Viscoelastic behavior of polypropylene/nitrile rubber thermoplastic elastomer blends: Application of Kerner's models for reactively compatibilized and dynamically vulcanized systems

The viscoelastic properties of binary blends of nitrile rubber (NBR) and isotactic polypropylene (PP) of different compositions have been calculated with mean‐field theories developed by Kerner. The phase morphology and geometry have been assumed, and experimental data for the component polymers over a wide temperature range have been used. Hashin's elastic–viscoelastic analogy principle is used in applying Kerner's theory of elastic systems for viscoelastic materials, namely, polymer blends. The two theoretical models used are the discrete particle model (which assumes one component as dispersed inclusions in the matrix of the other) and the polyaggregate model (in which no matrix phase but a cocontinuous structure of the two is postulated). A solution method for the coupled equations of the polyaggregate model, considering Poisson's ratio as a complex parameter, is deduced. The viscoelastic properties are determined in terms of the small‐strain dynamic storage modulus and loss tangent with a Rheovibron DDV viscoelastometer for the blends and the component polymers. Theoretical calculations are compared with the experimental small‐strain dynamic mechanical properties of the blends and their morphological characterizations. Predictions are also compared with the experimental mechanical properties of compatibilized and dynamically cured 70/30 PP/NBR blends. The results computed with the discrete particle model with PP as the matrix compare well with the experimental results for 30/70, 70/30, and 50/50 PP/NBR blends. For 70/30 and 50/50 blends, these predictions are supported by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) investigations. However, for 30/70 blends, the predictions are not in agreement with SEM results, which reveal a cocontinuous blend of the two. Predictions of the discrete particle model are poor with NBR as the matrix for all three volume fractions. A closer agreement of the predicted results for a 70/30 PP/NBR blend and the properties of a 1% maleic anhydride modified PP or 3% phenolic‐modified PP compatibilized 70/30 PP/NBR blend in the lower temperature zone has been observed. This may be explained by improved interfacial adhesion and stable phase morphology. A mixed‐cure dynamically vulcanized system gave a better agreement with the predictions with PP as the matrix than the peroxide, sulfur, and unvulcanized systems. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 1417–1432, 2004     

Toughness mechanism in polypropylene composites: Polypropylene toughened with elastomer and calcium carbonate

Polypropylene (PP) was modified with elastomer or CaCO₃ particles of two different sizes (1 μm and 50 nm) in various volume fractions. The dispersion morphology and mechanical properties of the two systems were investigated as functions of the particle size and volume fraction of the modifier. The brittle‐to‐tough transition occurred when the matrix ligament thickness was less than the critical ligament thickness, which was about 0.1 μm for the PP used here, being independent of the type of modifier. At the same matrix ligament thickness, the improvement of the toughness was obviously higher with the elastomer rather than with CaCO₃, but adding CaCO₃ increased the modulus of PP. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 1656–1662, 2004     

甚高频等离子体增强化学气相沉积法沉积μc-Si∶H薄膜中氧污染的初步研究

对不同的本底真空条件下,采用甚高频等离子体增强化学气相沉积技术沉积的氢化微晶硅（μc_Si∶H）薄膜中的氧污染问题进行了比较研究.对不同氧污染条件下制备的薄膜样品的x射线光电子能谱与傅里叶变换红外吸收光谱测量结果表明：μc_Si∶H薄膜中,氧以Si—O，O—O和O—H三种不同的键合模式存在,不同的键合模式源自不同的物理机理.μc_Si∶H薄膜的Raman光谱、电导率与激活能的测量结果进一步显示：沉积过程中氧污染程度的不同,对μc_Si∶H薄膜的结构特性与电学特性产生显著影响；而不同氧污染对μc_Si∶H薄膜电学特性的影响不同于氢化非晶硅（a_Si:H）薄膜. 关键词： 氢化微晶硅薄膜 甚高频等离子体增强化学气相沉积 氧污染     

Formation of β‐iPP in isotactic polypropylene/ethylene–propylene rubber blends: Effects of preparation method,composition, and thermal condition

The effects of preparation method, composition, and thermal condition on formation of β‐iPP in isotactic polypropylene/ethylene–propylene rubber (iPP/EPR) blends were studied using modulated differential scanning calorimeter (MDSC), wide angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD), and phase contrast microscopy (PCM). It was found that the α‐iPP and β‐iPP can simultaneity form in the melt‐blended samples, whereas only α‐iPP exists in the solution‐blended samples. The results show that the formation of β‐iPP in the melt‐blended samples is related to the crystallization temperature and the β‐iPP generally diminishes and finally vanishes when the crystallization temperature moves far from 125 °C. The phenomena that the lower critical temperature of β‐iPP in iPP/EPR obviously increases to 114 °C and the upper critical temperature decreases to 134 °C indicate the narrowing of temperature interval, facilitating the formation of β‐iPP in iPP/EPR. Furthermore, it was found that the amount of β‐iPP in melt‐blended iPP/EPR samples is dependent on the composition and the maximum amount of β‐iPP formed when the composition of iPP/EPR blends is 85:15 in weight. The results through examining the effect of annealing for iPP/EPR samples at melt state indicate that this annealing may eliminate the susceptibility to β‐crystallization of iPP. However, only α‐iPP can be observed in solution‐blended samples subjected to annealing for different time. The PCM images demonstrate that an obvious phase‐separation happens in both melt‐blended and solution‐blended iPP/EPR samples, implying that compared with the disperse degree of EPR in iPP, the preparation method plays a dominant role in formation of β‐iPP. It is suggested that the origin of formation of β‐iPP results from the thermomechanical history of the EPR component in iPP/EPR. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 1704–1712, 2007     

