Fabrication of Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes-Based Poly(vinyl butyral) Nanocomposites with Enhanced Mechanical and Thermal Properties

In this research, poly(vinyl butyral) (PVB)/single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) composites were prepared via solution blending method. Dispersion degree of SWCNT in the composites was characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and mechanical properties were measured with tensile testing. Thermal degradation of composites was investigated using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). SEM analysis confirmed good dispersion of the nanotubes in the PVB. The tensile tests showed significant increases in mechanical properties such as exceptional improvement in tensile strength, Young's modulus and flexibility for the composites compared to PVB at low SWCNT content.The TGA curves indicated that adding SWCNT improved the thermal stability of the PVB significantly and the degradation of the polymer matrix shifted to the higher temperatures. For the sample containing 0.6 wt%, an increase of 171% in modulus and a 258.4% enhancement of tensile strength were achieved. Also, elongation at break increased 28.7% at this loading. In fact, intrinsic properties of nanotubes caused enhancement of strength and flexibility simultaneously. Also, for this composite, T_onset and T_max enhanced remarkably and weight loss reduced greatly and residue at 600°C increased to high values. These results are promising for application of the PVB in industry.     

Synthesis and Swelling Properties of Thermosensitive Hydrogels based on Terpolymerization

Novel thermosensitive hydrogels based on polymerization of N-isopropyl acrylamide, Sodium acrylate, and diacetone acrylamide were synthesized, The swelling ratio and dynamic swelling were investigated. The results indicated that the hydrogels exhibited high water uptake and themosensitivity. The swelling properties and volume phase transition temperature could be adjusted by contents of the comonomers in the gels.     

Physical-Mechanical Behavior and Water-Barrier Properties of Biopolymers-Clay Nanocomposites

The preparation and characterization of biodegradable films based on starch-PVA-nanoclay by solvent casting are reported in this study. The films were prepared with a relation of 3:2 of starch:PVA and nanoclay (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5% w/v), and glycerol as plasticizer. The nanoclays before being incorporated in the filmogenic solution of starch-PVA were dispersed in two ways: by magnetic stirring and by sonication. The SEM results suggest that the sonication of nanoclay is necessary to reach a good dispersion along the polymeric matrix. FTIR results of films with 1.0 and 1.5% w/v of sonicated nanoclay suggest a strong interaction of hydrogen bond with the polymeric matrix of starch-PVA. However, the properties of WVP, tensile strength, percentage of elongation at break, and Young’s modulus improved to the film with sonicated nanoclay at 0.5% w/v, while in films with 1.0 and 1.5% w/w these properties were even worse than in film without nanoclay. Nanoclay concentrations higher than 1.0 w/v saturate the polymer matrix, affecting the physicochemical properties. Accordingly, the successful incorporation of nanoclays at 0.5% w/v into the matrix starch-PVA suggests that this film is a good candidate for use as biodegradable packaging.     

Properties of epoxy systems with clay nanoparticles

Low molecular epoxy resin was mixed with different concentrations of montmorillonite clay with alkylamine-modified surface. The presence of the clay nanoparticles influences the gel time of the amine cured resin as well as the mechanical properties. Toughness and modulus, both in the glass and the rubberlike region, increase with clay concentration. An increasing amount of lower mobility phase with increased clay concentration was observed.     

Acrylic,Elastomeric, Particle‐Dispersed Epoxy‐Clay Hybrid Nanocomposites: Mechanical Properties

Summary: Nanocomposites were formulated by curing a sonicated mixture of epoxy resin, C18 clay, and acrylic rubber dispersants. At 5.5 phr (parts per hundred) organoclay loading and a rubber concentration of 15 phr, the tensile‐failure strain of the nanocomposite was found to be higher than that of epoxy nanocomposite, rubber‐dispersed epoxy, and pristine epoxy. A plausible mechanism for improvement of the failure strain of nanocomposites is proposed.

Stress strain curves of filled and unfilled epoxy specimen.     

