Phase morphology of iPP/aPS/SEP blends

Supermolecular structure and phase morphology of the ternary isotactic polypropylene/atactic polystyrene/poly(styrene-b-ethylene-co-propylene) (iPP/aPS/SEP) compression molded blends with 100/0, 90/10, 70/30, and 50/50 iPP/aPS weight ratios and with different amounts of added SEP compatibilizer were studied by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD). SEP significantly reduced the size of dispersed aPS particles that enabled better spherulitization in the iPP matrix. Furthermore, iPP spherulites in ternary blends with 90/10 iPP/aPS weight ratio became larger in comparison with the pure iPP. TEM revealed that the SEP formed continuous interface layer around the dispersed aPS particles even when only 2.5 wt.% of SEP was added. Particle size distribution was distinctly bimodal. When the SEP content was increased to 10 wt.%, joining together smaller and bigger aPS and SEP particles formed dispersed aggregates. Additionally, both amorphous components (aPS and SEP) influenced crystallization process of iPP matrix and so modified, to some extent, its final supermolecular structure. SEP compatibilizer did not significantly affect crystallite orientation. The increase of crystallite sizes, which was more affected by the addition of aPS than by the addition of SEP, seemed to be influenced by the solidification effect rather than by the phase morphology of the blends.     

Thermoanalytical study of nucleating effects in polypropylene composites

Nucleating and transcrystallization behaviour of additives in engineering PP composites and the effect of modified interfacial structure is the subject of this series of papers. The first part concentrates on polypropylene/liquid crystalline polyester blends. Increased crystallisation temperature and degree of crystallinity of polypropylene is characteristic to the blends containing different amount of LCP additive. Transcrystallization process governs the formation of crystalline structure in these systems in course of isothermal crystallisation at 132C. The nucleating effect of LCP gives rise to more uniform crystalline structure in the polypropylene phase.The financial support of the OTKA 014194 is acknowledged with gratitude.     

热致液晶聚合物分散相的形态及其与树脂连续相之间的相互作用

用动态力学谱仪和扫描电子显微镜测试观察了六个含热致液晶聚合物（ＴＬＣＰ）共混体系中的相间相互作用与微结构．组份损耗峰向内或大或小的移动表明在这些共混物中存在着强弱不同的相间相互作用．在各个共混物中所含ＴＬＣＰ公相的形态有圆球状、椭球状、条状和微纤状的．结果表明，在含ＴＬＣＰ的不相容聚合物共混体系中，相间相互作用与微纤形成之间没有直接的相关性．     

Thermal behaviour of bisitaconimide and reactive diluent blends

Thermal behaviour of blends based on N,N'-bis(4-itaconimidophenyl) ether (IE) and 4,4'-bis(4-allyl-2-methoxyphenoxy) benzophenone (R₁) or 4,4'-bis(2-allylphenoxy) benzophenone (R₂) are described in this paper. The reactive diluent content was varied from 5-50% (mass/mass) in these blends. A decrease in the melting point and exothermic peak temperature was observed with increasing mass percent of reactive diluent. Thermal stability of blends was affected at high mass percentage of reactive diluents. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

聚丙烯/聚对苯二甲酸乙二酯共混自增强材料的研究(Ⅰ)

本文根据聚丙烯（ＰＰ）与聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯（ＰＥＴ）共混对在熔 融状态下．流动粘度差阳溶度参数差大的特点，用挤出造粒的方法制得 共熔成纤目增强材料。通过扫描电镜观察．证实ＰＰ／ＰＥＴ比从９５／５到 ８０／２０时。ＰＥＴ均以纤维状结构分布在ＰＰ基质中。该共熔成纤体具有 良好的机械性能。在未加偶联剂时，拉伸强度虽略比纯ＰＰ低．但抗冲击 强度与纯ＰＰ相当。该结果可用于指导ＰＰ的改性和ＰＥＴ废料再生利用 工作。     

Morphology and electric conductivity of cross-linked polyethylene–carbon black blends prepared by gelation/ crystallization from solutions

 Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) – carbon black (CB) blends were prepared by gelation/ crystallization from PE dilute solutions containing CB particles. The UHMWPE/CB composition chosen were 1/0.15, 1/0.25, 1/0.5, 1/0.75, 1/1, 1/3, 1/5, and 1/9, etc. The cross-linking of PE chains was performed by chemical reaction of dicumyl-peroxide at 160 ^°C. X-ray diffraction patterns indicate that the crystallinity of PE within the blends decreased drastically through the chemical reaction at high temperature. The sample preparation method by gelation/crystallization provided the UHMWPE–CB system with various CB contents up to 90% and the conductivities for the resultant specimens were in the range from 10^-9 to 1 Ω^-1 cm^-1 corresponding to the electric conductivity range of semiconductors. The blends assured thermal stability of electric conductivity by cross-linking of PE chains, although the mechanical property such as the storage and loss moduli were very sensitive to temperature. The conductivity of the blends with CB content ≥20% were almost independent of temperature up to 220 ^°C and the values in the heating and cooling processes were almost the same. On the other hand, for the UHMWPE–CB blends with 13% CB content corresponding to the critical one, temperature dependence of electric resistivity showed positive temperature coefficient (PTC) effect. The PTC intensities for non-cross-linked and cross-linked materials were lower than that of the corresponding low-molecular-weight-polyethylene (LMWPE)–CB blend but the maximum peak appeared at 160 ^°C which is higher than the peak temperature of LMWPE–CB blend. Received: 10 December 1997 Accepted: 9 April 1998     

Thermogravimetric analysis of PVC/ELNR blends

The thermal behaviour of a series of solution-cast blends of polyvinyl chloride/epoxidised liquid natural rubber (ELNR) of different mole percentage of epoxidation has been examined using thermogravimetric analysis. Thermal degradation is found to occur through a two-step route in which the first step corresponds to the dehydrochlorination of PVC to form a polyene and the second step is attributed to the decomposition of the ELNR and the polyene. Introduction of 20 and 50 mol% of epoxy group into the liquid NR is found to enhance the thermal stability of PVC. Probable mechanisms of degradation have been suggested on the basis of the kinetic analysis of the degradation studies. It is found that the mechanism is influenced by the epoxy content of the blend system. Activation energy for the degradation and the entropy change have also been reported.     

Plastic deformation kinetics for glassy polymers and blends

Measurements of the plastic deformation kinetics for several glassy (PS, PC, PI-polyimide, PET, epoxy-amine network), semi crystalline polymers (PBT, PET) and blends (ABS, PC:ABS, PC: PBT) were performed for the unidirectional compression loading conditions by using constant temperature deformation calorimetry. The experiments have permitted us to follow the changes of the mechanical work (A), the heat of deformation (Q) and differences between these quantities, i.e., internal energy (U) stored in samples during their loading and unloading. Experiments have shown that the large portion (45–85%) of the mechanical work of deformation (A) is converted to heat (Q). The rest ofA is converted to internal energy (U) stored in deformed samples. U is quite high as compared with metals [1,2]. After complete unloading of plastically deformed samples, i.e., samples carrying irreversible atT _def plastic deformation ( _irr ), some amount (U) of stored energy disappeared. The amount of (U and (U) are different for different polymers. All data are analyzed in the framework of the model proposed in [3,4]. The experiments support the deformation model where the plasticity of glassy polymers is the process of nucleation and development of so-called PDs-plastic local shear defects of nonconformational and nondilatational nature.Dedicated to Prof. Dr. W. Pechhold on the occasion of his 60th birthday     

Annealing of Polypropylene/Polyethylene Blends Near to the Melting Points in TMDSC

Annealing experiments have been carried out just below the melting temperature of both polyethylene (LLDPE) and polypropylene (PP) and their blends. The total melting enthalpy measured after the annealing cycle was greater by 10-15% with respect to the value having been measured before it. During the annealing period the heat capacity decreases to a lower value within the first 2-3 min. Heat capacities of PP (either in pure form or in the blends) measured during the heating cycle following the annealing cycle have the same value as during the cooling section. The heat capacities of the LLDPE in the heating cycle following the annealing were those of the preceding heating cycle. The total heat flows in the cooling section following the annealing cycle were greater than those in another cooling cycle at the same temperatures indicating that the crystallisation takes place during the cooling rather than during the annealing periods. The presence of LLDPE decreases the crystallisation temperature of PP. The presence of SEBS in the blend results in a greater crystallisation temperature than that of pure PP. The crystallisation temperature of LLDPE increases with increasing levels of PP. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Isothermal Degradation of PVC/MBS Blends

The process of thermal degradation of poly(vinyl chloride)/poly(methyl methacrylate-butadiene-styrene) (PVC/MBS) blends was investigated by means of isothermal thermogravimetry in nitrogen. The total mass loss was determined after 120 min. The kinetic parameters of the degradation process were determined by applying two kinetic models: the model which assumes autocatalytic degradation (Prout-Tompkins) and the model of two-dimensional diffusion. It was established that the thermal degradation at lower degrees of conversion (α<0.20) was well described by the former model, but the latter model was applicable at higher degrees of conversion. The thermal stability of blends at a certain temperature of isothermal degradation depends on the blend composition and the shell/core ratio in MBS, and on the adhesion in the boundary layer in PVC/MBS blends. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.