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In this study, we investigated the effects of a crosslinking agent and a compatibilizer on the mechanical and rheological properties of waste PP and waste ground rubber tire (WGRT) composites. In order to simulate a commercial TPV, the component of waste PP and WGRT was fixed at 30 and 70 wt%, respectively. With the simple addition of SEBS-g- MA into the waste PP/WGRT composites, the tensile strength of the composite was decreased, whereas both the elongation at break and impact strength were significantly increased because of rubbery characteristics of SEBS-g-MA. In order to further improve the properties of the composites, the waste PP/WGRT/SEBS-g-MA composites was revulcanized with dicumyl peroxide (DCP). As expected, mechanical properties of the revulcanized composites was generally improved. Especially, with 15 and 1 phr of SEBS-g-MA and DCP, elongation at break was highest value of about 183% because of the recrosslinking of WGRT without chain scission of the main chain. It was found that complex viscosity of the revulcanized composite increased which might verify further vulcanization of the WGRT.

This paper is to analyze the smoke characteristics of wood flour-HDPE composites. The wood flour-HDPE composites were manufactured by modular co-rotating twin screw extruder. In order to analyze smoke characteristics, Cone calorimeter tests(by ISO 5660-2) and smoke density tests(by ASTM E 662) were performed. The specimens for these tests were differently made by adding flame retardants. The results of cone calorimeter test showed that adding flame retardants specimens are lower total smoke release, total smoke production than those of wood flour-HDPE composite. Also the results of smoke density test showed that adding flame retardants specimens are lower initial smoke data and maximum specific optical density than those of wood flour-HDPE composite. The most effective flame retardant is magnesium dihydroxide to decrease smoke characteristics.

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)/multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composites were prepared by using twin screw extruder at various (0–5 wt %) MWCNT loadings. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) micrographs showed a relatively good dispersion and random distribution of MWCNT in PVDF matrix. The physical and dielectric properties increased gradually with the increase in MWCNT content but the thermal stability decreased. The DSC result revealed the increase in crystallinity of the PVDF matrix. Wide angle X-Ray diffraction (WAXD) result showed a large shoulder at 2θ of 20.78° with increasing in MWCNT content. The experimental percolation threshold for the surface resistance of PVDF/MWCNT composites were estimated and clearly observed at 4 wt % of MWCNT loading. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011

SEBS (poly(styrene-b-ethylene/butylene-b-styrene)) biodegradable composites reinforced with various eggshell contents and silk fibroin are prepared by melt processing technique followed by different characterization techniques. Compare with SEBS/eggshell composites, the SEBS/eggshell/silk composites exhibit the reduction in particle size and increase interface interaction within the matrix. Thermal stability also increases in quantity.

PLA biodegradable composites reinforced with various silk fibroin powder contents (0, 1, 3, 5 and 7 wt.-%) were prepared by solution processing technique using CH 2 Cl 2 as solvent. After that the composites and virgin PLA were foamed by using supercritical CO 2 . The influence of silk contents on PLA/silk fibroin powder composite foams were investigated by using SEM, XRD and DSC. Compared with PLA foam, the composite foams exhibited a reduction in cell size and increase in cell density at high silk content. With an increase in saturation temperature and pressure, the cell size was increasing and both the cell density and foam density were decreased simultaneously.

With the increased adoption of thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs) in automotive weather seal systems, the foams of TPVs present an important milestone in providing key applications such as trunk and door seals. In this study, microcellular foams of TPV based on waste ground rubber tire powder (WGRT) were investigated. In order to investigate the relationship between processing conditions and structure of TPV foams, we first prepared the thermoplastic vulcanizates of PP-g-MA/WGRT, then the samples were saturated with carbon dioxide and the saturated specimens were expanded during the pressure-quench process. The results indicated that the microcellular structure was dependent on the processing conditions. Cell size increased with saturation temperature, whereas cell density and relative density decreased. Different nucleation processes were produced with saturation pressure.

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET)/multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composites were prepared by in situ polymerization. To improve the dispersion of MWCNTs in the PET matrix, functionalized MWCNTs having acid groups (acid-MWCNTs) and acetic groups (acetic-MWCNTs) on their surfaces were used. The functional groups were confirmed by infrared spectrometry. Scanning electron microscopy showed that acetic-MWCNTs had a better dispersion in the PET matrix than pristine MWCNTs and acid-MWCNTs. A reaction between PET and acetic-MWCNTs was confirmed by a shift of the Raman G band to a higher frequency and an increase of the complex viscosity in the rheological properties. The composites containing functionalized MWCNTs showed a large increase in their tensile strengths and moduli. The values of the strengths and moduli of the PET/acetic-MWCNT composites were higher than those of the PET/acid-MWCNT composites. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2008

