Poly(acrylic acid)/gum arabic/ZnO semi-IPN hydrogels: synthesis,characterization and their optimizations by response surface methodology

Iranian Polymer Journal - Synthesis of novel semi-interpenetrating poly(acrylic acid) (PAA)/gum arabic (AG)/ZnO hydrogels by in situ free radical polymerization was optimized using response surface...     

Investigation on the morphological and mechanical properties of (polyamide 6)/(poly[styrene‐co‐acrylonitrile])/(poly[styrene‐b‐{ethylene‐co‐butylene}‐b‐styrene]) ternary blends

In this work, ternary polymer blends based on (polyamide 6)/(poly[styrene‐co‐acrylonitrile])/(poly[styrene‐b‐{ethylene‐co‐butylene}‐b‐styrene]) (SEBS) triblock copolymer and a varying concentration of the reactive (maleic anhydride)‐grafted SEBS were prepared by using a melt‐blending process. The effects of the material parameters (composition of ternary blends and SEBS/[{maleic anhydride}‐grafted SEBS] concentration ratio) and blending sequence on the morphological and mechanical properties of ternary blends were studied. Taguchi experimental design methodology was employed to design the experiments and select the material and processing parameters for the optimized mechanical properties. Tensile properties (Young's modulus and yield stress) and impact strength were considered as the response variables. It was demonstrated that there is a meaningful relationship between the composition of blends, processing parameters, observed phase structure, and obtained mechanical properties. The mechanical tests showed that the highest impact strength was achieved as the dispersion of the rubbery phase achieved an optimum size of about 1 μm. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 23:329–337, 2017. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Bulk Synthesis of Monodisperse and Highly Biocompatible Poly(ɛ-caprolactone)-diol by Transesterification Side-Reactions

Ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone was performed at 130°C, under partial vacuum in the presence of stannous octoate as the catalyst and 1,4-butanediol as the initiator. After the termination of polymerization by deionized water, a hydroxyl group formed at the end of the polymer chains. Structure of the synthetic poly(ε-caprolactone)-diols (PCL-diol), molecular weight, polydispersity index, and Cell viability were evaluated. Very narrow distribution in the molecular weight obtained for PCL-diols is due to a new method for synthesis. It was shown that by the increase in PCL-diols, the compatibility of human mesenchymal stem cells grew up.