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This study attempted to investigate the preparation and optimization of the flexural properties for epoxy/organomontmorillonite (OMMT) nanocomposites. In-situ polymerization method was used to prepare epoxy/OMMT nanocomposites. The diglycidyl ether bisphenol A (DGEBA) and curing agent were mixed first, followed by the addition of OMMT. In this study, computer aided statistical methods of experimental design (Response Surface Methodology, RSM) was used to investigate the process variables on the flexural properties of epoxy/4wt% OMMT nanocomposites. Speed of mechanical stirrer, post-curing time and post-curing temperature were chosen as process variables in the experimental design. Results showed that the speed of mechanical stirrer, post-curing time and post-curing temperature were able to influence the flexural modulus and flexural yield stress of epoxy/4 wt% OMMT nanocomposites. The results of optimization showed that the design of experiment (DOE) has six combination of operating variables which have been obtained in order to attain the greatest overall desirability.

Bamboo, a lignocellulosic biopolymer material, is of interest as feedstock for production of cellulose derivatives by chemical functionalization. Optimization of grafting of acrylonitrile onto cellulosic material (average Degree of Polymerization 816), isolated from bamboo (Dendrocalamus stictus) was performed by varying the process parameters such as duration of soaking of cellulosic material in ceric ammonium nitrate solution, ceric ammonium nitrate concentration, polymerization time, temperature of reaction and acrylonitrile concentration to study their influence on percent grafting and grafting efficiency. Graft copolymerization of acrylonitrile onto cellulosic material derived from bamboo (Dendrocalamus strictus) in heterogenous medium can be initiated effectively with ceric ammonium nitrate. The optimum reaction conditions obtained for grafting of acrylonitrile onto cellulosic material were: duration of dipping cellulosic material in ceric ammonium nitrate solution 1 hr, ceric ammonium nitrate concentration 0.02 M, acrylonitrile concentration 24.6 mol/anhydroglucose unit, temperature of reaction 40°C and polymerization time 4 hrs. The percent grafting for optimized samples is 210.3% and grafting efficiency is 97%. The characterization of the grafted products by means of FTIR and Scanning Electron Microscopy furnished the evidence of grafting of acrylonitrile onto the cellulosic material.

Firstly, a novel grafted polypropylene (PP) was prepared by one step free-radical melt grafting way in a single-screw extruder. The results were shown that the addition of St to the melt-grafting system as a comonomer could significantly enhance MMA grafting degree onto PP and reduce the degradation of PP matrix by means of FTIR and MFR test, respectively. Then, the extruded multi-monomer grafted PP, as a component, directly blend with poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC), named as gPP/PVC. The corresponding improved compatibility was examined. Comparison with pure PP/PVC blends, due to the addition of gPP, the tensile strengths of gPP/PVC blends increased significantly and the impact strengths were unchanged as those of pure PP/PVC blends. The DSC results also suggested that the compatibility of PP/PVC blends were improved largely.

Novel electrically conducting composite materials consisting of poly(aniline) (PANI) nanoparticles dispersed in a poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)-g-poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) hydrogels were prepared within the polymer matrix by in situ polymerization of aniline. The conversion yield of aniline into PANI particles was determined gravimetrically while structural confirmation of the synthesized polymer was sought by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), UV-visible analysis and X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique. Morphology and dimension of PANI particles embedded into the colored optically semi-transparent hydrogels were evaluated by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis. Electrical conductivity of composite hydrogels of different composition was determined by LCR meter while electroactive behavior of composite hydrogels swollen in electrolyte solution was investigated by Effective Bend Angle (EBA) measurements.

