Novel polymer blends based on poly(ether-urethane) ionomer and ion-containing styrene copolymer

The structure-property relationships of thermoplastic polymer blends based on poly(ether-urethane) ionomer (PEUI) and ion-containing styrene-acrylic acid copolymer (S-co-AA(K)) have been investigated by using DMTA, DSC and TGA, as well as tensile tests. Convergence of the glass transition temperature (T_g) values of the PEUI and the S-co-AA(K) components in the blends studied, as compared to the individual polymers, was found and explained by improving compatibility of the components due to increasing effective density of physical networks formed by ion-dipole and ion-ion interactions of ionic groups of the components. Character of E'=f(T) and E'=f(T) dependencies confirms the increase of the effective density of physical networks in the compositions studied compared to individual PEUI and S-co-AA(K). Improvement of end-use properties, i.e. thermal stability and tensile properties has been found for the PEUI/S-co-AA(K) compositions with lower content of S-co-AA(K) (i.e. <10 mass%) and explained by formation of additional network of intermolecular ionic bonds between the functional groups of PEUI and S-co-AA(K).     

Synthesis and characterization of polycyanurate/montmorillonite nanocomposites

The advantages of cyanate esters (CEs) versus competitor systems such as epoxies and polyimides, as well as the great reinforcing potential of organoclays properly dispersed into a polymeric matrix, have been examined in a series of polycyanurate (PCN)/montmorillonite (MMT) nanocomposites prepared under appropriate polymerization conditions. The curing schedule applied resulted in gradual propagation of polymerization. Through this procedure, the intragallery curing rate becomes comparable to the extragallery one, allowing intercalation before gelation. Systems with clay loadings from 1 to 3% per weight were synthesized, and their morphology and mechanical properties were studied by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), wide angle X‐ray scattering (WAXS), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and tensile tests. Microscopy investigations revealed better dispersion for the 3 wt % system compared to smaller concentrations, in which aggregation and, in some cases, agglomeration were the conspicuous features. Roughness and area analyses revealed more homogeneous dispersion for this nanocomposite. Topology and 3D‐phase images further suggested considerable reduction of the average particle diameters. WAXS analysis showed that the interlayer spacing of nanocomposites was increased compared to pristine MMT, indicating the formation of intercalated structures. On the other hand, tensile strength and elongation at break values displayed abrupt diminution with MMT addition, while Young's modulus exhibited a slight but systematic increment with MMT content. The decreasing glass transition tendency observed for small clay loadings was reversed in the case of 3 wt %, while secondary transitions were practically unaffected by the presence of MMT. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 46: 1036–1049, 2008     

关于Hirota-Satsuma系统初值问题的局部和整体适定性

本文利用ＫＤＶ方程所对应的线性方程解所具有的光滑效应及压缩映像原理,得到了Ｈｉｒｏｔａ－Ｓａｔｓｕｍａ系统初值问题的局部和整体适定性结果．     

Structural changes in glassy polymers studied by thermal analysis and dynamic mechanical tests

Structural changes which take place in many amorphous polymers, when they are annealed at temperatures near the glass transition temperature, have important theoretical, physical, and mechanical consequences. In this paper the possible existence of some local ordering in highlycrosslinked epoxy resins is studied. Three kinds of tests—TMA, DSC, and dynamic experiments—are used for a type of epoxy resin, cured with six different amounts of curing agent. In order to study the effect of the thermal history on the behavior of the polymer at its transition region, as well as the morphology of the materials tested, three different thermal treatments have been followed. Interesting results were derived concerning the influence of these parameters to these parameters to the mechanical characterization of the polymer.     

Stress–softening effect of SBR/nanocomposites by a phenomenological Gent–Zener viscoelastic model

An experimental study of a tensile loading–unloading procedure, as well as multi-cyclic response in a strain-controlled program of a Styrene-Butadiene (SBR) elastomer reinforced with four different weight fractions of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has been performed. The Mullins effect features, namely hysteresis, damage and residual strain, exhibited by the SBR/nanocomposites were analyzed by a modified Gent–Zener rheological model, and a damage function. Especially for the multi-cyclic stress–strain curves, phenomenological equation of the model parameters evolution with strain were also introduced. The same loading procedure was applied in pre-stressed materials, revealing a different stress–strain response due to strain prehistory. The model has been proven to accurately capture the loading–unloading behavior, the residual strain, hysteresis loops as well as the multi-cyclic behavior of the SBR/CNT nanocomposites.     

