Polymer-Plastics Technology and Engineering

Nasir, Amara; Kausar, Ayesha; Younus, Ayesha

2015 Polymer-Plastics Technology and Engineering

doi: 10.1080/03602559.2014.958780

Polymeric nanoparticles (PNPs)-based materials have gained much deliberation due to advancement in polymer science and technology. PNPs are playing an eccentric role in broad spectrum of applications. The importance of these materials lies in idiosyncratic features associated with PNPs. Due to the impact of the materials on nanotechnology; a comprehensive review has been presented here. We covered not only different techniques for the fabrication of PNPs, but also highlighted the properties and parameters involved and enhanced in PNP-based materials. Moreover the worth of PNP-based materials in applications regarding nanocomposites, drug delivery for cancer treatment, and photovoltaic relevance has been discussed.

Oprea, Stefan

2015 Polymer-Plastics Technology and Engineering

doi: 10.1080/03602559.2014.935411

Synthetic and natural acrylate oligomers blends and their blends with different ratios of crude soybean oil were studied as environmentally degradable and eco-compatible materials. Two of the components acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO) and crude soybean oil are bio-sourced oligomers. Their biodegradability under soil burial in natural condition was characterized by FT-IR and mechanical properties and was further confirmed by SEM analyses. A high content of modified and crude soybean oil present in the sample composition had enhanced the adhesion of microorganism onto the polymer surface, which in turn resulted in high biodegradation rates under soil burial conditions.

Loureiro, Nuno Calçada; Ghosh, Satyabrata; Viana, Júlio C.; Esteves, José Luis

2015 Polymer-Plastics Technology and Engineering

doi: 10.1080/03602559.2014.935422

In this work we present the thermal characterization of the full scope of polyhydroxyalcanoate and poly(lactic acid) blends obtain by injection molding. Blends of polyhydroxyalcanoate and poly(lactic acid) (PHA/PLA) were prepared in different compositions ranging from 0–100% in steps of 10%. The blends were injection molded and then characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD). The increment of PHA fraction increased the degree of crystallinity of the blend and the miscibility of the base polymers as verified by the Fox model. The WAXD analysis indicates that the presence of PHA hindered the PLA crystallization. The crystallization evolution trough PHA weight fraction (wf) shows a phase inversion around 50-60%. SEM analyses confirmed that the miscibility of PHA/PLA blends increased with the incorporation of PHA and became total for values of PHA higher that 50%.

Sarkar, Dhruba Jyoti; Singh, Anupama; Mandal, Prithusayak; Kumar, Anil; Parmar, B. S.

2015 Polymer-Plastics Technology and Engineering

doi: 10.1080/03602559.2014.958773

A series of novel superabsorbent hydrogel composites, poly(CMC-g-cl-PAam/Zeolite) (ZSAPC) were prepared by in situ graft polymerization using a cellulosic backbone, acrylamide and natural zeolite. The swelling and deswelling behavior of the prepared composites was evaluated and analyzed by different empirical models. The composite with optimum water absorption capacity were impregnated with ZnSO4 in situ during polymerization reaction. Zincated composites showed less water absorption capacity as compared to non-zincated ones. Zinc release behavior of zincated test hydrogel composites was studied in water and soil. All the test compositions exhibited non-Fickian or anomalous transport (0.43 < n < 0.84) and behaved as slow release products.

Labonté, Michel; Dubois, Charles

2015 Polymer-Plastics Technology and Engineering

doi: 10.1080/03602559.2014.958774

Thermoformed containers are generally produced using PET. An attempt to produce similar containers using PLA was done 10 years ago when it was first introduced on the market. This first attempt came with significant production hurdles like shattering of sheet and parts during the process. Today, a new developed and improved PLA, newly patented and available under Polysole from Solegear Bioplastics, has solved these production hurdles and has improved to such an extent that it is now easier to die-cut it than for PET. Producing containers with improved PLA can be a drop-in technical substitution of material in the process.

