Influence of structure of amines on the properties of amines‐modified reduced graphene oxide/polyimide composites

Graphene oxide (GO), as an important precursor of graphene, was functionalized using alkyl‐amines with different structure and then reduced to prepare reduced amines grafted graphene oxide (RAGOs) by N₂H₄ · H₂O. The successful chemical amidation reaction between amine groups of alkyl‐amines and carboxyl groups of GO was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). Then RAGOs/polyimide nanocomposites were prepared via in situ polymerization and thermal curing process with different loadings of RAGOs. The modification of amine chains lead to homogenous dispersion of RAGOs in the composites and it formed strong interfacial adhesion between RAGOs and the polymer matrix. The mechanical and electrical properties of polyimide (PI) were significantly improved by incorporation of a small amount of RAGOs, the influence of structure of amines grafted on RAGOs on the enhancement effects of composites was discussed. The research results indicated that the proper structure of amine could effectively enhance the properties of composites. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43820.     

Crystallization behavior and polymorphism of poly(1,4‐butylene adipate): Effect of anhydrous orotic acid as nucleating agent

The effect of anhydrous orotic acid (OA), as a biocompatible nucleating agent (NA), on the non‐isothermal and isothermal crystallization behaviors, polymorphic crystalline structure and phase transition of poly(1,4‐butylene adipate) (PBA) was investigated. It is found that the OA increased the crystallization temperature of the PBA in the non‐isothermal crystallization process and decreased the crystallization time of the PBA in the isothermal crystallization process. Meanwhile, the spherulite size decreased and spherulite density increased for the PBA. The OA favored the formation of the PBA α‐form crystal, compared to the neat PBA. In addition, upon incorporation of the OA, the β‐to‐α phase transition rate was enhanced significantly. Mechanisms for the preferential formation of the PBA α‐form crystal and the accelerated phase transition have also been proposed. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 42957.     

Transfer function and working principle of a pressure/temperature sensor based on carbon black/silicone rubber composites

Pressure/temperature sensitive silicon rubber (SR) filled with carbon black (CB) was prepared by a liquid mixing method. The transfer function of a pressure/temperature sensor based on CB/SR was derived by general effective media theory. The results show that the transfer functions coincided well with the experimental data, and the negative pressure coefficient of the resistance/positive temperature coefficient of resistance are shown. The working principles of these two kinds of sensors are different. The working principle of the pressure sensor based on CB/SR was related to the volume fraction of CB. With increasing volume fraction of CB, the working principle of this kind of pressure sensor varied from a piezo‐resistive effect to a strain effect. In addition, the working principle of the temperature sensor based on CB/SR was that the resistivity changed with temperature; this was not related to the volume fraction of CB. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 42979.     

Reinforcement of polypropylene with lignocellulose nanofibrils and compatibilization with biobased polymers

Freeze‐dried and milled lignocellulose nanofibrils (LCNF) were used to reinforce polypropylene (PP) nanocomposites. The LCNF, containing up to 9% lignin, was obtained from residual Empty Palm Fruit Bunch (EPFB) fibers. Soy protein isolate (SPI) and hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) were tested as coupling agents as well as maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (MAPP), which was used as a reference. A good level of dispersion of LCNF in the PP matrix while mechanical testing and thermal analyses indicated an improvement of the thermo‐mechanical behavior of the nanocomposites was revealed upon loading of the lignin‐containing nanofibrils. The tensile modulus of PP was increased by 15% upon the addition of 1% LCNF with SPI as a compatibilizer. Likewise, the thermal stability of the composites was most markedly enhanced. Overall, LCNF and SPI, two important bioresources, are introduced here for the development of novel and cost‐effective PP‐based composites. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43854.     

Enhancement in electrical conductive property of polypyrrole‐coated cotton fabrics using cationic surfactant

Recently, great efforts have been made to gain highly conductive fabrics for smart textiles and flexible electromagnetic shielding materials. Different from the conventional chemical synthesis method, fibrillar polypyrrole was synthesized on the cotton fabrics via a simple chemical polymerization process with micelles of cationic surfactant (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, CTAB) as soft template. The modified cotton fabric exhibited excellent electrical conductivity and electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness due to the formation of fibrillar polypyrrole on the fiber surface. Electrical conductivity of fabric surface were studied by four‐probe resistivity system. The highly conductive fabric with surface conductivity of 5.8 S cm^?1 could be obtained by changing cationic surfactant concentration. The electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI SE) of the modified fabrics was evaluated by the vector network analyzer instrument. Compared with the sample without using surfactant, the EMI SE value of PPy‐coated cotton fabrics increased by 28% after using 0.03 M CTAB as soft template. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43601.     

