Anisotropic studies of multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWCNT)-filled natural rubber (NR) and nitrile rubber (NBR) blends

50/50 NR/NBR blends with various MWCNT loadings were prepared by mixing with MWCNT/NR masterbatches on a two-roll mill and sheeted off at the smallest nip gap. Then, the effect of milling direction, machine direction (MD) and transverse direction (TD), on the mechanical and electrical properties of the blends was elucidated. Dichroic ratio and SEM results confirmed that most of the MWCNTs were aligned along MD when MWCNT was less than 4 phr, and the number of agglomerates increased when MWCNT was more than 4 phr. Additionally, anisotropic properties were clearly observed when 4 phr MWCNT was loaded. At 4 phr MWCNT, 100% modulus and tensile strength in the MD were about 1.5 and 1.3 times higher than those in the TD, respectively. Moreover, electrical conductivity in the MD was superior to that in the TD by about 3 orders of magnitude. Results from dynamic mechanical tests also showed that the maximum tan δ in the MD sample was lower than that in the corresponding TD sample. In addition, the storage modulus at 30 °C for the MD sample containing 4 phr MWCNT was 1.15 higher than that of the corresponding TD sample. This stronger reinforcement efficiency resulted from the combination of the greater alignment and dispersion of most MWCNTs in the MD sample.     

Surface modification of silica nanoparticles by a polyoxyethylene sorbitan and silane coupling agent to prepare high-performance rubber composites

The interfacial interaction between nano-silica and rubber matrix is very important for the preparation of high-performance rubber composites. In this paper, we first proposed the use of TWEEN-20 as a new silica modifier, it has four long arms consisting of three polyether chains with terminal hydroxyl group and a fatty chain. The oxygen on the polyether can form a hydrogen bond with the silanol groups on silica surface, and the terminal hydroxyl groups can chemically react with the silanol groups without any VOCs. Moreover, the long fatty chain can weaken silica polarity to obtain a better compatibility with rubber, so that silica modified by TWEEN-20 with chemical reaction and physical absorption can homogeneously disperses in rubber matrix. Nextly, we prepared high-performance natural rubber (NR) composites by adjusting the ratio of TWEEN-20 to TESPT to adjust the physical and chemical interaction between nano-silica and rubber molecular chains. The results indicated that the performances, including the filler dispersion, static mechanical properties, and dynamic heating (viscoelastic self-heating), were optimal when the ratio of TESPT to TWEEN-20 was 2:1. In addition, one-third of TESPT was replaced by TWEEN-20 to prepare silica/rubber composites, which can reduce one-third of VOCs, improve “scorchy”, and achieve high dispersion of silica.     

土壤氮素对小麦生育期硝酸还原酶活性的影响

硝酸还原酶（ＮｉｔｒａｔｅＲｅｄｕｃｔａｓｅ简称ＮＲ）是植物体内ＮＯ同化步骤中的第一个酶，也是整个同化过程中蛋白质合成的限速酶．ＮＲ活性的测定，不仅可以反应出小麦生育期氮素代谢的情况，而且可以反应出土壤及小麦生育期植株体内氮素供应水平和其它环境因子的效应．因此，ＮＲ活性可作为作物生育期氮素代谢的生理指标．     

一种嵌入式关系模型的形式化描述

在 Ｎ Ｒ／ Ｔ 网的基础上,对基于嵌入式关系模型的数据库信息系统的行为,给出了一种形式化的描述方法,并设计了一个变迁点火执行算法     

Initial guess by improved population-based intelligent algorithms for large inter-frame deformation measurement using digital image correlation

Digital image correlation (DIC) has received a widespread research and application in experimental mechanics. In DIC, the performance of subpixel registration algorithm (e.g., Newton-Raphson method, quasi-Newton method) relies heavily on the initial guess of deformation. In the case of small inter-frame deformation, the initial guess could be found by simple search scheme, the coarse-fine search for instance. While for large inter-frame deformation, it is difficult for simple search scheme to robustly estimate displacement parameters and deformation parameters simultaneously with low computational cost. In this paper, we proposed three improving strategies, i.e. Q-stage evolutionary strategy (T), parameter control strategy (C) and space expanding strategy (E), and then combined them into three population-based intelligent algorithms (PIAs), i.e. genetic algorithm (GA), differential evolution (DE) and particle swarm optimization (PSO), and finally derived eighteen different algorithms to calculate the initial guess for qN. The eighteen algorithms were compared in three sets of experiments including large rigid body translation, finite uniaxial strain and large rigid body rotation, and the results showed the effectiveness of proposed improving strategies. Among all compared algorithms, DE-TCE is the best which is robust, convenient and efficient for large inter-frame deformation measurement.     

