farnesene) using diimide reduction at ambient pressure

Ambient pressure chemical hydrogenation using p-toluene sulfonyl hydrazide (TSH) via thermal diimide formation (N₂H₂) permitted reduction of double bonds of poly(myrcene) (poly[Myr]) and poly(farnesene) (poly[Far]). Both pendent and backbone double bonds in poly(Myr) (M_n = 56 kg/mol) and poly(Far) (M_n = 62 kg/mol) synthesized by conventional free radical polymerization were hydrogenated to almost completion. Furthermore, TSH semi-batch addition efficiently hydrogenated double bonds, while avoiding undesired autohydrogenation of diimides that occurred in batch mode. Thermal stability improved for hydrogenated poly(Myr) and poly(Far), where temperature at 10% weight loss (T_10%) increased from 188 to 404°C for poly(Myr) and from 310 to 379°C for poly(Far). T_gs of poly(Myr) and poly(Far) also increased by about 10–25°C, indicating increased stiffness after hydrogenation. Finally, viscosities of poly(Myr) and poly(Far) were also increased after hydrogenation, and a greater increase was observed for poly(Myr) (by two orders of magnitude from 10² to 10⁴ Pa s) due to its M_n being much higher than its entanglement molecular weight. Poly(Far) viscosity only increased by 1.5 times after hydrogenation (~10⁴ Pa s), comparable to the poly(Myr) after hydrogenation, suggesting unsaturated poly(Far) was more entangled than unsaturated poly(Myr) because of its longer side chains.     

Kinetic study of crystallization of PHB in presence of hydroxy acids

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), PHB, has been structurally modified through reaction with hydroxy acids (HA) such as tartaric acid (TA) and malic acid (MA). The crystallization kinetic of the samples was evaluated by isoconversional method through nonlinear fitting to obtain the estimation for activation energy (E _a ) and pre-exponential (A) values. The thermal behavior of the crystallization temperature, 44.8 and 58.9 °C at 5 °C/min, and results obtained to the average activation energy, 73 ± 9 kJ mol⁻¹ and 63 ± 1 kJ mol⁻¹, to PHB/MA and PHB, respectively, are suggesting that malic acid may be deriving plasticizer units from its own PHB chain. PHB/TA show increase in the medium value of E _a, 119 ± 2 kJ mol⁻¹ and T _c = 48.2 °C (at 5 °C/min), indicating that tartaric acid is probably interacts in different way to the of PHB chain (E _a=73 ± 9 kJ mol⁻¹, T _c = 44.8 °C at 5 °C/min).     

Application of sol–gel TiO2 film for an extended-gate H+ ion-sensitive field-effect transistor

In this study, a sol–gel TiO₂ thin film has been spin-coated on a commercial ITO glass substrate as the extended-gate field effect transistor (EGFET) for hydrogen ion sensing. The as-deposited films are further annealed at various temperatures (T_a) under ambient atmosphere. It is found that the bi-layer structure of TiO₂/ITO EGFET exhibits good linear sensitivity from pH 1 to 11. Anatase TiO₂ appeared as early as T_a = 200 °C and a brookite (121) diffraction evolved at T_a = 500 °C. No prominent influence on the surface fine structures could be found at higher T_a. Due to the reduction or disappearance of the surface hydroxyl groups on TiO₂, the sensitivities of the TiO₂/ITO pH-EGFET device are rapidly reduced. However, the influence of the conductivity decay for ITO substrates annealed at high T_a could not be excluded. A maximum sensitivity 61.44 mV/pH is achieved as T_a = 300 °C.The bi-layer structure of TiO₂/ITO exhibits better long-term stability than the traditional ITO sensing membranes. In addition, the asymmetric hysteresis is more significant in alkaline buffer solutions, which could be explained by a site-binding model because the diffusion of H⁺ ions into the buried sites of the sensing film is more rapid than that of OH⁻ ions.     

