Search results for "Plastics"

Hybrid Lattice Boltzmann/Dynamic Self-Consistent Field Simulations of Microphase Separation and Vesicle Formation in Block Copolymer Systems

2011

We present a hybrid numerical method to introduce hydrodynamics in dynamic self-consistent field (SCF) studies of inhomogeneous polymer systems. It solves a set of coupled dynamical equations: The ...

Artificial Opals as Effect Pigments in Clear-Coatings

2004

In this paper, we describe the use of artificial opals from polymer beads as effect pigments in transparent industial and automotive coatings. For this purpose, we synthesized monodisperse colloids from fluorinated methacrylates by surfactant-free emulsion polymerization. The fluorinated monomers, in combination with crosslinking, lead to a refractive index contrast, thermal stability, and solvent resistivity necessary for use as effect pigments. After crystallization of the monodisperse polymer beads, crystal flakes with iridescent colors can be obtained. The crystal flakes can act as effect pigments in various transpartent industrial and automotive coatings. due to photonic crystal behavi…

1982

The stress relaxation behaviour after compression yielding of two semicrystalline polymers, a low density polyethylene and an isotactic polypropylene, is investigated. Data taken at several strains, reached with different sample loading rates, are considered. Master curves are obtained by means of dimensionless stress and time measures, similar to those recently adopted for some amorphous polymers. Die Spannungsrelaxation nach Druckbeanspruchung wurde an zwei semikristallinen Polymeren, Polyethylen neidriger Dichte und isotaktischem Polypropylen, untersucht. Die bei unterschiedlichen Deformationen, welche mit unterschiedlichen Beanspruchungsgeschwindigkeiten erreicht wurdern, erhaltenen Erg…

Mechanical Characterization of Polysaccharide/polyaminoacid Hydrogels as Potential Scaffolds for Tissue Regeneration

2011

The mechanical properties of hydrogel scaffolds based on hyaluronic acid (HA) that were chemically crosslinked with α,β-poly(N-2-hydroxyethyl)(2-aminoethylcarbamate)-D,L-aspartamide (PHEA-EDA) were investigated. Variation of these properties as a function of three different PHEA-EDA amounts used to crosslink HA has been related to the reaction efficiency evaluated using a colorimetric assay. Moreover, the amount of unreacted amino groups that was still present in the hydrogels was related to the attachment behavior of human dermal fibroblasts to the hydrogel surface. The mechanical data and biological results suggest the suitability of the investigated hydrogels as scaffolds for the regener…

Large Scale Fractionation of Macromolecules

2004

Access to sufficiently large amounts of material with adequate molecular and chemical uniformity from polydisperse natural products or synthetic materials has been a long-standing challenge to polymer scientists. We have developed a broadly applicable preparative fractionation method consisting of a special kind of continuous extraction removing the easier soluble components from the initial product. It is rendered possible by the use of spinning nozzles throught which a concentrated polymer solution is pressed into a liquid of tailored thermodynamic quality. The initially produced jets of the source phase disintegrate rapidly into minute droplets of typically 50 μm diameter. This efficient…

Effect of cooling rate on the viscoelastic properties in the plastic zone of solid polymers

1979

PMMA and PC samples were subjected to several cooling rates from the glass transition temperature.

Liquid crystal polymer-based blends: “Universal grade” polymers?

1992

Polymeric materials can be easily processed with different processing operations thanks to suitable rheological properties. Melt flow index, or grade, which is a measure of the fluidity of the polymers, is the most commonly parameter used to characterize the polymers from the point of view of their melt viscosity. Injection molding requires high grade materials, whereas low grade values are best suited for extrusion. Of course, it would be no doubt of interest if single “universal grade” materials could be used for all processing operations. In this paper it is demonstrated that the blends of low grade polymers with small amounts of liquid crystal polymers can be conveniently used for all p…

Radiation grafting functionalization of poly (vinylidene fluoride) to compatibilize its blends with polyolefin ionomers

1998

Blends of a crystalline vinylidene fluoride copolymer (PVDF) and a polyolefin ionomer were produced by melt mixing and characterized by a variety of techniques to examine the effect of increasing the level of salt formation on morphology. The PVDF component was also grafted with methacrylic acid by irradiating the polymer powder and subsequently treating it with an aqueous monomer solution. The effect of neutralizing the acid in both polymer components to produce the corresponding zinc salt was also investigated. Compatibilization was accomplished by the addition of zinc acetyl acetonate (ZnAcAc) to the mixture. This increased the viscosity of the polyolefin ionomer phase, comparable to tha…

A simplified description of viscoelastic behavior of polymers as illustrated with biaxially-oriented poly(ethylene terephthalate)

1978

A rheological model of solid polymers is proposed. Its mechanical analog is a parallel of a linear spring and a Maxwell element with variable viscosity. The viscosity of the dashpot is allowed to change with stress both directly, by an Eyring-type mechanism, and through free volume changes according to the Doolittle equation. Predictions of the model reproduce many of the features shown, especially after yielding, by constant velocity stress-strain, stress-relaxation and creep data taken at room temperature on biaxially-oriented poly(ethylene terephthalate) over a wide range of loading rates.

Mechanical behavior and structure of single beads of homogeneous and macroporous styrene–divinylbenzene copolymers

1982

The stress–stain and ultimate behavior in compression of homogeneous and macroporous beads of styrene–divinylbenzene copolymers has been investigated in the dry state or in equilibrium with toluene, acetone, methanol, and water. The penetration modulus A indicates sensitively the transition from the glassy into the rubbery state induced by an increase in temperature or swelling. For macroporous copolymers, A of the glassy polymers is mainly determined by the porosity P, while in the rubbery region it primarily depends on the matrix structure (degree of crosslinking and concentration and composition of the diluent). The high value of the slope s of the A vs. P dependence (s ∼ −3) for macropo…