No abstract

The main variables involved in solid-state polymerization of PET homopolymers, originally with molecular weight within the commercial range, were sequentially studied to determine their influence in polymerized products. These variables were precursor crystallinity, catalyst, and time and reaction temperature. An increasing molecular weight sequence was then used to study the bulk crystallization behavior with Avrami analyses. It was determined that thermal conditions at dissolution affect the prereaction morphology. This was important in the polymerization process because it was found that high crystallinity levels in precursors result in higher molecular weights. In agreement with other reports, typical catalysts used in melt polymerizations enhance postpolycondensation processes in the solid state. High reaction times and temperatures were also required to obtain high molecular weights. As the molecular weight increased, there was a decrease in nucleation density and Avrami analyses, applied to the isothermal bulk crystallization, indicating that the nucleation process changed from instantaneous to spontaneous with the increase in molecular weight. The consequences and relative importance of the observed results is discussed.

Isotactic polypropylenes (iPP) with different melt flow indexes (MFI) were used to fabricate nanocomposites (NCs) with 10 wt % loadings of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) using ultrasound-assisted extrusion methods to determine their effect on the morphology, melt flow, and electrical properties of the NCs. Three different types of iPPs were used with MFIs of 2.5, 34 and 1200 g/10 min. Four different NC fabrication methods based on melt extrusion were used. In the first method melt extrusion fabrication without ultrasound assistance was used. In the second and third methods, an ultrasound probe attached to a hot chamber located at the exit of the die was used to subject the sample to fixed frequency and variable frequency, respectively. The fourth method is similar to the first method, with the difference being that the carbon nanotubes were treated in a fluidized air-bed with an ultrasound probe before being used in the fabrication of the NCs with no ultrasound assistance during extrusion. The samples were characterized by MFI, Optical microscopy (OM), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), electrical surface resistivity, and electric charge. MFI decreases in all cases with addition of MWCNTs with the largest decrease observed for samples with the highest MFI. The surface resistivity, which ranged from 1013 to 105 Ω/sq, and electric charge, were observed to depend on the ultrasound-assisted fabrication method as well as on the melt flow index of the iPP. A relationship between agglomerate size and area ratio with electric charge was found. Several trends in the overall data were identified and are discussed in terms of MFI and the different fabrication methods.

The influence of organomodified nanoclay (montmorillonite) on the crystallization and melting mechanisms of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) was studied. Films of both neat polymer and clay nanocomposites were prepared after molecular weight optimization through melt extrusion. Products exhibited the tactoidlike morphology since no compatibilizers were used. The effect of introduction of nanoclay within the polymer was studied through isothermal crystallization and linear heating. The results indicated that low nanoclay concentrations induce the formation of the β‐crystalline structure, its formation being inhibited with high nanoclay contents. Dynamic nonisothermal bulk crystallization experiments indicated that nanoclays act as nucleating agents of iPP. Isothermal, bulk crystallization studies indicated that the crystallization process (induction time and crystallization kinetics) is proportionally accelerated by the nanoclay presence. There was also an accelerated formation of secondary crystallization when nanoclays were present in high concentrations. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 47:1889–1897, 2007. © 2007 Society of Plastics Engineers

Ag/TiO 2 nanocomposites are usually regarded as an effective synergy for high antimicrobial performance under ultraviolet-visible light conditions. This study confirmed that the surface plasmon resonance of Ag NPs plays an important role in relation to the NPs size and consequently with the antibacterial effect of the nanocomposite. We observed that under visible light the reactivity of TiO 2 cannot be amplified when it is supporting Ag NPs that have an inactive photocatalytically surface. The results confirmed that the antimicrobial effectiveness of nanocomposite based on Ag NPs supported-TiO 2 is closely associated to the contact surface area and to the electronic performance of the noble metal.

Metamaterial behavior of polymer nanocomposites (NCs) based on isotactic polypropylene (iPP) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was investigated based on the observation of a negative dielectric constant (ε′). It is demonstrated that as the dielectric constant switches from negative to positive, the plasma frequency (ωp) depends strongly on the ultrasound-assisted fabrication method, as well as on the melt flow index of the iPP. NCs were fabricated using ultrasound-assisted extrusion methods with 10 wt % loadings of MWCNTs in iPPs with different melt flow indices (MFI). AC electrical conductivity (σ(AC)) as a function of frequency was determined to complement the electrical classification of the NCs, which were previously designated as insulating (I), static-dissipative (SD), and conductive (C) materials. It was found that the SD and C materials can also be classified as metamaterials (M). This type of behavior emerges from the negative dielectric constant observed at low frequencies although, at certain frequencies, the dielectric constant becomes positive. Our method of fabrication allows for the preparation of metamaterials with tunable ωp. iPP pure samples show only positive dielectric constants. Electrical conductivity increases in all cases with the addition of MWCNTs with the largest increases observed for samples with the highest MFI. A relationship between MFI and the fabrication method, with respect to electrical properties, is reported.

The connection between fundamental interactions acting in molecules in a fluid and macroscopically measured properties, such as the viscosity between colloidal particles coated with polymers, is studied here. The role that hydrodynamic and Brownian forces play in colloidal dispersions is also discussed. It is argued that many -body systems in which all these interactions take place can be accurately solved using computational simulation tools. One of those modern tools is the technique known as dissipative particle dynamics, which incorporates Brownian and hydrodynamic forces, as well as basic conservative interactions. A case study is reported, as an example of the applications of this technique, which consists of the prediction of the viscosity and friction between two opposing parallel surfaces covered with polymer chains, under the influence of a steady flow. This work is intended to serve as an introduction to the subject of colloidal dispersions and computer simulations, for lastyear undergraduate students and beginning graduate students who are interested in beginning research in soft matter systems. To that end, a computational code is included that students can use right away to study complex fluids in equilibrium.

A relationship between chain graft density calculated by coarse‐grained simulation and the one obtained from experimental results is compared in the present work. Two slip additives for polypropylene films were studied, erucamide and stearyl erucamide. The diffusion equation (Fick's second law) was used to relate real‐time experimental results with coarse‐grained simulations and rendered slip additive surface density as a function of the coefficient of friction. The normalized surface density values obtained from the simulation showed a qualitative trend consistent with the experimentally observed results.