Overlapping B3Π0u ← X1Σ g/+ and 1Π1u ← X1Σ g/+ non-radiative characteristic of Br2 vapour in the wavelength region 505–541 nm

The vibronic vapour phase photoacoustic spectrum of Br₂ in the wavelength region 505–541 nm (19796–18480 cm⁻¹) has been recorded using microphone as well as pump-probe method. Discrete vibronic bands superimposed on a monotonically increasing continuum background towards the dissociation limit results from the overlapping B ³Π _0u ^/+ ← X ¹Σ _g ^/+ and ¹Π_1u ← X ¹Σ _g ^/+ electronic transitions. Vibronic bands originating from υ″=0 have been used to estimate the relative rate of non-radiative relaxation as a function of the excited state B ³Π_0u vibrational quantum number υ′. A comparison with the optical absorption spectroscopy of Br₂ leads to the identification of three broad spectral regions between 505 and 541 nm (19796 and 18480 cm⁻¹) on the basis of different non-radiative relaxation processes.     

Development and validation of a new analytical method for the determination of 1,4-dichlorobenzene in honey by gas chromatography-isotope dilution mass spectrometry after steam-distillation

A simple, fast, sensitive and robust analytical method using gas chromatography (GC)-isotope dilution mass spectrometry (MS) was developed and validated for the identification and quantification of 1,4-dichlorobenzene (p-DCB) residues in honey samples. The proposed methodology is based on steam-distillation using a Clevenger-type apparatus followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in the selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode employing the isotopically labeled analogue d₄-1,4-dichlorobenzene (d₄-p-DCB) as internal standard (IS). Validation of the method was performed in two different GC-MS systems, using quadrupole MS (QMS) and ion-trap MS (ITMS) detectors, with no statistically significant differences between two. Recoveries were better than 91% with percent relative standard deviations lower than 12%. The instrumental limits of detection were 1 μg kg⁻¹ in the GC-ITMS system and 0.6 μg kg⁻¹ in the GC-QMS system. The expanded uncertainty was estimated as 17% at the currently accepted “action level” of 10 μg kg⁻¹. The method was applied to the analysis of 310 honey samples in an extensive national monitoring study. A quality control (QC) system applied during the assays has demonstrated a good performance and long-term stability over a period of more than 8 months of continuous operation.     

Hydrogen production over a commercial Pd/Al2O3 catalyst for fuel cell utilization

In order to produce a hydrogen stream for fuel cell utilization, the study of the ethanol steam reforming process over an alumina supported palladium commercial catalyst was carried out. The effect of the reaction temperature, the H₂O/C₂H₆O molar ratios and the contact time on catalytic activity and stability was studied. It was found that even at very low temperature values complete ethanol conversion was possible. Hydrogen selectivities up to 98% were obtained at temperature values close to 625 °C. It was also observed that for different reactant molar ratios carbon monoxide concentration exhibits a minimum at a temperature value close to 450 °C. Furthermore, carbon formation was found to be negligible even for H₂O/C₂H₆O molar ratios equal to the stoichiometric one. Paper presented at the 9th EuroConference on Ionics, Ixia, Rhodes, Greece, Sept. 15–21, 2002     

Effect of doping Ca on polaron hopping in LaSr2Mn2O7

From the transport studies in the bilayer manganites LaSr_2−x Ca _x Mn₂O₇, we have found the variable-range hopping model proposed by Viret et al to be inadequate to describe the transport of charge in these materials. The polarons appear to hop to their nearest neighbors with an activation energy, which in part is dependent on the magnetic interactions in the lattice.     

Network-structure of plasticized epoxy resins by dynamic measurements

Viscoelastic parameters are strongly connected with the glass transition temperature and the degree of cross-linking of polymers. In this paper an attempt was undertaken to analyse the storage modulus in the rubbery plateau and the transition region of a series of plasticized epoxy polymers, in terms of their network structure, by means of dynamic measurements.A series of dynamic tests was carried out at frequencies between 0.1 and 100 Hz and temperatures from 50 °C to 140 °C. By applying the time-temperature superposition principle, composite curves for the storage modulusE () were derived over a wide frequency range.The crosslink density, or the molecular weight, between crosslinks could be changed by adding different amounts of plasticizer in the epoxy polymer, and it was calculated by applying the theory of rubber elasticity. The glass transition temperatureT _g for each substance was found to be influenced by the amount of plasticizer and the molecular weight between crosslinks. This behaviour of the highly crosslinked epoxies was different from that of rubbers or analogous materials.Finally, an estimation of the free volume of the materials tested was attempted by using the WLF-equation.