Search

This paper describes a statistical and mathematical approach to optimize the mechanical properties of a wood plastic composite with Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) as polymeric matrix. Wood plastic composite are materials that consist of a primary continuous polymer phase, where a secondary filler dispersed phase is embedded, the filler generally is wood fibers or sawdust. The slack variable approach in mixture experiments, consist in selecting a component of the mixture as slack variable, to subsequently design and analyze the experiment in terms of the remaining components. With the experimental design information three slack variable model were fit. Using response surface graphs, we show how different compositions modify the mechanical properties of wood plastic composite. Besides, by the desirability function, the optimal formulation of the compound that simultaneously maximizing the mechanical properties of wood plastic composite, was obtained. Finally, the components proportions that provides the best tensile, flexural and compression strength are presented.

Background: In this study, Near-field electrospinning (NFES) technique used with a cylindrical collector to fabricate a large area permanent piezoelectric micro and nanofibers by a prepared solution. NFES requires a small electric field to fabricate fibers. Objective: The objective of this paper to investigate silver nanoparticle (Ag-NP)/ Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) composite as the best piezoelectric material with improved properties to produced tremendously flexible and sensitive piezoelectric material with pertinent conductance. Method: In this paper we used controllable electrospinning technique based on Near-field electrospinning (NFES)The process parameter for Ag-NP/PVDF composite electrospun fiber based on pure PVDF fiber. A PVDF solution concentration of 18 wt.% and 6 wt.% silver nitrate which is relative to the weight of PVDF wt.% with 1058 µS conductivity fibers have been directly written on a rotating cylindrical collector for aligned fiber PVDF/Ag-NP fibers are patterned on fabricated copper (Cu) interdigitated electrodes were implemented on a thin flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate and Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) used as a package to enhance the durability of the PVDF/ Ag-NP device. Results: A notable effect on the piezoelectric response has been observed after Ag-NP addition confirmed by XRD characterization and tapping test of Ag-NP/PVDF composite fiber. The morphology of the PVDF/Ag-NP fibers and measure diameter by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Optical micrograph (OM), of fiber. Finally, The result shows that diameter of PVDF/Ag-NP fibers up to ~7 μm. The. High diffraction peak at 2θ = 20.5˚ was investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) in the piezoelectric crystal β-phase structure. While the electromechanical conversion is found enhance from ~0.1 V to ~1 V by the addition of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) in the PVDF solution. Conclusion: In conclusion, we can say that confirmed and validated the addition of Ag-NP in PVDF could enhance the piezoelectric property by using NFES technique with improved crystalline phase content can be useful for a wide range of power and sensing applications like biomedical devices and energy harvesting, among others.

Nanostructure wrinkle created by amorphous diamond like carbon (a:DLC) thin films on a flexible Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) substrate via chemical bath deposition technique was studied in detail. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) image revealed that the nanostructure wrinkle pattern with varying wavelengths from 350 nm to 170 nm are closely spaced and randomly oriented on the PET substrate. Raman spectra analysis showed that the chemical composition i.e., sp2/(sp2 + sp3) bonding ratio in the deposited a:DLC nanostructure wrinkle thin films was varied by changing the sucrose weight percentage in the precursor solution used for a:DLC thin film deposition. The optical band gap energy decreased from 3.17 eV to 2.04 eV for the a:DLC nanostructure wrinkle thin films due to increase the sucrose weight percentage in the precursor solution from 5 to 30 respectively. The disorderness and defect density in the a:DLC nanostructure wrinkle thin films calculated from Raman spectra as well as from Urbach energy calculation. The change in optical transmittance, extinction coefficient, refractive index and optical band gap energy has been discussed in terms of composition and nanostructure wrinkle pattern of the a:DLC thin films.

In this study a comprehensive effort was made to understand the applicability of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as a construction material. In this regard, PET-fibers of aspect ratio (AR): 25, 50 and 75, and in proportion of: 3%, 6%, 9% and 12%, were used in the construction of concrete specimens. Further, a comparison was made with respect to the impacts of uncoated and granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS)-coated PET-Fs on different properties of concrete. It was observed that concrete specimens with GBFS-coated PET-Fs were having better compressive strength (CS), split tensile strength (STS), flexural strength (FS), workability (W) and density (D), as compared to specimens with uncoated PET-Fs. Moreover, with the increase in proportion of the PET-Fs the negative impacts of the different properties concrete were lesser in case of GBFS-coated PET-Fs. Therefore, the findings of this study are expected to encourage the use of PET-Fs as a construction material.

Plastic waste is increasing exponentially in these unprecedented times induced by pandemic outbreak of COVID-19. Therefore, in this study, efforts were made to assess the usage of plastic waste, in the form of polyethylene terephthalate fibers (PET-Fs), in concrete. Further, to enhance the properties of concrete, the PET-Fs were coated with sugarcane bagasse ash (SBA), which is another industrial bi-product. The PET-Fs were used in different proportion i.e., 3%, 6%, 9% and 12%, and of different aspect ratios (ARs) i.e., 25, 50 and 75, in the concrete specimens. The concrete specimens prepared in this way, were tested for different properties viz., compressive strength (CS), split tensile strength (STS), flexural strength (FS), workability (W) and density (D). It was observed that incorporation of PET-Fs in the concrete reduces these properties of concrete however, concrete with coated PET-Fs were having better properties than the concrete with uncoated PET-Fs. Therefore, it could be implied that coating of PET-Fs may enhance the applicability of PET-Fs as a construction material.

