Mechanical properties of fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) foils in use for neutrino detector project

The use of fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) foils as engineering materials for aerospace, solar thermal collector and neutrino detector applications has attracted considerable attention in recent decades. Mechanical properties are indispensable for analyzing corresponding structural behavior to meet the demands of safety and serviceability. In this paper, uniaxial tensile tests taking into account loading speeds, uniaxial tensile cyclic tests in terms of stress amplitude and loading cycles and creep tests considering loading stress and time were carried out to characterize mechanical properties. For uniaxial tensile properties, elastic modulus, yield stress, breaking strength and elongation were analyzed in detail. It is found that these mechanical properties except breaking elongation increased with loading speeds and that mechanical properties obtained in transverse direction were more sensitive than those obtained in machine direction. For cyclic properties, elastic modulus and ratcheting strain tended to be stable after certain cycles, demonstrating that cyclic elastic moduli were more suitable for analyzing structural behavior than those obtained in uniaxial tensile experiments. For creep properties, apparent strain at 6 MPa suggested that special attention was necessary for analyzing structural behavior if maximum stress was larger than 6 MPa. In general, this study could provide useful observations and values for understanding mechanical properties of FEP foils.     

Effects of fused deposition modeling process parameters on tensile,dynamic mechanical properties of 3D printed polylactic acid materials

Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is an important process among the available additive manufacturing technologies in various industries. Although there exists many works investigating the effects of FDM process parameters on the mechanical properties of printed materials, there are still several points need to be studied. One is the effects of process parameters on the dynamic mechanical properties of FDM-printed materials, especially in environments where the temperature often changes. The other is the mechanism by which process parameters affect the mechanical properties of printed materials. Aiming at these two points, uniaxial tensile tests and dynamic mechanical analysis are carried out respectively to characterize the tensile properties and dynamic mechanical properties of FDM-printed PLA materials under different FDM process parameters, namely printing angle, layer thickness, fill rate and nozzle temperature. Based on the experimental results explanations are given for the influence of the FDM process parameters on the mechanical properties of the printed materials.     

Novel polymer nanocomposite hydrogel with natural clay nanotubes

Polymer nanocomposite gels (NC gels), a kind of typical soft materials, can be synthesized through free-radical polymerization of water-soluble monomers in the presence of nanoclay in aqueous system. Here, novel natural tube-like nanoparticles, halloysite nanotubes (HNTs), are firstly used as multifunctional cross-linkers for polyacrylamide (PAAm) to form a new type of organic/inorganic hybrid hydrogels. Significant improvements in mechanical properties of the PAAm-HNTs NC gels are found by the addition of HNTs as shown by the static mechanical testing and dynamic viscoelasticity measurement. HNTs are uniformly dispersed in the NC gels from the morphological result. HNTs can be intercalated by PAAm chains as observed by the X-ray diffraction result. Hydrogen bonding interactions between HNTs and PAAm are confirmed by the infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The maximum equilibrium degree of swelling (EDS) for the NC gel is 4000% and the EDS decreases with the concentration of clay nanotubes. The present work provides a novel routine for preparing NC gels using “green” one-dimensional nanoparticle. The prepared NC gels have promising application in biomedical areas due to the superior mechanical properties of the gels and good biocompatibility of HNTs.     

Synthesis and properties of polycyanoethylmethylsiloxane polyurea urethane elastomers: A study of segmental compatibility