Multilayered Nanocomposites Prepared through Quadruple-Layering Approach towards Enhanced Mechanical Performance

Multilayered materials are widely studied due to their special structures and great properties, such as their mechanical ones. In this paper a novel and effective technique, a quadruple-layering approach, was used to fabricate multilayered materials. This approach increases the number of layers rapidly via simple operations. Materials with 4, 16, and 64 layers with alternating layers of polypropylene and nanocomposites were fabricated using this approach, and their film morphology and mechanical properties were studied. The influence of the number of layers on the mechanical properties of the materials and the relationship between the mechanical properties of each material were investigated. The results illustrated that the tensile modulus and strength were enhanced and elongation at the break increased when the layer numbers of the multilayered materials increased. However, this approach has a defect in that as the layer number increases, the layer thickness was not uniform, thus restricting the improvement of properties. This may need to be further studied in future work.     

N-异丙基丙烯酰胺-丙烯酰胺热敏凝胶的溶胀特性

制备并表征了N-异丙基丙烯酰胺-丙烯酰胺热敏凝胶(NIPAm-Am),研究了单体配比、引发剂、交联剂用量和温度对其溶胀特性的影响。结果表明：NIPAm-Am热敏凝胶是由亲水和疏水基团组成的非晶高聚物。mAm／mNIPAm越大,凝胶的平衡溶胀率越大;增加交联剂的用量,凝胶的溶胀率减小,当引发剂的质量分数为0．008时溶胀率达最大值;温度的增加会使凝胶的溶胀率减小,在相转变温度时,溶胀率的变化最大。     

MMA接枝改性PVC/CaCO3纳米复合材料的力学性能

采用熔融共混法制备PMMA接枝改性纳米CaCO3增韧PVC（PVC/CaCO3）复合材料,并研究了复合材料的力学性能.结果表明,通过表面PMMA的接枝改性,可以显著提高纳米CaCO3增韧聚氯乙烯复合材料的拉伸强度和拉伸模量,在纳米CaCO3颗粒表面PMMA包覆层厚度为2nm时,复合材料的拉伸强度和拉伸模量达到极大值.对比于未处理纳米CaCO3和钛酸酯偶联剂处理纳米CaCO3,PMMA接枝改性纳米CaCO3增韧PVC复合材料的拉伸强度得到较大幅度提高.SEM显示,经过PMMA接枝改性后的碳酸钙在PVC基体中分散均匀,与基体界面结合良好.     

A Double Network Hydrogel with High Mechanical Strength and Shape Memory Properties

Double network (DN) hydrogels as one kind of tough gels have attracted extensive attention for their potential applications in biomedical and load-bearing fields. Herein, we import more functions like shape memory into the conventional tough DN hydrogel system. We synthesize the PEG-PDAC/P(AAm-co-AAc) DN hydrogels, of which the first network is a well-defined PEG (polyethylene glycol) network loaded with PDAC (poly(acryloyloxyethyltrimethyl ammonium chloride)) strands, while the second network is formed by copolymerizing AAm (acrylamide) with AAc (acrylic acid) and cross-linker MBAA (N, N'-methylenebisacrylamide). The PEG-PDAC/P(AAm-co-AAc) DN gels exhibits high mechanical strength. The fracture stress and toughness of the DN gels reach up to 0.9 MPa and 3.8 MJ/m³, respectively. Compared with the conventional double network hydrogels with neutral polymers as the soft and ductile second network, the PEG-PDAC/P(AAm-coAAc) DN hydrogels use P(AAm-co-AAc), a weak polyelectrolyte, as the second network. The AAc units serve as the coordination points with Fe³⁺ ions and physically crosslink the second network, which realizes the shape memory property activated by the reducing ability of ascorbic acid. Our results indicate that the high mechanical strength and shape memory properties, probably the two most important characters related to the potential application of the hydrogels, can be introduced simultaneously into the DN hydrogels if the functional monomer has been integrated into the network of DN hydrogels smartly.     