Blending of ZnO nanostructures (e.g. nanoparticles, nanorods, moonflowers etc.) in thermoplastic matrix enables the functional composite formations. The electric conductivity, thermal conductivity, photo-catalytic properties, magnetic properties, mechanical properties, morphological properties of thermoplastic materials are some of the quantities those can modify by the blending of ZnO nanostructures. The previous studies have been reported for the reinforcement of ZnO nanostructures in polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), high density polyethylene (HDPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polylactic acid (PLA) etc. for different application prospective such as preparations of the bio/biomedical sensors, charge storage devices, shape memory materials, magnetic structures etc. This study is a state of the art review for exploring the functionalities and application of the ZnO nanostructures reinforced thermoplastic materials.

Many researchers have utilized recycled plastic trash to substitute aggregate in concrete for decades, and this document describes the technical properties of recycled plastic waste in detail. The resin impacts the concrete's new qualities, which affects the concrete's mechanical properties and durability. The inclusion of resin modifies the mechanical characteristics and strength of the concrete, according to current test results. Plastic fibers derived from plastic trash bottles were used to reinforce ordinary concrete in this investigation. The compressive strength of cubes and cylinders made of standard and fiber-reinforced concrete is determined in the laboratory. The experiments used concrete grades M25 and M30 and two geometric fibers with a volume ratio of 0.0% to 3.0%, cured for 28 days. This document establishes the relationship between compressive strength and cylindrical strength for conventional reinforced concrete and plastic fibers and compares it with standards.

A novel flexible capacitive pressure sensor based on hybrid micro-structured (HM) polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) dielectric layer was developed. The HM-PDMS with M-tooth structured patterns was fabricated using a laser engraved acrylic master mold. The top and bottom electrodes were fabricated by depositing silver (Ag) on flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate using additive screen-printing process. The pressure sensor was assembled by sandwiching two HM-PDMS based dielectric layers between the top and bottom electrodes. The capability of the developed pressure sensor to detect a wide range of pressure was investigated by applying varying pressure from 0 to 1 kPa, 1 to 10 kPa, and 10 kPa to 40 kPa. A sensitivity of 51.36% kPa-1, 8.37% kPa-1, and 2.46% kPa-1 was obtained for the pressure ranges of 0 to 1 kPa, 1 to 10 kPa, and 10 to 40 kPa, respectively. The capacitive pressure sensor response, hysteresis, and repeatability of the fabricated pressure sensor is investigated and presented in this paper. To demonstrate the wide sensing range of the pressure sensor, the sensor was attached to face mask for breath monitoring applications that require low pressure sensing of ~20 Pa, and to the hand glove for fingertip pressure monitoring applications that require relatively high pressure sensing of ~3 kPa.

Polymer matrix composite materials have found application in dentistry because of good mechanical properties, aesthetic, easy processing, and possibilities of the repair. Acrylates are materials used to make and repair dentures. Reinforcements in the form of short glass or polymer fibers are added to improve the mechanical properties of dental polymers. In this study, the processing of composite material with a polymer matrix from commercial auto-polymerized acrylate Simgal, with reinforcement in the form of short poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fibers was examined. Samples were processed in three series: pure Simgal, Simgal/PET 1 wt% and Simgal/PET 3 wt%. The influence of the reinforcement in the form of short PET fibers on the mechanical properties of composite materials was investigated. Strength and hardness were tested by impact testing and Vickers microhardness, and it was shown that there is an increase in absorbed energy and hardness. The modulus was reduced by the addition of PET fibers and by increasing the amount of fibers in the composite. The increase in the amount of PET fibers also resulted in a smaller loss of surface mass of the samples compared to the pure matrix by 63% and 93%, respectively. Cavitation test revealed better cavitation resistance of composites than the pure acrylate.

The recycled low density polyethylene (LDPE), recycled high density polyethylene (HDPE) and recycled polyethylene terephthalate G copolyester (PETG) as post-processed plastic wastes from extrusion blow molding process were modified with blending process to improve the properties of those plastic wastes and decrease the amount of plastic wastes in the plastic processing plants. The recycled PETG was blended with recycled LDPE and recycled HDPE in various concentration from 0 wt% to 100 wt% in increments of 10 wt% as referred to LDPE/PETG blends and HDPE/PETG blends respectively prepared by co-twin screw extruder. The addition of PETG in the blending of LDPE and HDPE improved the mechanical properties and MFI of those polymer blends but decreased thermal stability, storage modulus, loss modulus and complex viscosity as compared to those of neat LDPE and neat HDPE. LDPE/PETG blends illustrated better impact properties and flexibility than those of HDPE/PETG blends.

Different types of polymer films were used in the combined in-mold decoration and microcellular injection molding (IMD/MIM) process. The multiphase fluid-solid coupled heat transfer model was established to study the thermal response at the melt filling stage in the IMD/MIM process. It was found that the temperature distributed asymmetrically along the thickness direction due to the changed heat transfer coefficient of the melt on the film side. When polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films were applied, the temperature of the melt-film interface increased faster and to be higher at the end of melt filling stage in comparison with the application of polycarbonate (PC) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) films. And the effects of film types on the cellular structure, forming defects and mechanical properties of IMD/MIM parts were also studied experimentally. The results showed that the film types had no obvious effect on the cells size in the transition layer and the mechanical properties of the parts. Under certain film thickness, the offset distance of core layer was the largest with PET film used, while the offset distance was the smallest with TPU film used. And similar results were found for the warpage of the parts. However, an exactly opposite change occurred for the thickness of film-side transition layer and the bubble marks on the surface of the parts.