A series of polyurea urethane block polymers based on either aminopropyl-terminated polycyanoethylmethylsiloxane (PCEMS) soft segments or soft segment blends of PCEMS and polytetramethylene oxide (PTMO) were synthesized. The hard segments consisted of 4,4′-methylenediphenylene diisocyanate (MDI) chain-extended with 1,4-butanediol. The hard segment content varied from 11 to 36%, whereas the PTMO weight fraction in the soft segment blends varied from 0.1 to 0.9. The cyanoethyl side group concentration was also varied during the synthesis of the PCEMS oligomer. The morphology and properties of these polymers were studied by differential scanning calorimetry, infrared spectroscopy, dynamic mechanical and tensile testing, and small-angle x-ray scattering. These materials exhibited microphase separation of the hard and soft segments; however, attaching polar cyanoethyl side groups along the apolar siloxane chains promoted phase mixing in comparison with polydimethylsiloxane-based polyurethanes. The increased phase mixing is postulated to lead to improved interfacial adhesion and thus can account for the observed improvement in ultimate tensile properties compared with polydimethylsiloxane-based polyurethanes. Both hard segment content and cyanoethyl concentration are important factors governing the morphological and tensile properties of these polymers.     

A Well-defined Hierarchical Hydrogen Bonding Strategy to Polyureas with Simultaneously Improved Strength and Toughness

A well-defined quadruple hydrogen bonding strategy involving dimerization of 2-ureido-4[1H]-pyrimidone(UPy) units is innovatively designed to prepare polyureas with high overall mechanical properties. Three polyureas containing different amounts of UPy units were synthesized by replacing a portion of isophorone diisocyanate(IPDI) with a UPy-derived diisocyanate. The formation of quadruple hydrogen bonds in hard segments via UPy dimers was confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR). The mechanical properties of the polyureas were evaluated by uniaxial tensile testing. Compared to the polyurea without UPy units, remarkable improvements in Young's modulus, tensile strength, and toughness were simultaneously achieved when UPy units were incorporated. The mechanism behind the strong strengthening effect rooted in the stronger intermolecular forces among hard segments brought by the quadruple hydrogen bonds, which were stronger than the inherent bidentate and monodentate hydrogen bonds among urea groups, and the slower soft segmental dynamics reaveled by both increased Tg and relaxation time of the soft segments. The mechanism behind the strong toughening effect was ascribed to more effective energy dissipation brought by the quadruple hydrogen bonds that served as stronger sacrificial bonds upon deformation. This work may offer new insight into the design of polyurea elastomers with comprehensively improved mechanical properties.     

SUPER TOUGH GELS WITH A DOUBLE NETWORK STRUCTURE

 Living tissues work with fantastic functions in soft and wet gel-like state. Thus, hydrogels have attracted much attention as excellent soft & wet materials, suitable for making artificial organs for medical treatments.However, conventional hydrogels are mechanically too weak for practical uses. We have created double network (DN) hydrogels with extremely high mechanical strength in order to overcome this problem. DN gels are interpenetrating network (IPN) hydrogels consisting of rigid polyelectrolyte and soft neutral polymer. Their excellent mechanical properties cannot be explained by the standard fracture theories. In this paper, we discuss about the toughening mechanism of DN gels in accordance with their characteristic behavior, such as large hysteresis and necking phenomenon. We also describe the results on tissue engineering application of DN gels.     

Stability of mechanical properties of molecular layer–deposited alucone

We report on the effect of aging on the mechanical properties of molecular layer–deposited (MLD) thin films. We studied the mechanical failure of the films during uniaxial tensile testing and observed a sixfold difference in the crack-onset strain (COS) and related flexibility within the first two days after the samples were exposed to ambient air. The MLD films made using trimethylaluminum and ethylene glycol are notorious for exhibiting structural changes after the fabrication; we show that these changes are detrimental for mechanical robustness of the films. This information aids to plan the handling or the protection of these films to achieve better performance with these materials. The interfacial shear strains and COSs of the shortly air-exposed 300-nm-thick films were observed to be roughly 0.3% and 1.8%, respectively. These values are the highest reported so far for hybrid organic–inorganic MLD thin films and would extrapolate to about 14% COS for 5-nm-thick film, indicating potential applications as interfacial adhesion layer for films on polymer substrates and as a protective coating in battery applications.     