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET)/polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) nanocomposites were prepared by in situ polymerization. Light scattering measurement suggested that there is significant change in molecular weight arising from gel formation by chemical crosslinking during polymerization. The thermal decomposition temperatures of the composites measured at 5 wt % weight loss were 5–10°C higher than that of PET. There is no significant change in other thermal properties. Scanning electron microscopy observations suggest that there is obvious phase separation in PET/POSS composites, composites containing 1 wt % of disilanolisobutyl and trisilanolisobytyl-POSS show fine dispersions of POSS (30–40 nm in diameter), which arise from strong interfacial interactions between POSS and PET during polymerization. The viscosity of the composites increased with the addition of POSS. The observation of a plateau region of composites containing 1 wt % of POSS in the plot of log G′ vs. log G″ indicates strong interfacial interactions between POSS and PET. Sixty-three percent and 41% increase in tensile strength and 300 and 380% increase in modulus were achieved in the composites containing 1 wt % of disilanol- and trisilanol-POSS, respectively. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008

Polyurethane (PU) layer and copolymer consisted of the different molecular weights (1000 and 2000 g/mol) of poly(propylene glycol) (PPG) were prepared. The damping and mechanical properties of these materials were compared with PU1000 made by PPG having the molecular weight of 1000 g/mol. The optimum composition of PU2000 used for PU layer and copolymer was diphenylmethane diioscynate (MDI)/propylene glycol (PPG)/butanediol (BD) (1/0.3/0.7) based on the damping and mechanical properties. The damping peak of PU copolymer was higher than those of PU layer and PU1000 in low temperature range (−30–10 °C). For application in noise reduction, the transmission loss of the mechanical vibration through solid structure was measured. PU layer and copolymer were used as a damping layer. The transmission loss of PU copolymer was more effective than those of PU layer and PU1000 in the experimental frequency range.

Since the first discovery of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in 1991, CNTs have generated enormous research activities in many areas of science and engineering due to their combined exceptional mechanical, thermal and electronic properties. These properties make nanotubes ideal, not only for a wide range of applications but also as a test-bed for fundamental scientific studies (Baughman et al., 2002). They can be described as a graphite sheet rolled up into a nanoscale tube. Two structural forms of CNTs exist: single-walled (SWCNTs) and multi-walled (MWCNTs) nanotubes. CNT lengths can be as short as a few hundred nanometers or as long as several micrometers. SWCNT have diameters between 1 and 10 nm and normally capped ends. In contrast, MWCNT diameters range from 5 to a few hundred nanometers because their structure consists of many concentric cylinders held together by van der Waals forces. CNTs are synthesized in a variety of ways, such as arc discharge, laser ablation, high pressure carbon monoxide (HiPCO), and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) (Dresselhaus, 1997). CNTs exhibit excellent mechanical, electrical, thermal and magnetic properties. The exact magnitudes of these properties depend on the diameter and chirality of the nanotubes and whether their structure is singleor multi-walled. Fig. 1 shows a segment of a single graphene plane that can be transformed into a carbon nanotube by rolling up into a cylinder. To describe this structure, a chiral vector is defined as OA = na1 + ma2, where a1 and a2 are unit vectors for the hexagonal lattice of the graphene sheet, n and m are integers, along with a chiral angle θ, which is the angle of the chiral vector with respect to the x direction. Using this (n, m) scheme, the three types of nanotubes are characterized. If n = m, the nanotubes are called ‘‘armchair”. If m = 0, the nanotubes are called ‘‘zigzag”. Otherwise, they are called ‘‘chiral”. The chirality of nanotubes has significant impact on their transport properties, particularly the electronic properties. For a given (n, m) nanotube, if (2n + m) is a multiple of 3, then the nanotube is metallic, otherwise the nanotube is a semiconductor. Each MWCNT contains a multi-layer of graphene, and each layer can have different chiralities, so the prediction of its physical properties is more complicated than that of SWCNT (Jin & Yuan, 2003).

In this article, the possibility of obtaining the recycled material based on waste polypropylene (WPP) and waste ground rubber tire powder (WGRT) has been studied. It has been proved that partially replacing WPP with PP-g-MA increased the elongation at break of WPP/WGRT blends, whereas decreased the thermal stability. The presence of compatibilizer increased the elongation at break and thermal stability of WPP/WGRT blends, whereas decreased the processing flowability, as revealed by using universal testing machine (UTM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and capillary rheometer. Moreover, the tendency of the change became more obvious with the content of PP-g-MA and compatibilizer or with the combination of PP-g-MA and compatibilizer. In addition, the improvement of the nonpolar compatibilizer (SEBS) in properties of WPP/WGRT blends was better than that of the polar compatibilizer (SEBS-g-MA).

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) filled polypropylene (PP) composites were prepared by a corotating intermeshing twin screw extruder. To improve the dispersion of MWCNTs, the surface of MWCNT was modified with 1,10-diaminodecane, and maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (MA-g-PP) was used as a compatibilizer. Micrographs of well dispersed functionalized MWCNTs (diamine-MWCNT) were observed due to the reaction between MA-g-PP and diamine-MWCNT in PP/MA-g-PP/diamine-MWCNTs composites. The different behaviors in crystallization and melting temperatures of PP/MA-g-PP/diamine-MWCNTs composite were observed compared to PP and PP/neat-MWCNT. Especially, the decomposition temperature of the composite was increased by 50°C compared to PP. PP/MA-g-PP/diamine-MWCNTs composite showed the highest complex viscosity. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009