Search

Innovative and renewable polymers and additives are the focus of increased research due to public and environmental pressure. There has been a recent uptick in interest from scientists in biobased 'green' plasticizers that can be covalently bonded to replace harmful and migratory phthalate-based plasticizers. Vegetable oils (VOs) are one of the biosources, as they are both plentiful and sustainable. This review aims to highlight the synthesis methods for soy-based polyesters. Therefore, the chemistry of soybean oil as a polymeric material and its role in the synthesis of polyesters derived from soybeans are the primary topics of this review. This review covers the many ways in which soybean oil and its derivatives can be used to synthesize polyester, either directly or indirectly. Highlights * The need for sustainable polymers is explored. * Soybean oil-based polyesters are covered. * Modification and chemistry to convert soybean oil into polyester are described. * Applications of soybean-based polyesters are provided. KEYWORDS biopolymers, polyesters, soybean oil, sustainable polymers, synthesis, 1 I INTRODUCTION At the current pace of usage, fossil fuels will be used up by 2050. (1,2) This is why the use of bio-based feedstock is gaining popularity in [...]

Printability and interlayer adhesion are the most critical issues in 3D printing of immiscible polymer blends. It can affect structural integrity and mechanical performance of the printed parts. In this work, an effective strategy to improve the printability and interlayer adhesion of immiscible acrylonitrile-butadiene- styrene/polypropylene (ABS/PP) blends was implemented by introducing styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene copolymer grafted with maleic anhydride (SEBS-gMA) as a compatibilizer. The printability of the developed blends was investigated using rheological properties such as absolute value of complex viscosity, loss tangent and die-swell ratio. Interestingly, it was found that the additive manufactured blends with 20 wt% SEBS-g-MA loading showed improved interlaminar shear strength, impact strength, Young's modulus and toughness as compared with the pure blend. Fractography analysis revealed that two different possible failure mechanisms, interface and matrix failure were apparent in the 3D printed samples with and without SEBS-g-MA content. This work provides a promising pathway to fabricate the complex structures from polymer blends with improved mechanical properties and surface finish. Highlights * This study demonstrated improved interlayer adhesion at the printed interface of immiscible ABS/PP blends in presence of SEBS-g-MA. * The printability of the developed blends was predicted from rheological properties. * Additive manufactured blends with SEBS-g-MA loading showed improved mechanical performance. KEYWORDS ABS, interlaminar shear strength, interlayer adhesion, PP, printability, 1 | INTRODUCTION Additive Manufacturing (AM) is a revolutionizing fabrication technique in which the selected material is deposited layer-by-layer in accordance with computeraided design (CAD).1 Several AM processes are commercially [...]

A new phenomenological constitutive model is proposed for the prediction of the tensile and compressive behavior of semi-crystalline and amorphous polymers. The new model modifies the phenomenological model previously proposed by Zhou and Mallick (ZM model) to correctly predict the complex behavior of thermoplastic materials including the linear viscoelastic deformation, the non-linear viscoelastic deformation, the yielding, the post-yield strain softening and the post-yield strain hardening. A validation activity based on literature data has been carried out for polyether-ether-ketone (PEEK) and polycarbonate (PC) materials. The new model proved effective in fitting with high accuracy all the phases of the flow stress behavior for the considered materials, across a wide range of strain rates and temperature conditions. Finally, the comparison with Zhu et al., Duan et al., Nasraoui et al., Mulliken- Boyce and Zhou-Mallick models showed the better fitting performance of the proposed phenomenological model. Highlights * Formulation of a new phenomenological model. * Validation on mechanical test of semi-crystalline and amorphous thermoplastics. * Comparison with different phenomenological models present in the literature. * Superior prediction results achieved compared to previously developed models. KEYWORDS constitutive model, mechanical behavior, polymers, strain rate, temperature, thermoplastics, visco-plastic model, 1 | INTRODUCTION The use of polymeric materials has been constantly rising in the automotive industry since the 1950s. This growth is even more relevant when expressed in terms of [...]

Abstract The 2,4-toluenediamine (TDA) is one of the most important chemicals in the polyurethane industry, produced by the catalytic hydrogenation of 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT). The development of novel catalysts that can be easily recovered from the reaction mixture is of paramount importance. In our work, a NiFe2O4/N-BCNT supported magnetic catalyst was prepared by a modified coprecipitation method. The catalyst support alone also showed activity in the synthesis of TDA. Platinum nanoparticles were deposited on the catalyst support surface by a fast, relatively simple, and efficient sonochemical method, resulting in a readily applicable catalytically active system. The prepared catalyst exhibited high activity in hydrogenation tests, which was proved by the exceptionally high DNT conversion (100% for 120 min at 333 K) and TDA yield (99%). Furthermore, the magnetic catalyst can be easily recovered from the reaction medium by the action of an external magnetic field, which can greatly reduce catalyst loss during separation.

Chinese automotive supplier Sailuda is expanding its process chain with the commissioning of a Oerlikon Neumag BCF plant. In future, the specialist for automotive interiors will produce its own BCF [...]

Historians often find that the most intriguing details are hidden in the footnotes. That was the case when historian of science Galina Shyndriayeva found an unexamined connection between two prominent [...]

The 2,4-toluenediamine (TDA) is one of the most important chemicals in the polyurethane industry, produced by the catalytic hydrogenation of 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT). The development of novel catalysts that can be easily recovered from the reaction mixture is of paramount importance. In our work, a NiFe2O4/N-BCNT supported magnetic catalyst was prepared by a modified coprecipitation method. The catalyst support alone also showed activity in the synthesis of TDA. Platinum nanoparticles were deposited on the catalyst support surface by a fast, relatively simple, and efficient sonochemical method, resulting in a readily applicable catalytically active system. The prepared catalyst exhibited high activity in hydrogenation tests, which was proved by the exceptionally high DNT conversion (100% for 120 min at 333 K) and TDA yield (99%). Furthermore, the magnetic catalyst can be easily recovered from the reaction medium by the action of an external magnetic field, which can greatly reduce catalyst loss during separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fiber-reinforced polymer composites (FRPCs) present a promising solution for diverting waste generated by the pulp and paper industry from landfills. The global pulp and paper industry generated 110 million tons [...]

Sustainable polymer-based anticorrosive coatings offer technical, economic; and environmental advantages. Continuous advancements in this technology aim to overcome current challenges. Metal corrosion poses a significant challengeleading to economic losses that [...]

Abstract The sudden macroscopic damage to the structure is one of the main factors affecting its safe service. This paper investigates the compressive performance of a fault-tolerant polymer lattice structure [...]

Toray Industries, a Japan-based company, has unveiled a groundbreaking development in the field of cosmetics raw materials. Toray has created a new polyamide 4 (PA4) spherical fine particle that boasts [...]

Researchers at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Stockholm University in Sweden have unlocked a game-changing potential in 3D printing technology. By hacking into a 3D printer, they've transformed [...]

Electronic devices emit substantial energy as electromagnetic interference (EMI). Interpenetrating Polymer Networks (IPNs) emerge as a potential solution, as their shielding properties can be tailored to mitigate this interference. Due [...]

Until now, our discussion of polymers has been limited to functional groups containing carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. In this column, we begin covering polymers that have functional groups containing nitrogen [...]