酚醛树脂对NR硫化胶性能的影响

详细讨论了酚醛树脂／六亚甲基四胺用量对天然橡胶硫化胶物理机械性能及动态力学性能的影响，用电子扫描电镜（ＳＥＭ）研究了硫化胶磨耗表面状态。结果表明，随酚醛树脂用量增加，硫化胶硬度，１００％定伸应力，动态弹性模量增加，而扯断伸长率，撕裂强度及动态力学损耗（ｔａｎδ）下降。当酚醛树脂用量为５份左右时，拉伸强度，３００％定伸应力，耐磨性及耐老化性能最优，ＳＥＭ照片上磨纹最细。     

Parabola-Hyperbola P-H kinetic model for NR sulphur vulcanization

A Parabola-Hyperbola (P-H) kinetic model for NR sulphur vulcanization is presented. The idea originates from the fitting composite Parabola-Parabola-Hyperbola (P-P-H) function used by the authors in [1,2] to approximate experimental rheometer curves with the knowledge of a few key parameters of vulcanization, such as the scorch point, initial vulcanization rate, 90% of vulcanization, maximum point and reversion percentage. After proper normalization of experimental data (i.e. excluding induction and normalizing against maximum torque), the P-P-H model reduces to the discussed P-H composite function, which is linked to the kinetic scheme originally proposed by Han and co-workers [3]. Typically, it is characterized by three kinetic constants, where classically the first two describe incipient curing and stable/instable crosslinks and the last reproduces reversion.The powerfulness of the proposed approach stands into the very reduced number of input parameters required to accurately fit normalized experimental data (i.e. rate of vulcanization at scorch, vulcanization at 90%, maximum point and reversion percentage), and the translation of a mere geometric data-fitting into a kinetic model. Kinetic constants knowledge from simple geometric fitting allows characterizing rubber curing also at temperature different from those experimentally tested.The P-H model can be applied also in the so-called backward direction, i.e. assuming Han's kinetic constants known from other models and deriving the geometric fitting parameters as result.Some existing experimental data available, relying into rheometer curves conducted at 5 different temperatures on the same rubber blend are used to benchmark the P-H kinetic approach proposed, in both backward and forward direction. Very good agreement with previously presented kinetic approaches and experimental data is observed.     

Interrelationship between total volatile organic compounds emissions,structure and properties of natural rubber/polycaprolactone bio-blends cross-linked with peroxides

Natural rubber/polycaprolactone (NR/PCL) bio-based blends with different organic peroxides were prepared using an internal batch mixer and subsequently cross-linked at 170 °C. Two types of commonly used organic peroxides, dicumyl peroxide and di(tert-butylperoxyisopropyl)benzene peroxide, were applied as free-radical initiator. Cross-linking efficiency of NR/PCL blends were investigated using oscillating disc rheometer measurements, followed by infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis and tensile testing. Total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) emissions were determined using headspace analysis integrated with gas chromatography with flame ionization detector. Determined TVOCs emissions varying in range 21.6–52.1 μg/g and generally value of this parameter decreased with increasing content of PCL phase in studied blends or with application of more efficient di(tert-butylperoxyisopropyl)benzene peroxide as cross-linking agent. It was found that increasing of TVOCs parameter indicated deterioration of mechanical properties of NR/PCL blends, which corresponded with the changes in chemical structure and thermal properties of cross-linked NR/PCL. This confirms that evaluation of TVOCs parameter is interesting alternative for “conventional methods” to characterization of the studied bio-based blends.     

slow release rubber formulations containing ZnSO4

Styrene butadiene (SBR) and natural rubber (NR) can be used as binding matrices to control the release of zinc (Zn) which is a micro-nutrient for plants. The leaching rate of zinc in an aqueous medium depends on the concentration of zinc sulphate loaded in the two types of rubber used, the temperature of the surrounding environment and the pH of the aqueous medium. Water uptake was increased with increasing concentration of ZnSO₄. The sustained release of zinc ions from the investigated formulations was prolonged for over five months. The mechanical properties of the vulcanizates were affected as the concentration of zinc sulphate changed.