Epoxy–graphite oxide nanocomposites: Mechanical properties

Graphite oxide (GO) produced by Hummers method was added to epoxy for strengthening purpose. Generally the E‐modulus was increased due to the GO addition; however, depending on the treatment of the GO an increase or decrease was observed for the glass transition temperature. The change in glass transition was a result of changes in the curing behavior. Addition of GO initially increased the curing speed; however, the final curing degree was lower and was dependent on the type of GO added. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43591.     

The behavior of natural rubber–epoxidized natural rubber–silica composites based on wet masterbatch technique

Natural rubber–epoxidized natural rubber–silica composites were prepared by the wet masterbatch technique and the traditional dry mixing method. Performances of the composites based on different preparation methods were investigated with a moving die rheometer, an electronic universal testing machine, a dynamic mechanical analyzer, a nuclear magnetic resonance crosslink density analyzer, a rubber processing analyzer (RPA), a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and a transmission electron microscope (TEM). The RPA, SEM, and TEM analyses indicated that silica has better dispersion, lower filler–filler interaction, and better filler–rubber interaction in compounds based on the wet masterbatch technique, leading to improvements in mechanical strength and the dynamic mechanical and compression properties of the composites. It also indicates that composites prepared by the wet masterbatch technique have shorter scorch time, faster curing velocity, and higher crosslink density. The composites prepared by the wet materbatch technique also have lower rolling resistance, which is an important property for their use as a green material for the tire industry. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43571.     

Influence of TiO2 nanoparticles on nonisothermal crystallization of PP in a wide range of cooling rates analyzed by fast scanning DSC

The influence of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles on the crystallization behavior of polypropylene was investigated by conventional differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and fast scanning DSC measurements. The data obtained from both methods were estimated for the first time using the Lauritzen‐Hoffmann equation to analyze the behavior over a wide cooling range under nonisothermal conditions. This provides more reliable values of nucleation parameters (K_g) and surface free energy (σ_e). The variation of the effective energy (ΔE) was determined with the Kissinger method. Regardless of the cooling rate, both K_g and σ_e indicate the role of titania as a nucleating agent enhances the crystallization rate. However, the ΔE denotes that TiO₂ acts as an obstacle to the mobility of chain segments at cooling rates below 150 °C/s, while, in contrast, the presence of titania enhances the chain mobility at cooling rates above 150 °C/s. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43944.     

Preparation and characterization of the modulus intermediate layer in carbon fiber/epoxy composites by depositing sepiolites

An important aspect in development of multi‐scale reinforced composites is their mass production which can be easily realized. In this article, the sepiolites (Si12O30Mg8(OH)4(OH2)4·8H2O) are directly deposited onto the surface of JH‐T800 carbon fibers for the first time with no need for removal of the commercial sizing agent. The sepiolites adhering to the carbon fibers are uniformly distributed with random orientation, and participated in the formation of high modulus intermediate layer encompassing the carbon fiber. After the deposition of sepiolites, the interfacial shear strengths (IFSS) of the carbon fiber/epoxy composites are significantly improved as shown in single‐fiber composite fragmentation tests. Compared to the commercial carbon fiber composites, the sepiolite‐deposited fiber composites also exhibit obvious improvement in the interlaminar shear strength and flexural strength. As a new kind of multi‐scale reinforcement with industrial application value, the sepiolite‐deposited carbon fibers can further raise the level of mechanical properties of the existing carbon fiber reinforced composites. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43955.     

Blast furnace slags as functional fillers on rheological,thermal, and mechanical behavior of thermoplastics

Blast furnace slags (BFS) is a secondary byproduct of iron industry, which has a combination of acidic and basic oxides and show a complex, multiphase structure. If appropriately tailored, BFS could be an effective functional filler, improving the property profile of thermoplastics such as polypropylene (PP) and polystyrene (PS). As a raw material, the proposed filler may introduce both economic and ecological advantages, as it is considered an inexpensive secondary product rather than a natural resource. The current study aims at investigating the effect of incorporating BFS as a micro‐sized filler on the rheological, thermal, and mechanical behavior of PP and PS. BFS types in this study are air‐cooled, crystalline, and amorphous, grounded types. Both types are ground into 71, 40, and 20 μm batches and introduced in 10, 20, and 30 weight fractions via melt kneading. Mixtures are then formed into 4‐mm and 2‐mm thick plates via compression molding. Slight increase in rheological factors is observed with increasing filler loading. BFS hinders the crystallization of PP, resulting in slight increase of crystallization temperatures (T_c) and lowering of crystallization enthalpy (ΔH_c). No significant effect of filler on transition temperatures (T_g) is reported. Mechanically, BFS increases the tensile modulus of PP, but decreases its strength. For PS formulations, a modest toughening effect is observed by slag filler. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43021.