In this paper, graphene oxide (GO) and maleic anhydride–functionalized pristine graphene (MAGN) based on Diels-Alder reaction were synthesized in order to comparatively study the reinforcement effect on the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) composites. PET nanocomposites with GO or MAGN were prepared by a melt-blending method with varying concentrations of nanofillers from 0.05 wt to 0.3 wt%. The structure, the thermal stability, and the mechanical and crystallization properties of the obtained PET composites were systematically investigated by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), tensile tests, thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning Calorimetry (DSC), and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The results show that the thermal stability and the mechanical and crystallization properties of EPT are improved by GO and MAGN inclusion. When the filler loading was 0.1 wt%, the tensile strength of MAGN/PET and GO/PET was increased by 28.9 % and 11.8% compared with the pure PET, which indicates the MAGN shows a better reinforcement effect on PET nanocomposites. Moreover, the MAGN also acts as a more efficient nucleating agent for PET compared with GO exhibiting higher degrees of crystallinity.

The process of obtaining aerated (filled with air bubbles) polymer coatings has been developed and investigated by the method of flame spraying with an assessment of their ability to damp vibrations. A technology for the controlled formation of aerated polymer coatings has been developed while using the capabilities of the ОИМ (OIM) 050 polymer thermal atomizer design which consists in providing a concurrent air flow between the flame torch and the jet of powder material. The experiments have been carried out with such thermoplastic polymers as polyethylene terephthalate, high pressure polyethylene, ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, polyamide. It has been found that the aeration coefficient grows almost in direct proportion with an increase in the amount of air in the concurrent flow for all investigated polymer coatings. It is noted that the aeration process is influenced by the rheological properties of liquid polymers, or rather, the value of the polymer melt flow rate. The limiting values of air in the concurrent flow have been determined, which make it possible not to reduce the adhesion of polymer coatings to steel substrates by less than 6 MPa and not to decrease their hardness by more than 25–30 %. Studies of the damping properties of samples with polymer coatings have been carried out on a stand, the kinematic diagram of which is based on loading the free end of a cantilever sample, abrupt removal of the load and registration of free damped oscillations by an induction-type contactless sensor connected to a computer. It is shown that the use of aeration when forming noise-absorbing coatings on steel samples can increase their logarithmic damping decrement by 18–26 %.

In this study, the potential usage of wastewater bottle strips produced from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as a reinforcing material for strength properties of cement stabilized clay was investigated. For this purpose; unconfined compression strength tests were conducted to determine the parameters affecting the strength properties of cement stabilized-reinforced clay. Four different ratios of cement (0, 3, 6, and 9%) were used for clay stabilization and waste bottle strips obtained by cutting from waste pet bottles were used for reinforcement. Considering that the waste bottle strips behave similar to the fiber material; cement stabilized-reinforced clay samples were prepared with the ratios of 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0%, which are generally used as reinforcement ratios for soil. The specimens were stored in the curing room for 1, 7, 28, and 90 days until testing. Test results were evaluated according to cement content, water bottle strip ratio and curing time parameters. The experimental results showed that the optimum water bottle strip ratio for maximum strength gain ranged from 1 to 1.5%. It was also observed that the plastic strips and cement used for soil improvement also changed the strength-deformation behavior of the kaolin clay. Besides, the augmentation in cement inclusion level and curing period increased the strength of kaolin clay. (C) 2021 Karabuk University. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V.

The piping network is the essence of DHC. Its insulation is fundamental for its correct and efficient functioning. State of the art DHC networks are insulated with polyurethane (PU) foam, which presents outstanding mechanical and insulating properties. However, the high toxicity of the diisocyanates (European Chemical Agency, 2008) required for its production and the recently approved European Restriction on their Use (European Commission, 2020) highlight the need for sustainable alternatives. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) foam has been previously identified as a promising candidate for DHC given its mechanical properties (Ramnas, 2008) and high insulation capacity retention, due to slow gas diffusion (Mangs, 2005) . However, its behavior upon ageing remains unexplored. Without this knowledge, the material cannot be reliably introduced in the market. The objective of this work is to experimentally investigate PET foam’s ageing behavior, with a focus on the effects of thermal cycling, thermally induced crystallinity and hygrothermal degradation on its mechanical properties. Different ageing trials were conducted in an environmental chamber. The effects on the mechanical properties and crystalline structure were evaluated. No degradation was found in the scenarios covered by this study. Service temperature over 100 °C is found possible thanks to thermally induced crystallization.