Amorphization of a crystalline active pharmaceutical ingredient and thermoanalytical measurements on this glassy form

Amorphization is nowadays a method that is frequently applied in the pharmaceutical industry. The primary aim of this study is to achieve the amorphization of clopidogrel hydrogen sulphate as an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) with various solvents and to choose the most suitable one. A secondary aim was to determine the glass-transition temperature (T _g) of this API and to classify it as a good or poor glass former. To investigate the amorphous form, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray powder diffraction, and FT-IR analysis were applied. The melting point (T _m) was 177.4 °C (450.6 K), and T _g was determined to be 88.9 °C (362.1 K). The quotient T _g/T _m was 0.80, and this API was therefore classified as a good glass former.     

Performance of high-temperature thermosetting polyimide composites modified with thermoplastic polyimide

The preparation of polyimide (PI) resin with high heat resistance and toughness is a significant challenge. In this study, thermoplastic PI (TPI) was used to toughen thermosetting PIs, and toughened PI (TPI/PI) blends were prepared. The modified PI resin system exhibited good thermal stability, excellent heat resistance, and high toughness. The results indicated that the TPI/PI blends maintained the curing behavior and characteristics of the PI oligomer. The T_g of the cured TPI/PI blend exceeded 395 °C, and the T_5% values were in the range of 533–563 °C, suggesting excellent thermal stability and heat resistance. The maximum impact strength was increased by 46% compared with that of pure PI, indicating the excellent toughening effect of the TPI. Carbon fiber-reinforced PI composites were prepared using the toughening system as a matrix. The compression-after-impact values of the carbon fiber-reinforced PI composites were up to 190 MPa, indicating the excellent toughness of the materials.     

Synthesis,characterization and thermal stability of new dumbbell-shaped isobutyl-substituted POSSs linked by aromatic bridges

Five new dumbbell-shaped polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSSs), in which two identical silicon cages R₇(SiO_1.5)₈ (with R = isobutyl), linked to various aromatic bridges (Ar, Ar–Ar, Ar–O–Ar, Ar–S–Ar and Ar–SO₂–Ar, where Ar = p-C₆H₄) were prepared through a literature method opportunely modified by us to make easier preparation and increase yield, which was higher than 70 % in all cases. The obtained products were the expected ones, as supported by the results of elemental analysis and ¹H NMR spectra. Their resistance to the thermal degradation in both flowing nitrogen and static air atmosphere was checked by degrading samples at 10 °C min^?1 and determining temperatures at 5 % mass loss (T _5%) and residues at 700 °C. The T _5% values in air were lower than the corresponding ones in nitrogen, but the trend among the various POSSs investigated was the same in both used atmospheres, with the most high value for the compound having the Ar–O–Ar aromatic bridge. The residues at 700 °C in air of the compounds having not hetero-atoms (O or S) in the aromatic bridge were higher than those in nitrogen, whilst no substantial difference was observed for the other ones.     

Approaches to improve the film ductility of colorless cycloaliphatic polyimides

This study described approaches for improving the film ductility of colorless cycloaliphatic polyimides (PIs). An unexpected toughening effect was observed when a PI derived from pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) and 4,4′‐methylenebis(cyclohexylamine) was modified by copolymerization with a low isophoronediamine (IPDA) content of 5 to 30 mol%, despite there being no film‐forming ability in the homo PMDA/IPDA system. For example, at an IPDA content of 20 mol%, the copolymer showed significantly improved film toughness (maximum elongation at break, ε_{b max} = 57%), excellent optical transparency (light transmittance at 400 nm, T₄₀₀ = 83.7%), and a high glass transition temperature (T_g = 317°C). This toughening effect can be interpreted on the basis of the concept of chain slippage. In this study, the PIs derived from bicyclo[2.2.2]octane‐2,3,5,6‐tetracarboxylic dianhydride (H‐BTA) with various diamines were also systematically investigated to evaluate the potential of H‐BTA‐derived systems. The combinations of H‐BTA with ether‐containing diamines led to highly tough PI films (ε_{b max} > 100%) with very high T_gs, strongly contrasting with the results of an earlier study. The observed excellent properties are related to the steric structure of H‐BTA. Our interest also extended to the solution processability. A copolyimide derived from H‐BTA with a sulfone‐containing diamine and an ether‐containing diamine achieved a very high optical transparency (T₄₀₀ = 86.8%), a very high T_g (313°C), and good ductility (ε_{b max} = 51%) while maintaining solution processability. Thus, these approaches enabled us to dramatically improve the ductility of cycloaliphatic PI films that have, to date, been considered brittle.     

