The Crystallization and Morphology of Isotactic Polypropylene Nucleated by Magnesium Sulfate Whiskers Surface Modified by Pimelic Acid

Pimelic acid (PA) was used to modify the surface of magnesium sulfate whiskers (M-HOS). The treated M-HOS and its effects as a function of concentration on the crystallization and morphology of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), thermogravimetic analysis (TGA), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed that PA reacted with M-HOS and formed magnesium pimelate on the surface after the reaction. The results of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarized light microscopy (PLM) showed that the treated M-HOS had the ability to induce β-spherulites, increase the crystallization temperature and decrease the size of spherulites in iPP. It was the most effective to form β-spherulites when the content of PA treated M-HOS was 5 wt%.     

Statistical Analysis of Morphology of Low Density Polyethylene/Polyamide 6 Blends with Addition of Organoclay and Maleic Anhydride-Grafted Polystyrene-b-Poly(Ethylene-co-Butene-1)-b-Polystyrene Copolymer As Compatibilizers

Statistical analysis of the size distribution of a polymer minor phase droplets was successfully applied for the characterization of the morphology in a LDPE/PA6 blend (75/25 wt/wt) obtained after mixing with added SEBS-g-MA(S) compatibilizer and/or organoclay 20A. It was shown that the developed approach provided detailed analysis of the morphology development in the polymer blends, including the primary droplets formation of the minor polymer phase and their break-up and coalescence. The introduction of organoclay increased the break-up of primary droplets and completely suppressed their coalescence. The addition of compatibilizer S, in contrast to nanoclay, did not suppress coalescence but the mean size of the primary droplets as well as the droplets formed at coalescence was strongly reduced. The combined addition of compatibilizer S and nanoclay did not change the morphology development of the LDPE/PA6 blend. Both processes of the droplet transformation were accelerated, similar to the system with addition of compatibilizer S only. However, an increase of nanoclay amount disturbed the break-up of the primary droplets, and the mean size of these droplets increases. Thereafter, the mean size of droplets formed at coalescence also increased. The results of statistical analysis of the phase morphology were found to correlate with the mechanical properties of the polymer blends. The fine dispersion of the minor polymer phase improved the stiffness of the polymer blends. For enhanced impact properties, the presence of relatively broad distribution of the minor polymer phase was necessary.     

Rheological Behaviors of Polypropylene/Poly(1-butene) Blends

The rheological behaviors of polypropylene (PP)/poly(1-butene) (PB) blends with homo-polypropylene (PP₁) or impact polypropylene (PP₂), a poly(propylene-co-ethylene) as the PP component were studied. With increasing of PB resin content for both PP/PB blends, the blends showed higher G'(ω), G''(ω) and η*(ω) at low frequencies but lower values at high frequencies which implied that the processability was improved. A two-phase morphology was observed through the various rheological responses, including G'(ω)-ω terminal region curves, Cole-Cole plots and the weighted relaxation spectra with the PB contents up to 40?wt%. With the same PB content, the rheological parameters of the PP₂/PB blends were quite different from those of the PP₁/PB, which can be attributed to the stronger interaction between PB chains and the ethylene-co-propylene copolymer in PP₂. The impact strength of the PP₂/PB blends was improved dramatically over that of the PP₁/PB. The more significant toughening effect for the PP₂/PB blends can be attributed to the special responses of its rheological behaviors.     

Self-Lubricating Ultrahigh Molecular Weight Polyethylene Thin Films with Excellent Wear Resistance at Light Friction Loads on Glass and Silicon

Thin films of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) were prepared on glass and silicon using a dip-coating technique, followed by removal of the decahydronaphthalene solvent at 140?°C for 20?hours and cooling in the oven in air. The wetting ability of the films was investigated by a contact angle method. The tribological behavior of the films was investigated using a ball-on-disk configuration in reciprocating mode. The reciprocating frequency of 4?Hz and single sliding distance of 5?mm used corresponded to a sliding speed of 40?mm/s. The counterface was a GCr15 steel ball with diameter of 3?mm and the normal frictional loads were 10–300?g. The worn surfaces on the films and wear scars on the steel ball were observed and analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It was found that the surface morphologies of the films on glass and silicon were different, which is ascribed to the difference in thermal conductivity of the glass and silicon. Evaporation of the solution caused micro-orifices in the films on glass. The water contacting angle of about 87° on the films on the two substrates was similar to that of bulk UHMWPE. Their friction coefficient of about 0.1–0.2 indicated the films were self-lubricating. The wear life of the films decreased quickly with the increase of friction load. At light friction loads, the films showed excellent wear resistance. Extrusion was believed to be the main wear mechanism of the films.     

TIME-RESOLVED SAXS/WAXS STUDY OF PHASE BEHAVIOR AND CRYSTALLIZATION IN POLYMER BLENDS

Real-time SAXS and WAXS patterns have been simultaneously obtained during isothermal melt-crystallization of blends of low-molecular-weight poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). The analysis of results shows that the originally homogeneous, single-phase polymer blend separates into two phases. The PMMA molecules diffuse from the blend and form completely segregated regions while PEO starts to crystallize. The first and dominating effect at the beginning of crystallization is the formation of unstable lamellae of nonintegrally folded chains (NIF). The real-time crystallinity and density of the PEO crystalline phase in absolute units were obtained from the time-resolved SAXS/WAXS results. The structure development proceeds in two steps. A very fast evolution of PEO crystals from the melt starts to crystallize in disordered NIF lamellae with thick amorphous interlayers and with a lower density of crystalline phase. The steep growth of crystallinity and crystalline density mean quick thickening of crystalline part of lamellae and improvement of their crystalline structure. In the second step, the structure of the crystalline phase gradually improves and crystallinity grows very slowly. The recrystallization of NIF lamellae into extended chain lamellae (EC) and lamellae with once folded chains (1F) proceeds during both stages of crystallization.     