Electroanalytical and chromatographic determination of pentachlorophenol and related molecules in a contaminated soil: a real case example

Electroanalytical and chromatographic methodologies have been applied for the determination of pentachlorophenol (PCP) and some of its derivatives in real soil samples contaminated by industrial discharge. The analytes were extracted with hexane from soil samples collected at different points of the site and mixed to produce a representative sample. Square wave voltammetry (SWV) experiments were carried out on either a boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrode or a gold ultramicroelectrode (Au-UME) in an analyte composed by the Britton-Robinson (B-R) buffer at pH 5.5 with the direct addition of proper amounts of the extract. The voltammetric responses revealed an irreversible anodic peak at approximately 0.80 V vs. Ag/AgCl with a peak current showing a linear dependence on PCP concentration. This linear relationship yielded a detection limit (DL) of 2×10⁻⁸ mol l⁻¹ (or 5.5 μg l⁻¹) for the BDD electrode and 6.9×10⁻⁸ mol l⁻¹ (18.4 μg l⁻¹) for the Au-UME, while the independently measured HPLC detection limit was 1.1×10⁻⁸ mol l⁻¹ (3.0 μg l⁻¹). The application of electroanalytical and chromatographic methodologies in the analysis of soil extracts revealed, besides the PCP responses, signals for some related molecules such as o-tetrachlorobenzoquinone (o-chloranil), hexachlorobenzene and tetrachlorophenol. Recovering experiments for PCP showed a concentration of 27.5 mg kg⁻¹ for the electroanalytical determinations and 26.8 mg kg⁻¹ for the HPLC analysis, values exceedingly high if considering that the maximum residue limit established for natural waters by the Brazilian Environmental Agency is 10 μg l⁻¹.     

无自旋混杂的耦簇理论

本文用APCCSD(T)，自旋投影方法消除CCSD中的自旋混杂，自旋投影算符^P用自旋湮灭算符^As 1和^As 2的乘积近似表出，提高了计算精度。     

IMPROVED PROPERTIES OF METALLOCENE-CATALYZED LINEAR LOW-DENSITY POLYETHYLENE/POLYPROPYLENE BLENDS DURING ULTRASONIC EXTRUSION

Metallocene-catalyzed linear low-density polyethylene/polypropylene （mLLDPE/PP） blends were prepared by ultrasonic extrusion in this work. Their extrusion processing behaviors were estimated by online measured data, such as the die pressure and flow rate. Crystallization and mechanical properties of the blends were also investigated. The results show that the addition of PP improves the processing behaviors of mLLDPE, but has little effect on its mechanical properties. On the other hand, the addition of mLLDPE improves the impact strength of PP, but has little effect on its processing behavior. The processing behaviors and mechanical properties of mLLDPE/PP blends get further improved due to the presence of ultrasonic oscillation during extrusion. Compared with PP-rich blends, the apparent viscosity drop of mLLDPE-rich blends is more sensitive to ultrasonic oscillation. The ultrasonic oscillation affects the crystal nucleation, while barely the other crystalline behaviors of the blends.     

Application of the essential work of fracture concept to nanostructured polymer materials

The first part of the paper deals with a critical discussion of the methodical basis of essential work of fracture (EWF) concept with respect to the specimen geometry (especially the notch depth) and application to polymers. In the second part, an in situ testing device, which combines a tensile testing machine with an optical strain-field measuring system, has successfully demonstrated possibility of characterization of fracture behaviour of polystyrene-polybutadiene block copolymers and block copolymer/homopolymer blends as examples of nanostructured polymer materials. It has been shown that knowledge of the time evolution of the strain field close to the crack tips leads to a simple verification of the basic precondition for the applicability of the EWF concept, the precondition “plastic zone coalescence-before-stable crack propagation”.     

Thermal properties of polypropylene post-consumer waste (PP PCW)

Differential scanning calorimetry has been used to study the heat flow during melting and crystallisation of a range of polypropylene post-consumer waste (PP PCW) grades and blends. The heat flow curves and the heat capacity curves indicated that the PP PCW grades and blends contained contaminants even after manual sorting and a cleaning process. The enthalpies of the PP PCW grades were lower than that for the virgin grades, as a result of degradation. Small amounts of polymeric contaminants (up to 10%) did not affect the enthalpies of PP PCW although other contaminants may have had some effect. The enthalpies of the PCW blends could in general be predicted by a linear additive rule, which is of importance for recycling a variety of PP PCW products.The authors would like to thank Dr. M. Killen (Basell Australia Pty. Ltd.), Mr. P. Slaven (Citiwide MRF), Dasma Valley Waste Prop. Ltd. and Mr. I. Janetzki (Huhtamaki Australia Ltd.) for supplying materials for this project. Financial support for the project was provided by Basell Australia and Ecorecycle Victoria, Australia.