A nonlinear uniaxial stress-strain constitutive model for viscoelastic membrane materials

Membrane materials with the excellent thermal, optical, electrical and chemical properties have attracted significant attention in numerous research fields recently. However, while being used to construct the membrane structures, the mechanical behaviors of membrane materials are more foundational than the other properties in evaluating the structure safety. This paper thus proposes a nonlinear stress-strain constitutive model for revealing the viscoelastic behaviors of membrane materials under uniaxial tensile loading. To this end, the constitutive equations for expressing the uniaxial tensile stress-strain relationships of viscoelastic materials are established gradually from the kinematic equations of the generalized Maxwell model that includes several basic Maxwell models and one basic spring element. Meanwhile, the uniaxial tensile tests of two typical viscoelastic membrane materials were carried out in order to examine the proposed constitutive model. The constitutive model parameters of the stress-strain properties of both membrane materials are accurately identified using the least square method. By comparing the true stress-strain curves between experimental results and constitutive models, good agreements with the maximum differences of 4.67% and 3.41% are acquired for the two employed viscoelastic membrane materials, respectively. These observations are able to validate the accuracy and efficiency of this proposed constitutive model in predicting the uniaxial stress-strain behaviors of viscoelastic membrane materials, which are significant in the nonlinear structural analysis of membrane structures.     

SUPER TOUGH GELS WITH A DOUBLE NETWORK STRUCTURE

Living tissues work with fantastic functions in soft and wet gel-like state.Thus,hydrogels have attracted much attention as excellent soft and wet materials,suitable tot making artificial organs for medical treatments.However, conventional hydrogels are mechanically too weak for practical uses.We have created double network (DN) hydrogels with extremely high mechanical strength in order to overcome this problem.DN gels are interpenetrating network (IPN) hydrogels consisting of rigid polyelectrolyte and s...     

Synthesis and characterization of polydimethylsiloxane polyurea-urethanes and related zwitterionomers

A series of segmented polyurea urethane and polyurea block copolymers based on a hexane diisocyanate (HDI) modified aminopropyl terminated polydimethylsiloxane soft segment was synthesized. The hard segments consisted of 4,4′-methylene diphenylene diisocyanate (MDI) which was chain extended with 1,4-butanediol (BD), N-methyldiethanolamine (MDEA), or ethylene diamine. Zwitterionomers were prepared by quaternizing the tertiary amine of the MDEA extended material with γ-propane sultone. The effect of chemical structure on the extent of phase separation and physical properties was studied using a variety of techniques including thermal analysis, dynamic mechanical spectroscopy, tensile testing, and small-angle x-ray scattering. It was observed that the compatibility between the nonpolar polydimethylsiloxane soft segments and the polar urethane hard segments was improved by inserting HDI linkages into the polydimethylsiloxane soft segments. The aggregation of hard segments was enhanced by increasing hard-segment content or by the introduction of ionic functionality. The tensile strength and modulus of these materials was higher than those of polyurethanes containing soft segments based on polydimethylsiloxane and its derivatives.     

Characterization of gels via solvent desorption measurements

The present paper shows how a standard volumetric adsorption device can be used to measure solvent desorption isotherms on gels. As gels are very soft materials, they shrink significantly during the measurement, and the data have to be analyzed in terms of the mechanical properties of the gel’s skeleton. Methanol desorption isotherms are measured on a series of silica gels, and the results are compared with independent characterizations, notably beam bending.     

Reinforcement of cellulose nanofibers in polyacrylamide gels

Cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) have emerged as a promising nanofiller for effective reinforcement of nanocomposites due to their excellent mechanical properties. In this study, CNFs were fabricated by a simple grinding method and used to strengthen polyacrylamide (PAM) gels through in situ free radical polymerization. The morphology, compression properties, and chemical structure of the prepared gels were investigated. The results showed that large amounts of nanofibers embedded inside the PAM matrix and formed network structure by increasing the CNF content. Significantly, PAM/CNF gel with 5 wt% CNF exhibited highly improved compression strength by 6.8-fold as compared to that of pure PAM gel. The FTIR analysis indicated that hydrogen bondings between CNF and PAM chains mainly contributed to the superior mechanical properties of the hybrid gels. In summary, this study provides a novel alternative approach for preparing tough composite gels by combing rigid CNF and soft polymer and extending the application of biomedical load-bearing gel materials such as artificial cartilage and other soft tissues.     

