Three-dimensional constitutive model for the description of high molecular weight semicrystalline polymers over a large range of temperatures and strain rates: Application to Ultra High Molecular Weight PolyEthylene

Semi-crystalline polymers, and more particularly high molecular weight semi-crystalline polymers, exhibits interesting properties such as wear and impact resistance which contributes to their spreading into several industries and applications. However, because they have very long chains and exhibit high viscoelastic mechanical behavior, they are diffcult to process. It requires high temperature, close to melting temperature, and important compression strength to arrange the chains. However, such process lack accuracy and better understanding of the thermomechanical behavior is needed to improve it. Thus, a three-dimensional model based on the evolution of the microstructure during the plastic deformation have been developed with relative good agreement with experimental results from the literature.

Nucleation and nonisothermal crystallization kinetics in cross-linked polyethylene/zinc oxide nanocomposites

In the present study organic–inorganic hybrid nanocomposites of cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) with 0, 2, 5 and 10 wt% of trimethoxyoctyl-silane surface treated ZnO nanoparticles were prepared by melt mixing.

Latex imaging by environmental STEM: application to the study of the surfactant outcome in hybrid alkyd/acrylate systems

Among other uses, latexes are a successful alternative to solvent-borne binders for coatings. Efforts are made to produce hybrid nanostructured latexes containing an acrylic phase and an alkyd phase. However, after the film-forming process, the surfactant used to stabilize these latexes remains in the film, and its location can have a drastic effect on the application properties. Among the processing parameters, the alkyd hydrophobicity can strongly influence this location. This article aims at the imaging of these surfactant molecules in two hybrid latexes with different hydrophobicity level of the alkyd resin. A first part of this paper is dedicated to the understanding of the contrast provided by the surfactant in environmental STEM imaging of latexes. Then, the influence of surfactant-polymer affinity on the surfactant location after film-forming of those hybrid alkyd/acrylate latexes is studied by this technique. It is shown that in the hybrid latex with an alkyd shell (obtained with the most hydrophilic resin), the surfactant molecules tend to remain buried in the alkyd phase. Conversely, in the hybrid latex with an acrylate shell (in the case of the most hydrophobic resin), the surfactant molecules tend to gather into islands like in pure acrylate latex films.

Grafting of polystyrene on nitrogen-doped multi-walled carbon nanotubes

Polymer grafting of polystyrene (PS) on nitrogen-doped multiwall carbon nanotubes (CNx) was successfully obtained by a "grafting from" technique. The production method involves the immobilization of initiators, using wet chemistry, onto the nanotube surface, followed by an in situ surface-initiated polymerization. The polymer-grafting carbon nanotubes synthesis includes the free radical functionalization of CNx and the "controlled/living" Nitroxide Mediated Radical Polymerization (NMRP). The obtained products were studied using several microscopic techniques as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). The characterization also includes thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Raman spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and electron spin resonance (ESR), among others. The analyzed samples were also compared with solutions fabricated by physical blending of the polymer and CNx nanotubes. These results indicate that the nanotube radical functionalization, the chemical grafting, and the polymerization reaction were obtained over CNx when NMRP method was successfully used, giving rise to a uniform PS layer of several nanometers grafted on the outer surface of the CNx nanotubes. Several properties of the PS-grafted CNx nanotubes were also studied. It is shown that the production method leads to a narrower distribution of the external diameters. Moreover, their solubilization in organic solvents is greatly improved. Finally, the dispersion of PS-grafted CNx into a PS matrix is studied to determine the differences in filler dispersion and interfacial adhesion strength, in comparison with nanocomposites elaborated with as-produced CNx.

New Nanocomposite Materials Reinforced with Cellulose Whiskers in Atactic Polypropylene: Effect of Surface and Dispersion Characteristics

New nanocomposite films were prepared with atactic polypropylene as the matrix and either of three types of cellulose whiskers, with various surface and dispersion characteristics, as the reinforcing phase: aggregated without surface modification, aggregated and grafted with maleated polypropylene or individualized and finely dispersed with a surfactant. Films obtained by solvent casting from toluene were investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy, dynamic mechanical analysis, and tensile testing. In the linear region, the mechanical properties above the glass-rubber transition were found to be drastically enhanced for the nanocomposites as compared to the neat polypropylene matrix. These effects were ascribed to the formation of a rigid network with filler/filler interactions. In addition, interactions between the filler and the matrix as well as the dispersion quality were found to play a major role on the mechanical properties of the composites when investigation of the films was performed in the nonlinear region.

Nanotube brushes: polystyrene grafted covalently on CNx nanotubes by nitroxide-mediated radical polymerization

Polymer brushes consisting of polystyrene (PS) chains bonded covalently to N-doped multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNx) were synthesized by a "grafting from" route using nitroxide mediated radical polymerization (NMRP).