Effect of glass bead packing on the fibrillation of liquid‐crystalline polymer in polycarbonate

Polycarbonate (PC) was melt blended with small amount of liquid‐crystalline polymer (LCP) and various contents of glass beads (GB) having different diameters. The rheological measurements indicated that the GB addition increased the viscosity ratio and seemed unfavorable to the LCP fibrillation. However, the morphological observation showed that the LCP fibrillation was promoted by the GB addition and varied with the GB packing. With the increased GB packing by increasing the GB content and/or decreasing the GB diameter, LCP deformed from spheres and ellipsoids into stretched ellipsoids at lower shear rates and into long fibrils at higher shear rates. Although higher content of smaller GB jammed into the larger LCP droplets and inhibited the LCP fibrillation, very long LCP fibrils formed at higher shear rates at a high enough packing of GB. The relationship between GB packing and LCP fibrillation revealed two kinds of hydrodynamic effects of GB promoting the LCP fibrillation: at lower GB packing, the shear flow was enhanced by the high local shear between GB, in quantity; and for a high enough GB packing, the shear flow was changed, in quality, into elongational flow, which was more effective for the LCP fibrillation. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 1020–1030, 2006     

Probing the use of small‐angle light scattering for characterizing structure of titanium dioxide/low‐density polyethylene nanocomposites

Small‐angle light scattering (SALS) measurements were used to study the structure of titanium dioxide (TiO₂)/low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) nanocomposites. The results showed that the scattering from LDPE crystalline structures and the scattering from TiO₂ nanoparticles can be resolved and separated. It is shown that the independent effects of crystallization conditions and the presence of nanoparticle aggregates on the spherulitic structure of the LDPE matrix can be determined by analyzing the scattering patterns using the methods proposed. From the SALS results, we conclude that the nanoparticle surface chemistry affects both nucleation of spherulites and their structure particularly under rapid cooling conditions. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 1084–1095, 2006     

Characterization and electrical properties of polypyrrole/multiwalled carbon nanotube composites synthesized by in situ chemical oxidative polymerization

This study describes the preparation of polypyrrole (PPy)/multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWNT) composites by in situ chemical oxidative polymerization. Various ratios of MWNTs, which served as hard templates, were first dispersed in aqueous solutions with the surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide to form micelle/MWNT templates and overcome the difficulty of MWNTs dispersing into insoluble solutions of pyrrole monomer, and PPy was then synthesized via in situ chemical oxidative polymerization on the surface of the templates. Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), field‐emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) were used to characterize the structure and morphology of the fabricated composites. Structural analysis using FESEM and HRTEM showed that the PPy/MWNT composites were core (MWNT)–shell (PPy) tubular structures. Raman and FTIR spectra of the composites were almost identical to those of PPy, supporting the idea that MWNTs served as the core in the formation of a coaxial nanostructure for the composites. The conductivities of these PPy/MWNT composites were about 150% higher than those of PPy without MWNTs. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 1413–1418, 2006     

Morphologies of microporous polyethylene and polypropylene crystallized from solution in supercritical propane

The morphologies of solvent-free, microporous, mechanically self-supporting cylinders of linear polyethylene and isotactic polypropylene, crystallized from solution in supercritical propane, were examined by an SEM technique. The morphology of gels (or foams), obtained with little or no shrinkage from 2% to 35% solutions by weight of polyethylene (99% to 85% porosities), is shown in some detail. Lamellae with very little or considerable mutual organization occur, often in the form of stacks with straight or coiled axes (axialites). Further growth of these can lead to particles with a roughly spherical overall shape and a predominantly radial orientation of the lamellae at the particle surface. Subcooled isotactic polypropylene, on the other hand, crystallizes in the form of perfectly shaped birefringent microspheres of very uniform size. ©1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

脱乙酰基对天然魔芋葡甘聚糖分子形貌的影响

通过原子力显微镜直接观察魔芋葡甘聚糖（KGM）分子的三维结构形貌，KGM水溶液铺展在经Ca^2 处理的云母片上，干燥固定后，可获得稳定，重复的图像，实验结果表明，稀溶液中KGM分子具有伸展的螺旋链状结构，单股的长度达200－400nm，厚度为1．0nm，宽度为35．0－35．2nm，脱乙酰后分子链卷曲成直径约40－50nm,厚3．5－5．0nm的弹性圆台状。     

SAPO-11分子筛的合成及其晶貌

以二异丙胺或二正丙胺为模板剂用水热合成法合成SAPO-11分子筛,发现pH值及模板剂的种类对所生成的SAPO-11晶体形貌有着明显的影响,通常观察到的球形晶貌实属长形柱体的聚集体。     

INFLUENCE OF COMPOSITIONAL HETEROGENEITY ON MORPHOLOGY AND PROPERTIES OF SEGMENTED COPOLYMERS

Polyethylene terephthalate(PET)/polycaprolactone(PCL) segmented copolymers with different hard segment contents and a blend of two of them were studied by using DSC, WAXS, TEM and IR techniques and dynamic mechanical, stress-strain and isothermal crystallization measurements. Emphasis was laid on the studies of influence of compositional heterogeneity on the morphology and properties of these segmented copolymers. It was found that the solution cast specimens of the more heterogeneous sample exhibit better segregation of segments, high crystallinity and melting temperature. They have higher thermal stability of mechanical properties at small deformations. However, they are less stable against large deformations and may become softer than the more homogeneous ones.     

甲酰胺对有序介孔二氧化硅形貌的影响

At room temperature and in acidic solution, ordered mesoporous silicas with particular morphology were synthesized using cetylpyridinium chloride as the template and formamide as the cosolvent. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), small angle X-ray diffraction (SXRD), and nitrogen adsorption techniques were used to characterize the as-synthesized and calcined samples. Results showed that the samples had hexagonal mesostructure analogous to MCM-41 and relatively narrow pore-size distributions (BJH). Besides, BET surface areas of the samples were in the range of 1 000～1 250 m²·g^-1 and high total pore volumes were up to 1.367 cm³·g^-1. Addition of formamide affected obviously mesostructures and the morphology of the mesoporous silica. Furthermore, with the increase of the concentration of formamide, the unit-cell constant decreased and particle shape changed from gyroids to fibers.     

Fabrication of hexaphenylsilole nanowires and their morphology-tunable photoluminescence.

Immersion of nanoporous alumina membranes into saturated solutions of hexaphenylsilole with subsequent solvent evaporation affords aligned organic nanowires. The luminescent properties of the hexaphenylsilole nanowires can be manipulated by varying their morphologies, which were controlled by changing the channel sizes of the alumina templates.     

Conductive polyethylene-carbon black composites by elongational-flow injection molding Part 3. Study of the structure and morphology

The morphology and structure of high molecular weight linear polyethylene (M _w 450000) filled with carbon black and processed using molds that introduce an elongational flow component during injection molding has been examined using electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction techniques. The study of fracture surfaces reveals the display of shish-kebabs oriented along the injection direction with segregated longitudinal channels of carbon black particles. Molecular and lamellar changes in orientation are, furthermore, studied across the thickness of the moldings. It is shown that addition of carbon black particles to injection-molded polyethylene induces significant changes in lamellar orientation. Thus, while lamellar overgrowth proceeds perpendicular to the fiber axes within carbon free channels, lamellae grow randomly within carbon-enriched regions where flow is less pronounced.