The Izod impact strength of maleic anhydride-grafted acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (MA-g-ABS) copolymer has been improved by the use of rubbery poly(ethyleneco-vinyl acetate) (EVA). The MA-g-ABS is prepared by an internal mixer using dicumyl peroxide as free radical initiator, and the grafting degree was determined using back-titration method. The amount of EVA is optimized by evaluating the Izod impact strength, tensile, and flexural properties of the samples. Addition of 6% EVA into MA-g-ABS system improved the Izod impact strength and tensile strength by 18% and 35%, respectively. The miscibility of EVA in ABS and MA-g-ABS matrices has been observed using differential scanning calorimetry and scanning electron microscopy techniques. The enhanced adhesion property exhibited by MA-g-ABS/ EVA systems promises it as a good candidate for thermoplastic coating applications on aluminum substrates.
Superoleophilic and high‐strength electrospun membranes are promising materials for oil/water separation applications. Here we report the fabrication of a mechanically robust, hydrophobic polyurethane/multi‐walled carbon nanotube (PU/MWCNT) electrospun composite membrane for gravity‐driven oil/water separation. Various electrospun composite membranes with different MWCNT loadings were developed. Spinning parameters such as polymer concentration, solvent ratio, applied voltage, flow rate, and working distance were systematically optimized. The incorporation of MWCNT has increased the thermal stability, hydrophobicity, mechanical properties, and dye adsorption capacity of the PU membrane. The optimized composite fibrous membrane (PU/0.2‐MWCNT) exhibited a percentage elongation of 502%. All the PU/MWCNT composite membranes were found to be superoleophilic in nature. The optimized composite membrane showed the highest oil sorption capacity and lab‐scale oil flux of 14.21–24.07 gg−1 and 425.44 Lm−2 h−1, respectively. In the oil sorption process, all electrospun membranes were fitted to a pseudo second‐order kinetic model. Furthermore, electrospun composite membranes could adsorb toxic dye (Methylene blue) from the oil–water mixture. The PU/MWCNT composite membrane could be a potential candidate for oil/water separation applications.
To improve the tensile properties of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) biodegradable packaging film, mango seed wax (MSW), an agro‐industrial waste from the mango fruit processing industry has been used as a plasticizing additive. Four different weight ratios of MSW (3, 5, 7, and 9 wt%) in pristine PLA were considered for optimization. The mechanical properties comprising tensile strength, elongation at break, and Young's modulus were studied. Characterizations such as Fourier transform infra‐red (FTIR) spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry were studied. Oxidation induction time (OIT) analysis of samples was also conducted. Other studies such as thermal, barrier, and optical properties were also evaluated. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis revealed better compatibility between MSW and PLA matrices. A small decrease in glass transition temperature (10%), and melting point (3%) was observed when increasing the percentage of MSW in PLA. Moreover, the visual transparency of MSW/PLA systems was intact when increasing the loading. The addition of 9% MSW results in a 700% enhancement in elongation at break than that of pristine PLA. The optimized sample (PLA with 5% MSW) showed a 26% improvement in the hydrophobicity of the PLA matrix. The barrier properties (55.6% in WVTR and 10% in oxygen transmission rate (OTR) were also improved by the presence of MSW. These are promising systems as a suitable material for biodegradable food packaging thermoplastic material.
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