Thermal Behavior of Polypropylene-g-glycidyl Methacrylate Prepared by Melt Grafting

The thermal behaviors of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA)-grafted polypropylene (PP) (PP-g-GMA) with two different grafting degrees, namely, GPP1 and GPP2, were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarized optical microscopy (POM), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and thermogravimetrical analysis (TGA). DSC results suggested that the GMA grafted PP exhibited higher crystallization temperature T_c, higher melting temperature T_m, and higher crystallinity compared with the neat PP. The isothermal crystallization kinetics was analyzed with the Avrami equation and the total crystallization activation energy was calculated. It was concluded that the crystallization processes of PP and the grafted PP were controlled by nucleation and the values of the crystallization activation energy of PP and the grafted PP were almost identical. POM results suggested that the GMA grafted PP exhibited smaller spherulites size compared with the neat PP. WAXD patterns indicated that the neat PP encouraged the formation of γ phase, compared with the grafted PP, during the crystallization process. DMA results showed that melt grafting did not induce a clear effect on the γ-transition and β-transition of the amorphous phase but resulted in a decrease in mobility of the PP chains in the crystals. TGA curves suggested that the melt grafting slightly improved the thermal stability of PP.     

Antibacterial and Miscibility Properties of Chitosan/Collagen Blends

The miscibility, bioactivity, and antibacterial properties of chitosan/collagen specimens were systematically studied. The specimens were prepared by blending collagen and chitosan with varying deacetylation degrees in solutions; the collagen molecules had been extracted from pigskins using the acid swelling-pepsin digestion method. To understand the miscibility properties of collagen and chitosan molecules, the intrinsic viscosity and differential scanning calorimetry analysis of collagen, chitosan, and collagen/chitosan specimens were performed. The instrinsic viscosity measurements suggested that chitosan and collagen molecules with varying deacetylation degrees were miscible at molecular level for all compositions and degrees of deacetylation of chitosan/collagen mixture solutions prepared in this study. Fourier transform infrared analyses suggested that the percentage of preserved triple helix structures present in collagen molecules in collagen/chitosan specimens decreased with increasing chitosan contents, since the ratios of peak absorbance at 1239 cm^?1 of amide III and 1455 cm^?1 of C?H bending of collagen/chitosan specimens decreased significantly with increase in their chitosan contents. Abnormally high denaturation temperatures (T_d) were observed as the chitosan contents of collagen/chitosan specimens reached 40 wt%, at which T_d of collagen molecules was even higher than that of the corresponding pure chitosan molecules with varying deacetylation degrees. The antibacterial activity of collagen/chitosan blends increased consistently with increasing deacetylation degrees and concentrations of chitosan molecules in collagen/chitosan solutions. Possible explanations for these interesting thermal denaturation, antibacterial, and miscibility properties of chitosan/collagen specimens are reported.     

The Morphology and Mechanical Properties of Isotactic Polypropylene Injection-Molded Samples with the Presence of β-Nucleation Agent and Periodical Shear Field

The pressure vibration injection molding (PVIM) method was used to prepare β-nucleated isotactic polypropylene samples (PVIM β-iPP samples); a relatively low, periodical shear was imposed on the polymer melt in the mold at the filling and packing stages. The crystal structures and crystal orientation of the PVIM β-iPP samples were investigated by polarizing light microscopy (PLM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and synchrotron two-dimensional wide-angle X-ray diffraction (2D-WAXD). The PLM observations indicated that a cylindrite layer, rather than the transition layer, was found in PVIM β-iPP samples, which is different from the conventional injection-molded (CIM) samples. In addition, the thickness of the oriented layer of the PVIM samples was obviously greater than that of the CIM samples. The SEM observations demonstrated that a large amount of shish-kebab structures appeared in the shear layer of the PVIM β-iPP samples; at the same time, numerous β-spherulites were formed in the core layer. The 2D-WAXD data indicated that orientation homogeneity, to some degree, could be obtained by the periodical shear during PVIM. As a result, the above-mentioned morphology of the PVIM β-iPP samples leads to potentially useful prominent reinforcement and toughening of the material.     

环境光对PE塑料薄膜近红外激光拉曼光谱的影响

探讨了环境光自然光和室内荧光灯光的存在,对PE透明塑料薄膜的近红外激光拉曼光谱的影响.研究表明不同的环境光,会对近红外拉曼光谱产生不同的明显特征峰.自然光干扰产生的是以倒峰群形式为主,而室内荧光灯光造成的干扰主要以尖锐的脉冲峰形式.虽干扰表现形式不同,但都有严重地影响,在测定时一定要引起重视,不能忽略.建议在进行透明塑料近红外拉曼光谱检测时,须在暗室或暗罩遮光保护中进行,以完全隔离环境光的影响.