Learning From Nature: Synthesis and Characterization of Longitudinal Polymer Gradient Materials Inspired by Mussel Byssus Threads

Marine mussels use their threads for attachment to any substratum and these biopolymer gradient fibers show an excellent combination of stiff and soft mechanical properties. A straightforward approach for the preparation of macroscopic longitudinal polymer gradient materials on the centimeter scale based on a poly(dimethyl siloxane) system is presented. Compositional gradients are realized by using three syringe pumps feeding different prepolymers capable to undergo thermal cross‐linking. Within the gradient samples, the stiffness between the hard and soft part can be varied up to a factor of four. The gradients are analyzed by UV–Vis spectroscopy as well as compressive and tensile modulus testing.     

单体结构对基于离子作用的自修复光固化材料性能的影响

本文研究了单体结构及其比例对基于离子作用的自修复光固化材料光聚合行为、力学性能,以及自修复性能的影响。结果表明：改变软硬单体种类及其比例不会改变自修复光固化体系的光聚合行为。增加软单体含量和降低硬单体含量,材料的拉伸应变和修复效率随之增加,断裂应力随之降低。硬单体中刚性环会增加聚合物链间的内摩擦力,使材料断裂应力增加,软单体中柔性醚链则降低链间范德华力,增强链移动性,提高材料的拉伸应变和修复效率。软单体为丙烯酸正丁酯（BA）及硬单体为丙烯酸异冰片酯（IBOA）的样品IB7-BA3展现出较好的综合性能,断裂应力为1.42 MPa,拉伸应变为295%,修复效率高于90%。     

Synthesis and characterization of a novel biodegradable,thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer

A series of biodegradable, thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers poly(?‐caprolactone‐co‐lactide(polyurethane [PCLA–PU] were synthesized from a random copolymer of L ‐lactide (LA) and ?‐caprolactone (CL), hexamethylene diisocyanate, and 1,4‐butanediol. The effects of the LA/CL monomer ratio and hard‐segment content on the thermal and mechanical properties of PCLA–PUs were investigated. Gel permeation chromatography, IR, ¹³C NMR, and X‐ray diffraction were used to confirm the formation and structure of PCLA–PUs. Through differential scanning calorimetry, tensile testing, and tensile‐recovery testing, their thermal and mechanical properties were characterized. Their glass‐transition temperatures were below ?8 °C, and their soft domains became amorphous as the LA content increased. They displayed excellent mechanical properties, such as a tensile strength as high as 38 MPa, a tensile modulus as low as 10 MPa, and an elongation at break of 1300%. Therefore, they could find applications in biomedical fields, such as soft‐tissue engineering and artificial skin. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 5505–5512, 2006     

Biphasic Synergistic Gel Materials with Switchable Mechanics and Self‐Healing Capacity

A fabrication strategy for biphasic gels is reported, which incorporates high‐internal‐phase emulsions. Closely packed micro‐inclusions within the elastic hydrogel matrix greatly improve the mechanical properties of the materials. The materials exhibit excellent switchable mechanics and shape‐memory performance because of the switchable micro‐ inclusions that are incorporated into the hydrogel matrix. The produced materials demonstrated a self‐healing capacity that originates from the noncovalent effect of the biphasic heteronetwork. The aforementioned characteristics suggest that the biphasic gels may serve as ideal composite gel materials with validity in a variety of applications, such as soft actuators, flexible devices, and biological materials.     

