Permanent antistatic phthalocyanine/epoxy nanocomposites - Influence of crosslinking agent, solvent and processing temperature

Cross-linked epoxy matrices containing small amounts of semi-conductive phthalocyanine (Phthalcon) nanoparticles were prepared using different crosslinking agents and processing temperatures. A starting mixture containing an optimum dispersion of these nanoparticles and with an almost equal and large Hamaker constant was always used. Nevertheless large differences in the relation between the volume conductivity σ_v and the particle concentration φ were found and this relation appeared to be sensitive to small changes in processing temperature and the application of a post-cure. Also the amine crosslinker chosen and the initial amount of solvent (catalyst) in the starting dispersion had a major effect. It was shown that these changes influence strongly the formation of and the final conductive fractal particle network morphology through the polymer matrix. During processing a local relaxation of the initially formed fractal particle network into another fractal particle network was often observed, which introduced or enlarged the amount of isolating material between the particles of the conductive network and changed the fractality and structure of the conductive backbone of the particle network. This local relaxation lowered the σ_v at each phthalcon concentration and enlarged φ_c by several orders of magnitude. The occurrence of local relaxation is dependent on the rate of viscosity change during the crosslinking of the polymer matrix components, the way the fractal conductive particle network is formed during processing (universal or non-universal) and the amount of solvent present. Local relaxation may even occur after the gel point of the polymer matrix. A severe post-cure may be needed to stop this local relaxation. To our knowledge local relaxation of a (fractal) nanoparticle network in a polymer matrix during processing is a new phenomenon, not reported before for polymer composites containing (conductive) nanoparticles.     

Synthesis of Poly(methyl methacrylate) Nanosize Particles by Differential Microemulsion Polymerization

Poly(methyl methacrylate) nanosize particles were synthesized by a differential microemulsion polymerization process. Sodium dodecylsulfate and ammonium persulfate were used as the surfactant and initiator, respectively. The effects of reaction conditions on the particle size have been investigated. A particle size of less than 20 nm in diameter has been achieved with surfactant/monomer and surfactant/water weight ratios of 1:18 and 1:120, i.e. much milder conditions than those previously reported in the literature.

TEM image of nanoparticles prepared via differential microemulsion polymerization.     

Synthetic process to control the total size and component distribution of multilayer magnetic composite particles

A new synthetic process to prepare composite particles with multilayers, comprised of usual polymer latices, ultra-fine magnetic particles, and a polystyrene layer was examined under various solution conditions.First, the synthetic conditions of heterocoagulates, consisted of polystyrene latices (2a=180900 nm) and NiO·ZnO·Fe₂O₃ particles (2a=20 nm), were investigated as a function of medium pH, particle concentration, and particle size ratio, based on the concept of the heterocoagulation theory as applied by Harding et al. Regular heterocoagulates were generated under suitable medium and mixing conditions, and that their total size can be controlled by selecting the size of the original polymer latices used as the core.Second, the best encapsulation condition of the heterocoagulates via emulsion polymerization with polystyrene monomer was surveyed. The encapsulation of the heterocoagulates was greatly promoted by pretreatment with oleate molecules, although there is no tendency for the encapsulation when the surfactant-free bare heterocoagulates are used as the core.     

Thermoluminescent response of LiF : Mg,Cu,P+PTFE prepared in Mexico to Sr/Y beta particles

Results of study of the thermoluminescent response of LiF : Mg,Cu,P+PTFE irradiated with beta particles are presented and compared with results for LiF TLD-100. Both materials exhibited a linear dose response in the range from 4.35 mGy to 2.17519 Gy. The glow curve of LiF : Mg,Cu,P+PTFE exhibited four peaks while TLD-100 showed six. All the peaks studied for the two materials exhibited first order kinetics. The average values of activation energy were: 1.35, 1.58 and 2.51 eV for LiF : Mg,Cu,P+PTFE; and, 2.04, 2.24, 2.51 and 2.89 eV for LiF TLD-100.     

Field-flow fractionation in microfluidic channels of low aspect ratio

The shape of the steady-state three-dimensional flow velocity profile established in carrier liquid flowing inside the rectangular cross-sectional channel for field-flow fractionation should be taken into account to optimize the separation. The central parts of this profile in the planes parallel to the main channel walls are flat with almost identical flow velocities which drop down to zero at the side walls. The separated species transported by the flow in the close-to-side walls regions move with lower average velocities compared to the species transported in the central part of the channel and are undesirably broadened. The hydrodynamic splitting of the carrier liquid at the entry of the channel where the sample is injected only into the central part of the channel eliminates the excessive zone broadening. The aspect ratio of the breadth to the thickness of the channel ratio can thus be reduced. The effect of various aspect ratios on the shape of the flow velocity profile is calculated and the results are used to optimize the aspect ratio of microfluidic channels. The experiments carried out by microthermal field-flow fractionation confirmed that the aspect ratio cannot be reduced to a value of 1, proposed by other authors.     

A two‐grid fictitious domain method for direct simulation of flows involving non‐interacting particles of a very small size

The full resolution of flows involving particles whose scale is hundreds or thousands of times smaller than the size of the flow domain is a challenging problem. A naive approach would require a tremendous number of degrees of freedom in order to bridge the gap between the two spatial scales involved. The approach used in the present study employs two grids whose grid size fits the two different scales involved, one of them (the micro‐scale grid) being embedded into the other (the macro‐scale grid). Then resolving first the larger scale on the macro‐scale grid, we transfer the so obtained data to the boundary of the micro‐scale grid and solve the smaller size problem. Since the particle is moving throughout the macro‐scale domain, the micro‐scale grid is fixed at the centroid of the moving particle and therefore moves with it. In this study we combine such an approach with a fictitious domain formulation of the problem resulting in a very efficient algorithm that is also easy to implement in an existing CFD code. We validate the method against existing experimental data for a sedimenting sphere, as well as analytical results for motion of an inertia‐less ellipsoid in a shear flow. Finally, we apply the method to the flow of a high aspect ratio ellipsoid in a model of a human lung airway bifurcation. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.