In this study, electrical, thermal and mechanical properties of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) reinforced Epon 862 epoxy have been evaluated. Firstly, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 wt% CNT were infused into epoxy through a high intensity ultrasonic liquid processor and then mixed with EpiCure curing agent W using a high speed mechanical agitator. Electric conductivity, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), three point bending tests and fracture tests were then performed on unfilled, CNT-filled epoxy to identify the loading effect on the properties of materials. Experimental results show significant improvement in electric conductivity. The resistivity of epoxy decreased from 10¹⁴ Ω•m of neat epoxy to 10 Ω•m with 0.4% CNT. The experimental results also indicate that the frequency dependent behavior of CNT/epoxy nanocomposite can be modeled by R-C circuit, permittivity of material increase with increasing of CNT content. DMA studies revealed that filling the carbon nanotube into epoxy can produce a 90% enhancement in storage modulus and a 17°C increase in T_g. Mechanical test results showed that modulus increased with higher CNT loading percentages, but the 0.3 wt% CNT-infusion system showed the maximum strength and fracture toughness enhancement. The decrease in strength and fracture toughness in 0.4% CNT/epoxy was attributed to poor dispersions of nanotubes in the composite.

Due to its thermoplastic and biodegradable nature, poly(lactic acid) (PLA) holds good promise in its increasing use in the form of fibers for medical, agricultural, apparel, upholstery, hygiene, and other applications. Most of the research being done on PLA fibers is to understand their production by melt spinning, solution spinning, and the structure-property relationships during fiber formation. Nonwovens are one of the important forms of the materials into which PLA polymer can be converted to create many useful products. Thermal bonding is the most widely used bonding technique employed to impart strength, and other useful characteristics to the nonwovens. However, there is limited research done to study the behavior of PLA fibers during thermal bonding of nonwovens. Hence the research was carried out to investigate the thermal bonding of nonwovens made from PLA staple fibers. The PLA fibers were carded and then calendered at different temperatures. The webs were characterized for their structure and properties. The observed results are discussed with respect to the investigated processing conditions.

High-pressure technology for polyethylene production has been widely used by industries around the world. A good model for the reactor fluid dynamics is essential to set the operating conditions of an autoclave reactor. The high-pressure autoclave reactor model developed in this work was based on a non-isothermal dynamic model, where PID control equations are used to maintain the operation at the unstable steady state. The kinetic mechanism to describe the polymerization rate and molecular weight averages are presented. The model is capable of computing temperature, concentration gradients and polymer characteristics. The model was validated for an existing industrial reactor and data for production of homopolymer polyethylene and has represented well the behavior of the autoclave reactor used in ethylene homopolymerization.

Unsaturated triglyceride oil sunflower was epoxidized and characterized by chemical and spectroscopic methods. Epoxidized sunflower oil (ESO) was used as an organic thermal co-stabilizer for rigid poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) in the presence of tricalcium dicitrate (Ca₃(C₆H₅O₇)₂) and mercury (II) acetate (Hg(CH₃COO)₂). The thermo-oxidative degradation of PVC was studied in the presence of these ternary stabilizer systems at 170, 180, 190 and 200°C in N₂ atmosphere. The effects of metal carboxylate combination Ca/Hg in the absence and in the presence of epoxidized sunflower oil on static heat treatment of PVC have been studied. The formation of polyene sequences was investigated by UV-visible and FT-IR spectroscopy and by comparing viscosity data obtained in the presence and in the absence of the additives. It was found that the additives retard the rate of degradation and reduce the extent of polymer chain scission associated with the thermal degradation of poly(vinyl chloride). Synergistic effects were found when stabilizer was blended in 50:50 weight ratios with either. It was found that ESO exerted a stabilizing effect on the degradation of PVC. The activation energy for degraded PVC in absence of stabilizers was 38.6 kJ•mol^–1 and in the presence of Ca/Hg and Ca/Hg/ESO were 53.3 and 64.7 kJ•mol^–1 respectively. In order of compare the efficiency of the epoxidized sunflower oil with these metal soap stabilizers, thermal stabilities were evaluated on the basis of evolved hydrogen chloride determined by conductometry technique and degree of discoloration are discussed.