Preparation and characterization of a new class of poly(ether‐block‐amide)s via solvent free reactive processing

Novel poly(ether‐co‐amide) block copolymers (PEA) with polyamide‐6 as hard segments and different polyether (polyoxytetramethylene glycol [PTMG]/polyethylene glycol [PEG]) as soft segments were prepared via reactive processing. The chemical structure, crystalline properties, mechanical properties, water resistance, and thermal stability of as‐prepared PEAs were extensively studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis, tensile testing, water contact angle, water absorption, and thermal gravity analysis. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the chemical structure and composition of PEAs. The X‐ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry showed that PEAs consist of obvious crystalline polyamide‐6 hard segments and that the crystalline structure of PEG will be significantly changed with the addition of PTMG. Dynamic mechanical analysis and tensile testing showed that the obtained PEAs exhibit classical elastomeric rubber plateau and tensile behavior. Meanwhile, the introduction of PTMG will improve the mechanical properties of PEAs. PEA with PEG as soft segments exhibited extremely surface hydrophilicity and high water absorption of 127%; the increasing of PTMG content in soft segments will reduce the surface hydrophilicity and improve the water resistance. In addition, the obtained PEAs exhibited good thermal stability, which will meet requirement of multiple processing.     

The effect of hard and soft segment composition and molecular architecture on the morphology and mechanical properties of polystyrene-polyisobutylene thermoplastic elastomeric block copolymers

This paper reports the effects of hard (polystyrene, PS) and soft (polyisobutylene, PIB) segment composition and the molecular architecture (linear versus star, PS and PIB block length) on the morphology and mechanical properties of polystyrene/polyisobutylene (SIBS) block copolymers synthesized by living carbocationic polymerization. Atomic force microscopy, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis and tensile testing verified the phase-separated nature of the block copolymers, which behaved as thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs). The morphology of these TPEs is similar to polydiene-based TPEs, and is defined by the soft/hard segment composition. Interestingly, topology (linear vs star) did not have a major influence on morphology. Tensile testing showed that for both linear and three-arm star block copolymers, the modulus and tensile strength increased while elongation at break decreased with higher PS content. However, three-arm star block copolymers showed larger moduli than their linear homologues with similar PS content and PIB arm length, indicating the influence of molecular architecture on mechanical properties. These results might serve as a foundation for macromolecular engineering design for optimizing properties.     

Morphology and Micromechanical Behaviour of SBS Block Copolymer Systems

By means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and uniaxial tensile testing, the connection between the morphology and the micromechanical properties of selected styrene-rich styrene/butadiene block copolymers was studied with respect to their molecular architecture. In particular, the structure-property correlation of a lamellae forming asymmetric linear SBS triblock copolymer was examined by systematically varying the sample preparation techniques and testing temperature. The molecular architecture was found to influence directly the morphology formation of the block copolymers. Different mechanisms such as drawing of the lamellae, shearing in the rubbery phase and rotation of the lamellar axis were observed. From room temperature down to the temperature close to glass transition temperature of the soft phase, a homogeneous plastic drawing of glassy lamellae was perceptible.     

Liquid-crystalline physical gels

Liquid-crystalline (LC) physical gels are a new class of dynamically functional materials consisting of liquid crystals and fibrous aggregates of molecules that are called "gelators". Liquid-crystalline physical gels, which are macroscopically soft solids, exhibit induced or enhanced electro-optical, photochemical, electronic properties due to the combination of two components that form phase-separated structures. In this tutorial review, we describe the materials design and structure-property relationships of the LC physical gels. The introduction of self-assembled fibers into nematic liquid crystals leads to faster responses in twisted nematic (TN) mode and high contrast switching in light scattering mode. Furthermore, the LC physical gels can be exploited as a new type of materials for electro-optical memory. This function is achieved by the control of reversible aggregation processes of gelators under electric fields in nematic liquid crystals. Electronic properties such as hole mobilities are improved by the introduction of fibrous aggregates into triphenylene-based columnar liquid crystals. The incorporation of photochromic azobenzenes or electroactive tetrathiafulvalenes into the chemical structures of gelators leads to the preparation of ordered functional materials.