The search for sustainable materials has grown globally due to the struggle against environmental impacts. From the recycling of PET packaging and the use of steel mill slag residue, from the steel production, it was developed in this work composites of PET matrix with additions of geopolymer obtained from steel mill slag. The composites were produced with concentrations of 0, 20, 40, and 60% of geopolymer and were characterized by XRD, FTIR, TGA, DSC, and SEM. The XRD analyses indicated the presence of mineral constituents referring to the geopolymer in the composites. Through the thermal analyses, it was observed that the addition of geopolymer promoted the increase in thermal stability, besides increasing the crystallinity in concentrations of 40 and 60% of geopolymer. From the micrographs, it was observed that the addition of reinforcement changed the morphology of the material, promoting an increase in the porosity of the material. From the characterizations, it is possible to state that the addition of geopolymers in the PET matrix produces low-cost composites with good properties and can be used in engineering applications.

Incorporation of hollow fibers in polymer base composites has gained great interest due to their flexibility and lightweight structure. Among many research studies on this subject, the mechanical performance of polyester hollow fiber/E-glass reinforced polymer composites has not been investigated. The main objective of the present work was to investigate the fracture toughness and impact resistance of E-glass/epoxy composites hybridized by a separate layer of polyethylene terephthalate hollow fibers (PETHFs). The samples were prepared by placing a layer of PETHFs in different contents (0, 0.23, 1.18, or 2 wt.%) and in two different forms of filaments (PETHF-FIs) or staple fibers (PETHF-STs) between two layers of biaxial or triaxial E-glass fabrics. The mechanical behaviors of the samples were investigated by performing a set of tensile and impact tests. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Field Emission Scanning Microscopy (FESEM) were also used to evaluate the surface morphologies of the hollow fibers and the fractured samples. The results revealed that, unlike PETHF-FIs, PETHF-STs could weaken the mechanical performance of the pristine E-glass/epoxy composites. The internal channel blockage of PETHF-STs was observed in the FESEM images of the fractured PETHF-STs hybrid samples. The highest toughening effects were observed with incorporation of 1.18 wt.% PETHF-FIs in biaxial E-glass/Epoxy composites and 2 wt.% PETHF-FIs in triaxial E-glass/Epoxy composites. The highest value of impact resistance belonged to the samples hybridized with 2 wt.% of PETHF-FIs. Crack deflection, fiber pull out, and fiber stretching were the predominant fracture mechanisms observed in the PETHF-FIs hybrid composites.

In the present study, the compatibilisation of polypropylene/polyethylene terephthalate (PP/PET) blends with different types of compatibilisers including maleic anhydride-grafted polypropylene (PP-...

To assess the effects of fabric take-up, yarn tension, feeder position, and yarn feeder material on the occurrence of snagging, fabrics produced with two different finishing processes, were subjected to longitudinal or transversal 100, 300, and 600 revolutions, and the degree of snagging was measured and compared afterwards with gray fabric. Our results showed that, during the knitting process, the use of ceramic yarn feeders resulted in significantly fewer snags compared with metal yarn feeders. The gray fabric, having no finishing, was fragile and easily snagged, whereas the fabric treated by a finishing process – either drying in relaxed condition (Treatment A) or under stress conditions (Treatment B) – was more resistant to snagging. Moreover, the snagging property of the gray fabric tended to increase with increasing longitudinal or transversal 100, 300, or 600 revolutions. Slight increases in snagging were also present in fabrics having Treatment A or Treatment B at the same revolutions, but the differences were not statistically important ( P > 0.05). Frequency of snags was higher when revolutions were transversal rather than on longitudinal direction. Yarn tension and feeder position had no effect on snagging degree, while fabric take-up had limited effect. For acquiring a fabric resistant to snagging, the gray fabric produced with ceramic yarn guiders during the knitting process should be subjected to drying under relaxed condition. We also suggest that quality control tests be carried out taking the results of our study into consideration.

We investigated the carbonization process of polymer sheets such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), and polyimide (PI) using an UV diode laser in N2 atmospheric co...

Considering the correct disposal of the significant volume of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste generated worldwide, interlocking concrete block pavement can be an alternative. Thus, in this study, the performance of interlocking blocks produced with partial replacement of fine aggregate by micronized PET in the percentages of 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, and 10.0% was evaluated. The results indicated that the values of compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, and flexural strength decreased with the increase in PET percentage. The blocks exhibited good abrasion resistance and resistance to sulfate attack. Therefore, the results indicate the promising application of PET for paving blocks.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films were prepared by cast extrusion using a twin-screw extruder with a severe screw profile. The effect of an organically modified montmorillonite on thermal, mechanical, optical, and barrier properties of the PET films were investigated. Morphological characterization of the nanocomposite films was performed by employing wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) followed by image analysis. The results unfold a mixed morphology for the nanocomposite films with more than 95% exfoliated and intercalated silicate layer structures, depending on the screw rotation speed. The remarkable dispersion of the organoclay particles at the nano-level is discussed in terms of solubility parameter and favorable interactions between PET macromolecules and organic modifier of the nanoclay. The crystal content of the nanocomposite films and their cold and hot crystallization temperatures confirmed the role of silicate nanolayers as a heterogeneous nucleating agent. While all nanocomposite films exhibit higher haze values in comparison to the neat PET samples, incorporation of 2 wt% nanoclay brought about 25% increase in tensile modulus and barrier properties. A range of screw rotation speeds with optimized properties in terms of haze, morphology, thermal, mechanical, and barrier properties is suggested.

