Search results for "Plastics"

Isobornyl Methacrylate as a Reactive Solvent of Polyethylene

2004

Solutions containing 15 wt, -% of a low-molar-mass polyethylene (PE) in isobornyl methacrylate (IBoMA), containing 0, 5 or 10 wt.-% of 1,4 butanediol dimethacrylate (BDDMA) as crosslinker, were polymerized using either benzoyl peroxide (BPO), at 80°C, or dicumyl peroxide (DCPO), with a thermal cycle attaining 150°C, as initiators. Phase separation of an amorphous PE-rich phase took place when carrying out the reaction at temperatures higher than the PE melting temperature. Partial crystallization of PE was observed when cooling to room temperature. Depending on the initial amount of BDDMA, the fraction of PE that was phase separated varied between 57 and 66% of the initial amount, with crys…

Prediction of the flow curves of thermoplastic polymer/clay systems from torque data

2014

Abstract The aim of this work was to determine some relevant rheological parameters of polymer/clay systems using mixing torque and mixing speed data obtained during processing in an internal mixer. The method used was originally proposed by Marquez et al. for monophase polymers, and is here applied to polymer/clay systems for the first time. Several clay-containing composites based on different polymer matrices (i.e., LDPE, HDPE, PA6, EVA) were used to verify the effectiveness of the method for measuring the flow curves of these polymer/clay systems. The results indicated that, for all the systems at low clay level, the rheological curves calculated with the Marquez method fit quite well t…

Processing and characterization of blends of fluoroelastomers with semirigid liquid crystal polymers

1996

Fluoroelastomers (FEs) usually have working temperatures above 150°C and a great resistance to aggressive agents such as oils, fuels, aliphatic and aromatic solvents, steam, moderate acid, and basic environments. Liquid crystal polymers (LCPs) can be effective processing aids and reinforcing agents for elastomers. These characteristics are very attractive to lower melt viscosity and to stiffen and strengthen the final product through a simple blending. Among the LCPs, the semirigid LCPs seem the most appealing for blending with flexible thermoplastics (FTs) because their processing temperatures can be arranged to be in the same processing temperature range of FTs and because the presence of…

Polymer mechanical recycling: downcycling or upcycling?

2004

Recycled plastics are considered as materials with physical, mechanical and aesthetic properties worse than the virgin ones. In fact, this is true because degradation during lifetime and during the recycling operations changes the structure and the morphology of the polymers and then the final properties of the secondary material. Several “strategies” are under investigation, and in some cases also applied, in order to avoid further degradation during recycling and, if possible, to repair the macromolecules broken during lifetime and then to restore or to improve the initial properties. In this paper the more important techniques, already used in industry or under investigation, according …

Mechanical properties of recycled polyethylene ecocomposites filled with natural organic fillers

2006

The use of natural organic fillers in addition to postconsumer recycled polymers is getting a growing interest during the last years; this is due to many advantages they can provide in terms of cost, aesthetic properties, environmental impact. In this work, several types of wood flour (differing each other with regard to production source and particle size) were added to a recycled polyethylene coming from films for greenhouses and the effects of filler type, content, and size were investigated. Investigation was then focused on the improvement of mechanical properties, through the addition of polar copolymers (ethylene-co-acrylic acid, ethylene-vinyl acetate) and a maleic anhydride-grafted…

Sorption of n-hexane in amorphous polystyrene

2014

Sorption properties of pure n-hexane vapor in amorphous polystyrene (PS) were studied at 298 K by thermogravimetry under controlled vapor pressure. Two sorption-desorption cycles were performed by varying the relative pressure between 0 and 0.91. Mixing of PS with n-hexane resulted in a strong plasticization, which was evidenced by quite significant depression in the glass transition temperature of the polymer as shown by differential scanning calorimetry. Maximum quantity of n-hexane sorbed in the PS at 298 K and at a pressure close to saturation was about 12.4 wt %. The thermogravimetry yielded an isotherm with a strong hysteresis loop, explanation of which was hypothesized with the help …

Preparation of Soft Microactuators in a Continuous Flow Synthesis Using a Liquid-Crystalline Polymer Crosslinker

2012

We present the synthesis of a polymeric liquid crystalline (LC) crosslinker and its usage in the preparation of soft microactuators. The microactuators, composed of thermoresponsive liquid crystalline elastomers (LCE), are fabricated in a microfl uidic device in a continuous “on the fl y” process. The LC polymer crosslinker is miscible with the LC monomer and provides for a rapid polymerization and crosslinking. Most importantly, it promotes an enantiotropic mesophase of the mobile monomer phase, which is not provided by conventional nonmesogenic crosslinkers. This allows an isothermal handling inside the microfl uidic setup. Temperature-driven shape changes up to 65% could be achieved by j…

Derivatization of Plasma Polymerized Thin Films and Attachment of Biomolecules to Influence HUVEC-Cell Adhesion

2011

Kenaf-filled biodegradable composites: rheological and mechanical behaviour

2012

Biodegradable polymer composites, typically based on biodegradable polymer matrices and natural-organic fillers, are gaining rising interest and importance over the last few years. Several natural-organic fillers can be used but the most widespread so far is wood, in the form of fibres or flour. Alternative cellulosic fillers can ensure advantages in terms of resource utilization and properties of the final composite. In this work, Mater-Bi® based biodegradable composites were prepared with two kinds of wood flour, and directly compared with alternative composites containing kenaf fibres. The use of kenaf fibres allowed improved elastic modulus, tensile strength and interaction with the pol…

Synthesis and Characterization of Syndiotactic Polystyrene-Polyethylene Block Copolymer

2019

The direct synthesis of syndiotactic polystyrene-block-polyethylene copolymer (sPS-b-PE) with a diblock structure has been achieved. The synthetic strategy consists of the sequential stereocontrolled polymerization of styrene and ethylene in the presence of a single catalytic system: cyclopentadienyltitanium(IV) trichloride activated by modified methylaluminoxane (CpTiCl3/MMAO). The reaction conditions suitable for affording the partially living polymerization of these monomers were identified, and the resulting copolymer, purified from contaminant homopolymers, was fully characterized. Gel permeation chromatography coupled with two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy COSY, HSQC, and DOSY confirme…