Poly (Ethylene Glycol)‐Based Hydrogels as Self‐Inflating Tissue Expanders with Tunable Mechanical and Swelling Properties

Tissue expansion is used by plastic/reconstructive surgeons to grow additional skin/tissue for replacing or repairing lost or damaged soft tissues. Recently, hydrogels have been widely used for tissue expansion applications. Herein, a self‐inflating tissue expander blend composition from three different molecular weights (2, 6, and 10 kDa) of poly (ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) hydrogel with tunable mechanical and swelling properties is presented. The in vitro results demonstrate that, of the eight studied compositions, P6 (PEGDA 6 kDa:10 kDa (50:50)) and P8 (PEGDA 6 kDa:10 kDa (35:65)) formulations provide a balance of mechanical property and swelling capability suitable for tissue expansion. Furthermore, these expanders can be compressed up to 60% of their original height and can be loaded and unloaded cyclically at least ten times with no permanent deformation. The in vivo results indicate that these two engineered blend compositions are capable to generate a swelling pressure sufficient to dilate the surrounding tissue while retaining their original shape. The histological analyses reveal the formation of fibrous capsule at the interface between the implant and the subcutaneous tissue with no signs of inflammation. Ultimately, controlling the PEGDA chain length shows potential for the development of self‐inflating tissue expanders with tunable mechanical and swelling properties.

     

A Study of the Swelling Properties of Polymer Nanocomposites through Electrical and Optical Characterization

In the present study, polymer nanocomposite layers for sensing applications are characterized by means of an optical method based on white light interferometry. The study focuses on poly (hydroxy ethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) and on nanocomposite Carbon black (CB)/PHEMA layers commonly used in chemical sensor technology for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) detection. The interferometric spectra of these two different materials, recorded during analyte exposure, are analyzed in terms of film expansion. Comparison between PHEMA and PHEMA/CB layer shows that the nanocomposite undergoes a more pronounced swelling process. In order to achieve a better comprehension of the sensing mechanism and to improve the sensor performances, the variations of the electrical signal of a nanocomposite-based chemiresistor in presence of VOCs are examined and compared to the optical behaviour.     

聚丙烯/PMMA/CaCO3纳米复合材料的制备、结构与力学性能

分别将经不同表面处理的纳米碳酸钙粒子与聚合物PP共混,制备PP／CaCO3和PP／PMMA／CaCO3纳米复合材料。用TEM观察了表面处理后纳米粒子的粒径与分散情况,发现复合粒子分散较均匀。用DSC与WAXD研究了复合材料的结晶行为,发现原位聚合制备的PMMA／CaCO3纳米复合粒子与PP共混后,PP有异相成核作用,出现了不稳定的PPβ晶型。PP／PMMA／CaCO3纳米复合材料力学性能有大幅度的提高。     

Barrier and Mechanical Properties of Poly(caprolactone)/organoclay Nanocomposites

In this study, biodegradable poly(caprolactone) (PCL) hybrids with two types of organoclays: Cloisite 30B (30B) and Cloisite 93A (93A) have been prepared by melt mixing and their barrier performance to air permeation and mechanical properties were investigated. The hybrids of PCL/30B were found to be nanocomposites resulted from the strong interaction between organic modifier of 30B and PCL and those of PCL/93A were microcomposites. The barrier performance of PCL/30B nanocomposite film to air permeation was much more improved than pure PCL and PCL/93A microcomposites at low organoclay concentration. With the increase of organoclay content the permeability coefficient was also increased that could attributed to the extra tortuous pathway for gas permeation caused by organoclay exfoliation. The barrier behaviour of PCL/30B nanocomposites could be approximately described by a theoretical model developed for composites. The mechanical properties measurements showed that the reinforcement of organoclay 30B in nanocomposites is more significant than 93A in microcomposites. Both tensile modulus and tensile strength were increased in PCL/30B nanocomposites even at at low amount of organoclay without much loss of strain at break as compared to pure PCL. The significant improvements in both barrier and mechanical properties in PCL nanocomposites could be attributed to the fine dispersion state of organoclay 30B platelets in PCL matrix and the strong interaction between organic modifier of 30B and matrix molecules.     