Poly(silarylene–siloxane)polyimides from allyl‐terminated oligoimides and hydride‐functional silarylene–siloxanes via hydrosilylation polymerization

This research was focused on the design and execution of new synthetic routes to low‐temperature‐curable poly(silarylene–siloxane)polyimides. The synthesis of individual oligoimide and silarylene–siloxane blocks was followed by hydrosilylation polymerization to produce crosslinked copolymers. The silarylene–siloxane and polyimide blocks were structurally characterized by IR and ¹H NMR spectroscopy and size exclusion chromatography. The high‐temperature resistance of the copolymers was evaluated through the measurement of heat distortion temperatures (T_HD's) via thermomechanical analysis and by the determination of the weight loss at elevated temperatures via thermogravimetric analysis. Glass‐transition temperatures (T_g's) of the silarylene–siloxane segments were measured by differential scanning calorimetry. Hydrosilylation curing was conducted at 60 °C in the presence of chloroplatinic acid (H₂PtCl₆). The copolymers displayed both high‐temperature resistance and low‐temperature flexibility. We observed T_g of the silarylene–siloxane segment as low as ?77 °C and T_HD of the polyimide segment as high as 323 °C. The influence of various oligoimide molecular weights on the properties of copolymers containing the same silarylene–siloxane was examined. The effect of various silarylene–siloxane molecular weights on the properties of copolymers containing the same oligoimide was also examined. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 4922–4932, 2005     

Modification of poly(propylene carbonate) with chain extender ADR-4368 to improve its thermal,barrier, and mechanical properties

Melt blending with the application of epoxy compound ADR-4368 as a chain extender was used to chemically modify polypropylene carbonate (PPC). ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H NMR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and tests using a universal material testing machine, a gas permeability tester, a water vapor permeability tester and other instruments were used to assess changes in the chemical structure, thermal and mechanical properties, and barrier efficacy of PPC before and after modification.The epoxy group in ADR-4368 reacted with the terminal hydroxyl group in PPC, considerably enhancing its mechanical properties, thermal stability and barrier efficacy to O₂ and CO₂. With the addition of 1% ADR-4368, the glass transition temperature of PPC was increased from 17 °C to 26.9 °C, while the thermal decomposition temperature (T_−5%) of PPC was increased from 177.3 °C to 240.6 °C. Moreover, the tensile strength of the modified PPC was improved from 3.3 MPa to 20.7 MPa.     

Catalytic toluene oxidation over the three-dimensionally ordered macroporous EuFeO3 catalysts fabricated by the sucrose-assisted polymethyl methacrylate-templating method

Three-dimensionally macroporous perovskite-type oxides EuFeO₃ (EFO-3DOM, EFO-sucrose-1, EFO-sucrose-2, and EFO-sucrose-3, respectively) have been prepared using the polymethyl methacrylate-templating method in the absence or presence of sucrose. Physicochemical properties of the materials were characterized by means of a number of analytical techniques, and their catalytic activities were evaluated for the total oxidation of toluene. It is shown that all of the EFO samples were of single-phase orthorhombic crystal structure with a 3DOM architecture. The sucrose addition during the preparation process had a great effect on the surface area and porous structure of the final product. A clear correlation of surface area, surface oxygen species concentration, and low-temperature reducibility with the catalytic performance was observed. The EFO-sucrose-1 catalyst performed the best, giving the T_50% and T_90% of 312 and 347 °C at space velocity = 20,000 mL/(g h), respectively. The apparent activation energies of the 3DOM-structured EFO samples were in the range of 82–97 kJ/mol. It is concluded that the higher surface area and oxygen adspecies concentration and better low-temperature reducibility account for the good catalytic activity of EFO-sucrose-1.