Outdoor building materials made of wood require preservatives containing chromated copper arsenate and other carcinogenic substances but still are subject to decay, hence they need to be replaced every few years. Wood-plastic composite (WPC) is an environmental-friendly composite of wood flour/fiber reinforced thermoplastic polymers (i.e., plastic). As WPC is made of plastic to evenly cover the wood flour, it has a lower moisture content than wood. In this study, maleic anhydride grafted polyolefin elastomers (POE-g-ma) and methyl methacrylate-butadiene-styrene copolymer (MBS) were used as impact modifiers to prepare WPCs from recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) and recycled polyamide 6 (rPA6) blends (PET/PA6). The thermal properties of the WPCs with different mixing ratio polymer blends of rPET to rPA6 (E60/A40, E50/A50, and E40/A60) were investigated, as well as their mechanical properties after accelerated weathering. In addition, the creep behavior of the E40/A60 WPC under different environmental conditions was investigated. During the 10-h creep test, the POE-g-ma/WPC strain varied significantly more than MBS/WPC under environmental aging and higher loadings. The test results of impact and creep also show that the toughening effect of POE-g-ma/WPC was slightly better than that of MBS/WPC. In summary, the higher PET content resulted in lower flowability and a higher initial decomposition temperature, with the E60/A40 WPC having better anti-aged mechanical properties and more suitable for outdoor building applications.

Among various available materials used in transparent and flexible devices, MXenes are attracting attention as a brand-new candidate in this category. Ti3C2Tx MXene as a 2D material has exceptional properties, making it a potential material having numerous applications in different areas. Because of its high conductivity, it can be used in transparent conducting electrodes (TCEs). In this study, the MXenes etched by highly concentrated acid at 50 °C,were spin-coated on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film and annealed at moderate temperatures up to 170 °C. The adhesion of MXene to PET was found to be remarkably improved by annealing. These TCEs exhibited a sheet resistance of ∼424 Ω/sq. and transmittance of ∼87%. The aging stability of MXene-coated PET films against oxidation under ambient conditions was studied up to 28 days and resistance change was found ∼30% during this period. The flexibility test showed low bending resistance change (∼1.5%) at 1000th cycle and cumulative resistance change of ∼20% at a bending radius of ∼3.9 mm after 1000 cycles. These transparent, flexible, and conducting electrodes were used to fabricate polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC)-based flexible smart windows. The smart windows fabricated by curing PDLC mixture sandwiched between the MXene electrodes were also found flexible in ON/OFF states. The MXene-based flexible smart windows resulted in good opacity in the OFF state and high transparency in the ON state, exhibiting low threshold voltage

The weight reduction behavior of short sea-island polytrimethylene terephthalate/polyethylene terephthalate (PTT/PET) conjugate fibers, the dyeing properties of the resulting PTT flock microfibers with five disperse dyes, and the fastness of the flocked fabric were investigated for a new flocking process application, which mitigates the drawbacks of the existing process. The weight reduction ratio of the PTT/PET conjugate fiber depends on the temperature, time, and concentration of the sodium hydroxide solution used in the alkali treatment. The optimum treatment condition to obtain the theoretical weight reduction ratio and PTT microfiber separation was determined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). When the PTT flock microfibers were dyed with five disperse dyes, the adsorption or dyeing rates of the low- and medium-energy disperse dyes were higher than those of the high-energy disperse dyes. The high-energy disperse dyes exhibited good color yield, suggesting good build-up properties. The wash fastness was poor to good, the rubbing fastness was poor to moderate, and the light fastness was fair to moderate.

Composite materials of polyethylene terephthalate with silanized halloysite nanoclay were prepared and characterized. Halloysite was first functionalized with benzoyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane and then incorporated it into the polymer matrix via melt extrusion at 0.5, 1, and 2 wt% clay load ratios. The modified clay was characterized by means of elemental carbon quantification, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, and nitrogen adsorption–desorption. The silanization was confirmed to have taken place with an approximate reaction yield of 5%. While the silanization did not significantly affect the crystal structure or the morphological properties of the clay, a mass loss starting from 190 °C attributed to the organosilane compound used to modify the clay was observed in the reacted samples, along with increased thermal stability. The composite materials exhibited an increase in Young’s modulus and a decrease in the ultimate strain, but not a significant change in the oxygen permeability of the composites with respect to the neat PET. Graphical abstract

Limbah plastik Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) dapat dimanfaatkan sebagai bahan tambah pada campuran aspal beton lapis pengikat (Laston AC-BC). Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui pengaruh pemanfaatan plastik PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) pada aspal beton lapis pengikat (Laston AC-BC) menggunakan metode Marshall dengan mengacu pada Pedoman Perancangan dan Pelaksanaan Campuran Beraspal Panas Menggunakan Limbah Plastik 2019 dan Spesifikasi Umum Bina Marga 2018. Penelitian ini dilakukan dengan penambahan cacahan PET pada campuran aspal menggunakan cara kering (dry process). Kadar PET yang ditambahkan dalam campuran aspal yaitu 4%, 4,5%, dan 5% dari berat aspal. Setelah dilakukan pengujian Marshall, hasil dari penambahan PET pada campuran Laston AC-BC dapat meningkatkan stabilitas. Nilai stabilitas tertinggi yaitu pada penambahan PET 5%. Nilai stabilitas akibat penambahan PET lebih besar dibandingkan tanpa penambahan PET. Kadar penambahan PET terbaik untuk campuran aspal yaitu 5% karena selain nilai stabilitas yang tinggi, parameter Marshall yang lain seperti Flow, VIM, VMA, VFB, dan MQ juga memenuhi syarat Pedoman Perancangan dan Pelaksanaan Campuran Beraspal Panas Menggunakan Limbah Plastik 2019. Nilai Kadar Aspal Optimum (KAO) yang diperoleh pada kadar aspal 6% dengan penambahan PET 5%.