Chevali, Venkata S.; Nerenz, Brent A.; Ulven, Chad A.; Kandare, Everson

2015 Polymer-Plastics Technology and Engineering

doi: 10.1080/03602559.2014.961078

Biocomposites compounded using acrylonitrile butadiene styrene with sunflower hull and distillers’ dried grains with soluble fibers were analyzed for their effectiveness in hybrid form to understand the combined effect of two fillers. The thermal and mechanical properties of the 20 wt.% fiber hybrid biocomposites were compared against the neat polymer. The biocomposites were processed using twin screw extrusion and injection molded as ASTM test specimens. The hybrid biocomposites showed marginal variations in thermal and physical properties, and showed near equivalent mechanical properties. The thermal and structural properties were attributed to the nonstructural and structural constituents of the fibers, respectively.

Khutia, Moumita; Joshi, Girish M.; Deshmukh, Kalim; Pandey, Mayank

2015 Polymer-Plastics Technology and Engineering

doi: 10.1080/03602559.2014.961082

We modified a polycarbonate (PC)/polystyrene (PS) blend by loading alumina (Al2O3) into the blend. X-ray diffraction (XRD) shows a decrease in crystallinity. The optical microscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM) confirms the homogeneous dispersion of alumina. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) data shows improved results in glass transition (Tg) and melting temperature (Tm) of blend systems. The electrical properties of polymer blends modified by Al2O3 were studied as a function of frequency (50 Hz–35 MHz) at 323 K. The alumina showed a significant effect in resulting in a high dielectric constant with low dielectric loss and dissipation factor.

Xu, Guoyong; Min, Kai

2015 Polymer-Plastics Technology and Engineering

doi: 10.1080/03602559.2014.935402

EVA/OMWNTs nanocomposites have been successfully prepared by a simple melt compounding method. The nonisothermal crystallization behaviors of the EVA/OMWNTs nanocomposites are strongly dependent on the degree of crystallinity (Xc), peak crystallization temperature (Tp), half-time of crystallization (t1/2), and Avrami exponent (n) on the OMWNTs content and cooling rate. The dependence of the crystallization activity energy on the extent of relative crystallization for the plain EVA and the EVA/OMWNTs nanocomposites shows that ΔE increases with the increase in the relative degree of crystallinity below about 5%, and the ΔE decreased when the relative degree of crystallinity was greater than about 5%.

Hoikkanen, Maija; Poikelispää, Minna; Das, Amit; Honkanen, Mari; Dierkes, Wilma; Vuorinen, Jyrki

2015 Polymer-Plastics Technology and Engineering

doi: 10.1080/03602559.2014.958775

In the presence of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), polar nitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR) and nonpolar ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM) blends were prepared following a melt mixing method. For the preparation of MWCNT filled EPDM/NBR blends, two mixing methods were used: direct mixing and the masterbatch dilution method. Various physical, mechanical, and morphological properties are explored to elucidate the dispersion behavior of MWCNTs. It was concluded that the preparation method influences the dispersion of the nanotubes in different rubber phases and the properties of these blends are controlled by the degree of dispersion of the nanotubes in the two phases.

Liu, Ying; Peng, Xianghong; Ye, Hong; Xu, Junhui; Chen, Feng

2015 Polymer-Plastics Technology and Engineering

doi: 10.1080/03602559.2014.935420

Conductive chitosan/polypyrrole composite fibers (CS-PPy) were fabricated through pyrrole polymerization on chitosan fibers by in situ oxidation, in which chitosan fibers were obtained by the wet spinning method. The structures, the morphologies and the electroactivities of CS-PPy were characterized by FTIR, SEM, TGA, the four-probe technique and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Results showed that the diameter, thermal stability and electrical conductivity of the fiber were affected by pyrrole polymerization times. Electrical conductivity values of CS-PPy were varied from 1.60 × 10−5 to 1.31 × 10−4 S cm−1. CV of the conductive fibers presents an oxidation peak at 0.25 V in pH 7.0 PBS. Such biodegradable conductive fibers may provide new electrical stimulation materials in biomedical applications.