Optimization of Injectable Thermosensitive Scaffolds with Enhanced Mechanical Properties for Cell Therapy

Strong injectable chitosan thermosensitive hydrogels can be created, without chemical modification, by combining sodium hydrogen carbonate with another weak base, namely, beta‐glycerophosphate (BGP) or phosphate buffer (PB). Here the influence of gelling agent concentration on the mechanical properties, gelation kinetics, osmolality, swelling, and compatibility for cell encapsulation, is studied in order to find the most optimal formulations and demonstrate their potential for cell therapy and tissue engineering. The new formulations present up to a 50‐fold increase of the Young's modulus after gelation compared with conventional chitosan‐BGP hydrogels, while reducing the ionic strength to the level of iso‐osmolality. Increasing PB concentration accelerates gelation but reduces the mechanical properties. Increasing BGP also has this effect, but to a lesser extent. Cells can be easily encapsulated by mixing the cell suspension within the hydrogel solution at room temperature, prior to rapid gelation at body temperature. After encapsulation, L929 mouse fibroblasts are homogeneously distributed within scaffolds and present a strongly increased viability and growth, when compared with conventional chitosan‐BGP hydrogels. Two particularly promising formulations are evaluated with human mesenchymal stem cells. Their viability and metabolic activity are maintained over 7 d in vitro.

     

Electrochemical Properties of Vanadium Oxide Aerogels and Aerogel Nanocomposites

The electrochemical properties of high surface area transition metal oxide aerogels are extremely interesting because aerogels serve to amplify surface effects. As a result, the electrochemical properties are dominated by surfaces rather than by bulk behavior. In the case of vanadium oxide aerogels this leads to extraordinary electrochemical properties, including an extremely high capacity for lithium and electrochemical responses that are both battery-like and capacitor-like. By exploiting sol-gel synthesis, it is possible to synthesize nanocomposite electrodes in which aerogels are in intimate contact with carbon nanotubes. The resulting nanocomposites exhibit superior electrochemical properties, especially at high discharge.     

pH-Responsive Nanocomposites From Methylcellulose and Attapulgite Nanorods: Synthesis,Swelling and Absorption Performance on Heavy Metal Ions

A pH-responsive methylcellulose-g-poly(sodium acrylate)/attapulgite (MC-g-PNaA/APT) nanocomposite superabsorbent was prepared by the free-radical solution polymerization of methylcellulose (MC), sodium acrylate (NaA) and nanoscale attapulgite (APT) in the presence of the crosslinker N,N′-methylene-bis-acrylamide (MBA). The structure and morphology of the nanocomposite were characterized by FTIR, FESEM, TEM, XRD and EDS techniques, and the effects of the amount of MBA, MC and APT nanorods on swelling behaviors were also evaluated. Results indicate that NaA has been grafted onto MC macromolecular chains and APT nanorods participated in polymerization by its active silanol groups, and APT led to a better dispersion in the MC-g-PNaA matrix. The incorporation of APT clearly enhanced the swelling capacity and rate of the superabsorbent. In addition, the nanocomposite exhibited excellent absorption capacity on heavy metal ions, and its absorption amounts on Ni²⁺, Cu²⁺ and Zn²⁺ ions reached 9.86, 7.66 and 21.86 times greater than active carbon (AC). The biopolymer-based nanocomposite superabsorbents can be used as a potential water-saving material and candidate of AC for heavy metal ion absorption.     

壳聚糖-碳纳米管/壳聚糖半互穿网络水凝胶的机械性能及pH敏感性

为制备具有较高机械性能的壳聚糖凝胶, 设计将壳聚糖-碳纳米管复合物引入壳聚糖凝胶网络. 以戊二醛为交联剂, 采用冷冻干燥的方法制备了一系列壳聚糖-碳纳米管/壳聚糖半互穿网络凝胶. 测试了凝胶的机械性能, 考察了凝胶在不同pH值缓冲溶液中的去溶胀和溶胀行为. 实验结果表明, 添加壳聚糖-碳纳米管复合物的凝胶与普通壳聚糖凝胶相比机械强度明显增加, 而凝胶本身的pH敏感性不受影响.