To enhance the performance of metal-polymer joint, surface modification is normally applied. Different from the common methods of increasing roughness or manufacturing complicated patterning, a new strategy of microscale morphology design of low roughness surface was introduced in this work, for improving the interfacial bonding strength between Ti6Al4V titanium alloy (TC4) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) joined by hot pressing method. Low-roughness (Ra = 0.18 μm) surface achieved by HF etching can also significantly enhance the interfacial bonding strength of TC4-PET joint by 133%, from 4.5 MPa (as-polished) to 10.5 MPa, as high as the joint strength achieved by sandblasting (11 MPa) with much higher roughness (Ra = 3.7 μm). The bonding mechanisms in joints with different surface treatments were investigated and compared, showing that a new effect of surface particle anchoring played a key role in enhancing the interfacial bonding. Based on the characterization results and analyses, the crack propagation paths of HF and HNO3-HF treated samples were clarified and illustrated. This study indicated that roughness is not the only decisive factor of joint strength and demonstrated a new effective strategy via synergistic effects of surface particle anchoring and chemical bonding to improve interfacial bonding of metal and polymer from both theoretical and practical points of view.

The opaque polyethylene terephthalate (PET) filaments with different mass fractions of TiO2 particles were prepared by low-speed melt spinning and drafting. Basic structures including surface morphology, linear density, orientation degree and crystallinity, and properties including tensile and optical property of the PET/TiO2 filaments were systematically analyzed, especially the visual shielding property. The results showed that TiO2 particles were well-distributed on the filament surface without obvious aggregation, except when the mass fraction of TiO2 exceeded 6%. The addition of TiO2 increased the linear density of the PET filaments. The orientation degree of the filaments was positively correlated with the drafting ratio but hardly influenced by the mass fraction of TiO2. The crystallinity achieved the maximum when the mass fraction of TiO2 was 3% and then decreased gradually. The tenacity of the filaments reduced and the elongation at break enhanced initially and then decreased with the increasing TiO2 content. The opaque effect of the PET filaments improved significantly when the mass fraction of TiO2 was less than 6%, whereas the improvement of the opaque effect slowed down as the mass fraction of TiO2 increased further.

The present research studied the production process and performance of biobased PA56 (polyamide 56) and PET (polyethylene terephthalate) composite fibers through melt side-by-side spinning. The results showed that biobased PA56 and PET composites with strength of 4.0–4.3 CN/dtex were prepared by applying a spinning speed of 4,000–4,050 m/min, draw ratio of 2.50–2.70, first heat roll temperature of 80–90 °C, second heat roll temperature of 160–165 °C, and the addition of 5% compatibilizer between the two components. The fibers and fabric showed high moisture absorption, good air permeability, and excellent antistatic properties. The saturated moisture absorption rate was 11.2%, the air permeability was 9680 g/(m2·d), and the specific resistance was 1080*1010 Ω·m.

Delamination between layers in photovoltaic (PV) backsheets is often reported in the literature, causing voids that can collect moisture, diminish module backside heat dissipation, and reduce the backsheet’s effectiveness as a physical barrier. While backsheets with weathering-resistant fluoropolymer outer layers have traditionally been used in modules, more recent backsheets using non-fluoropolymer outer layers, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), have been developed. These backsheets have shown signs of premature degradation, and their adhesion degradation, in particular, has not been widely studied. In the present work, the single cantilever beam (SCB) adhesion test was used to quantify the adhesion energy in two commercially available PET-based backsheets. To study the effect of minor changes in formulation, the backsheets were obtained from same manufacturer and product line but during different years. To study the effect of environmental variables on adhesion degradation, the backsheets were subjected to artificial weathering at controlled temperature, humidity, and ultraviolet (UV) radiation in an indoor weathering chamber, and the adhesion energy was quantified at several intervals of exposure time. Layering structure, composition, and adhesion failure mode were compared between the backsheets, using Raman and infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. The results show a large difference in initial (unexposed) adhesion energy between the backsheets, despite very similar structures and compositions. Following exposure, adhesion energy dropped significantly, primarily due to thermo-hydrolytic degradation of the polyurethane (PU)-based adhesive layers. Significant UV-induced adhesion degradation of the PET outer layer surface was also observed. The study represents an important step in understanding adhesion degradation in PET-based backsheets, suggesting ways in which adhesion integrity – and, correspondingly, module service life – can be improved.

The possibility of stabilising a residual soil using lime and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibre by employing the central composite design technique in response surface methodology and using th...

