Catalina-Gabriela Sanporean

Polypropylene/organoclay/SEBS nanocomposites with toughness–stiffness properties

Polypropylene nanocomposites with a different amount of styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene block copolymer (SEBS)/clay were prepared via a melt mixing technique. To improve the dispersion of commercial organoclay (denoted as OMMT), various amounts of SEBS were incorporated. At a fixed content of OMMT, the mechanical properties were improved with increasing SEBS content. The obtained nanocomposites were characterized through X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC-TG) and mechanical tests. The thermal–morphological–mechanical properties were investigated. The nanomaterials presented an improved decomposition temperature, a small decrease in tensile strength, a higher Youngs modulus and a spectacular increase of 300% in impact strength.

Time-dependent response of hydrogels under constrained swelling

Constitutive equations are developed for the viscoplastic behavior of covalently cross-linked hydrogels subjected to swelling. The ability of the model to describe the time-dependent response is confirmed by comparison of results of simulation with observations on partially swollen poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) gel specimens in uniaxial tensile tests with a constant strain rate and tensile relaxation tests. The stress–strain relations are applied to study the kinetics of unconstrained and constrained swelling. The following conclusions are drawn from numerical analysis: (i) maximum water uptake under constrained swelling a viscoplastic hydrogel is lower than that for unconstrained swelling of its elastic counterpart and exceeds maximum water uptake under constrained swelling of the elastic gel, (ii) when the rate of water diffusion exceeds the rate of plastic flow in a polymer network, swelling curves (mass uptake versus time) for viscoplastic gels under constraints demonstrate characteristic features...

Studying nanostructure gradients in injection-molded polypropylene/ montmorillonite composites by microbeam small-angle x-ray scattering

Abstract The core–shell structure in oriented cylindrical rods of polypropylene (PP) and nanoclay composites (NCs) from PP and montmorillonite (MMT) is studied by microbeam small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS). The structure of neat PP is almost homogeneous across the rod showing regular semicrystalline stacks. In the NCs the discrete SAXS of arranged crystalline PP domains is limited to a skin zone of 300 μm thickness. Even there only frozen-in primary lamellae are detected. The core of the NCs is dominated by diffuse scattering from crystalline domains placed at random. The SAXS of the MMT flakes exhibits a complex skin–core gradient. Both the direction of the symmetry axis and the apparent perfection of flake-orientation are varying. Thus there is no local fiber symmetry, and the structure gradient cannot be reconstructed from a scan across the full rod. To overcome the problem the rods are machined. Scans across the residual webs are performed. For the first time webs have been carved out in two principal directions. Comparison of the corresponding two sets of SAXS patterns demonstrates the complexity of the MMT orientation. Close to the surface (< 1 mm) the flakes cling to the wall. The variation of the orientation distribution widths indicates the presence of both MMT flakes and grains. The grains have not been oriented in the flowing melt. An empirical equation is presented which describes the variation from skin to core of one component of the inclination angle of flake-shaped phyllosilicate filler particles.

Enhancement of mechanical properties of polypropylene by blending with styrene-(ethylene-butylene)-styrene tri-block copolymer

Abstract Observations are reported in impact tests, uniaxial tensile tests with various strain rates, relaxation tests with various strains and cyclic tests with a mixed deformation program and various maximum strains per cycle on neat polypropylene (PP) and a blend of PP with styrene-(ethylene-butylene)-styrene copolymer (SEBS). Experimental data demonstrate a pronounced enhancement of impact resistance of PP due to the presence of an impact modifier, accompanied by improvement of its properties under low-speed loading, observed as a decrease in relaxation rate and residual strain under cyclic deformation. Material constants in constitutive equations are determined by matching the experimental data. Correlations are established between changes in the viscoelastoplastic response of PP and evolution of its microstructure induced by the presence of an impact modifier.