El objetivo de esta investigación fue reutilizar el plástico Tereftalato de Polietileno (PET) para la elaboración de adoquines utilizados en la construcción de pavimentos peatonales mediante el proceso de extrusión. Se diseñó, ensambló y operó una extrusora monohusillo que trabajó con un motor de 1.5 HP acoplado a un motorreductor de 40 rpm y 3 resistencias calentadoras programados a temperaturas de 260, 275 y 280°C utilizando Arduino Mega 2560. Los tratamientos fueron introducidos a la extrusora con un diámetro de PET reciclado menor a 10 mm y arena fina con humedad menor a 0.05%. El diseño experimental fue de 4 tratamientos: 1)100% PET, 2) 75% PET más 25% arena fina, 3) 50% PET más 50% arena fina y 4) 30% PET más 70% arena fina. Los adoquines fueron sometidos a pruebas de resistencia a compresión con 5 repeticiones para cada diseño y se evaluó con el ANOVA para determinar las diferencias en las medias de los tratamientos. Los resultados muestran que con el cuarto tratamiento (30% PET – 70% arena fina) se obtuvo el valor máximo de resistencia a la compresión (220.6 kg/cm2) soportando así la mayor carga y esfuerzo antes de la deformación y fractura del adoquín.

Rollable and flexile electronics, especially textile-structured batteries and solar cells, are in high demand. Therefore, the wet-laid process for producing nonwoven textiles has gained much interest because of its processing ease and scalability for production. A unique electrically conductive nonwoven material, developed based on a scalable composite of graphite nanoplates and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) staple fibers, is proposed for textile-structured rollable electronics in this work. To optimize the proposed structure, PET and graphite composites are designed by decorating the surface of the PET nonwoven material with graphite nanoplates to enhance its electrical performance and electron pathways, and for this purpose different weight percentages of graphite fillers were incorporated into the PET fibrous matrix. The proposed graphite-PET nonwoven composites show excellent electrical and thermal conductivities, suitable flexibility for electrical devices and the potential for use in wearable devices. The results prove that the proposed unique conductive nonwoven material and its performance can be promising for next-generation rollable e-textiles.

In situ generation of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) nanofibrils in polypropylene (PP) microfibers via fiber spinning in a spunbond process was studied in this work. The effects of polymer flow rate and air speed in the drafter on the formation of PET fibrils were investigated using a pilot scale machine. An in-situ visualization technique was applied to examine the fiber evolution events and stretch profile at die exit. A scanning electron microscope was used to analyze and investigate the morphology of the dispersed domain. The PET dispersed phase was fibrillated within the PP matrix such that a nonofibrillated composite containing fibrils with an average size around 100 nm was obtained. It was found that the final fibril size directly depends on the degree of die swell, the air speed and the polymer flow rate. It was also found that the in situ observed size of the micro-scale PP/PET fibers was well correlated to the size of the nano-scale PET fibers formed in the PP matrix. The visualization results revealed that a smaller fibril diameter was obtainable by increasing the stretching on the spin line and/or decreasing the die swell.

Changes in the adhesive characteristics of polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, and polycarbonate films and powders as a result of irradiation with 3-MeV electrons in air have been studied. Radiolytic oxidation forms polar groups on the surface of the plastics and thus increases the surface hydrophilicity. At a dose of 100 kGy, the contact angle decreases by 6° for polyvinyl chloride and by 20° for polyethylene. The radiation-induced improvement in adhesion is mainly due to an increase in the polar component of surface energy. For polypropylene, the adhesion increases by a factor of 2.5. The use of irradiated polypropylene powder in epoxy compositions improves their stress–strain characteristics.

The influence of the processing rate of nonwoven needle-punched fabrics made of polyethylene terephthalate and bicomponent fibres of different surface density on air filtration has been investigated. The dependences of the air filtration rate on the pressure drop for fabrics with a surface density of 0.2 and 0.37 kg/m2 and processed materials based on them are nonlinear. The change in the parameters of air filtration in materials obtained by varying the processing rate depends on the surface density of the fabrics. When processing a fabric with a surface density of 0.2 kg/m2, materials in which the filtration resistance and air flow modes correspond to the characteristics of the flow in the fabric were obtained. At a processing rate of 5 and 10 m/min of a fabric with a surface density of 0.37 kg/m2, materials in which, compared to the fabric, the filtration resistance increases with the transition to a laminar air flow were obtained. A decrease in the processing rate from 5 to 1.2 m/min leads to the production of a material the filtration resistance of which approaches the filtration resistance of the original fabric.

Nanofiber membranes are widely employed to prepare composite filter media. The traditional composite method of hot pressing may damage the structure of nanofiber membrane, and thus increase the pressure drop through the composite filter. In this study, three-dimensional PET/TPU (polyethylene terephthalate/thermoplastic polyurethane) composite nanofiber filters (PET/TPU-CNF) with beads-on-string structure were fabricated by one-step co-electrospinning. Besides a stronger adhesion strength of 1.385 N/cm between the nanofiber membrane and substrate, the PET/TPU-CNF presented a low pressure drop of 28.96 Pa and a filtration efficiency of 83.64% for ambient particles at a face velocity of 5.3 cm/s. A high tensile strength of 4.33 MPa was measured for the PET/TPU nanofiber membrane. Thanks to the beads-on-string structure, both the mechanical properties and filtration performances of PET/TPU-CNF were enhanced compared with the pure PET nanofiber composite filter. The present study provides a new route to improve the membrane adhesion strength of nanofiber membrane coated filters., Powder Technology, 387, ISSN:0032-5910, ISSN:1873-328X

A transparent metal-mesh heater was fabricated by intense pulsed light (IPL) sintering of copper-based particle ink on a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate having a low glass transition temperature. The metal-mesh electrode with a line width of 9 µm was formed by filling imprinted intaglio patterns with silver-coated copper particle ink. This silver-coated copper particle is based on inexpensive copper and has excellent oxidation resistance as pure silver particle at temperatures up to 150 °C, making it suitable as a metal particle for metal-mesh heaters. This metal ink was IPL-sintered for the short time of 20 ms to obtain a transparent electrode with a low sheet resistance of 2Ω/sq. without deterioration of the PET substrate. The silver thin film coated on the surface of the copper particles not only effectively blocks the reduction heat that may occur during the IPL sintering process, but also plays an important role in preventing the oxidation of copper during the operation of the transparent heater. It was confirmed that this flexible heater with 85% transparency is capable of stable operation up to 130 °C at a low voltage of 9 V.

The objective of this study is to clarify the effect of resin lamination on the tensile strength characteristics of SUS304 stainless steel thin films. We conducted tensile and stepwise tensile tests using several types of specimens prepared with 20-μm- and 40-μm-thick SUS304 films, 25-μm-thick polypropylene (PP) film, and 6-μm-thick polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film. Their macroscopic and microscopic tensile deformation behaviors were observed using an optical microscope and a reflection-configured digital holographic microscope, respectively. As a result, laminating the PP or PET films onto the SUS film did not significantly change the macroscopic and microscopic strain changes against the tensile load or microscopic surface changes in the low-strain region. Laminating the PET film onto the SUS film did not reduce the fracture strain, whereas laminating the PP film onto the SUS film did reduce it. One of the reasons may be that burrs formed on the side surface of the PP/SUS laminate. Polishing the side surface of the PP/SUS laminate may suppress the reduction in its fracture strain. The reduction of the fracture strain due to the PP lamination in the 20 μm thick SUS film was larger than that of the 40-μm-thick SUS film. In thin SUS films, small stress concentrators that have almost no effect on macroscopic and microscopic deformation might significantly reduce the fracture strain.

This study investigated the combined effects of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and crumb rubber (CR) as modifiers on some properties of asphaltic concrete. Asphaltic concrete materials were obtained from a construction site. CR of 9.5 mm size was obtained by sieving, while PET bottles were collected, sorted, washed, dried and shredded by mechanical means. The physical properties of these materials were determined following standard procedure. Bitumen was modified by wet process with PET and characterised. Asphaltic concrete samples with partial replacement of coarse aggregate in the mix with CR were prepared. Samples without modifiers were also prepared as control. These were subjected to Marshall Stability test. The percentage variation for stability and flow between the control and the modified mixes, were 27 % and 0.29 % respectively, while those of the volumetric properties of bulk density, voids filled bitumen (VFB), air voids (VA) and voids in mineral aggregate (VMA) were 0 %, - 0.13 %, 0 % and 0 % respectively. It was concluded that, there was no difference between the flow and volumetric properties of the control and modified mixes. Keywords: Polyethylene terephthalate, crumb rubber, asphaltic concrete, stability, flow, volumetric parameters

Herein, Polyester woven fabrics as the matrices for the experimental group, while cotton knitted fabrics, cotton woven fabrics, and Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) mesh cloth used as the matrices for the control groups, at 40 °e, using 3,4-ethoxylene dioxy thiophene (EDOT)as the polymer monomer, FeCl3as the oxidant, and poly(sodium-p-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) as the dopant, are separately coated with PEDOT:PSS polymer to prepare flexible conductive composite fabrics. The influences of the fabric pattern, oxidant concentration, and monomer concentration on the electrical performance of composite fabrics are optimized. The maximal electrical conductivity of PET-based composite fabrics (218 S/m) occurs when monomer concentration is 0.035 mol/L, the molar ratio of oxidant to monomer is 2.5, and the dopant concentration is 2.5 g/L. Moreover, bacteriostasis rate of this composite fabric reaches 71.8%. Furthermore, by electrocardiogram (ECG) simulated human body unit test as well as human body ECG test, the optimal PET-based composite fabric electrode both has a lower impedance which helps form the stabilized ECG signal. The resulting fabric electrodes retain the soft and breathable advantages from fabrics and reduce the discomfort for a long-term use of conventional electrographic gel, thereby validating the empirical evidence for mobile, portable, wearable ECG electrodes.

The article considers the influence of discrete (3 mm) basalt fiber on the tribological properties of secondary agglomerated polyethylene terephthalate. It was found that the introduction of the filler reduces the coefficient of friction and the intensity of linear wear of the initial polymer 1,5 and 4,5 times, respectively, reaching the minimum values at a basalt fiber content of 5 mass.%. The obtained results are due to the fact that the appearance of basalt fiber strengthens the polymer matrix that confirms the increase in hardness by 15%, and inhibits the development of cracks on the surface of the composite. The study of the temperature in the contact zone showed its increase that is due to the low thermal conductivity of the filler (0,064 - 0,096); as a result, there is an accumulation of heat in the friction zone. Further increase in fiber content (up to 10 mass.%) leads to a sharp deterioration of the tribological and physico-mechanical properties of basaltoplastics because of the increase in the defect of the material. It is determined that the effective content of filler in the polymer matrix is 5 mass.%. As a result, this composite was recommended for the manufacture of parts for movable joints of agricultural, automotive and metallurgical equipment.