Chih-Kuang Chen

Preparation and Compatibility Evaluation of Polypropylene/High Density Polyethylene Polyblends

This study proposes melt-blending polypropylene (PP) and high density polyethylene (HDPE) that have a similar melt flow index (MFI) to form PP/HDPE polyblends. The influence of the content of HDPE on the properties and compatibility of polyblends is examined by using a tensile test, flexural test, Izod impact test, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarized light microscopy (PLM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The SEM results show that PP and HDPE are incompatible polymers with PP being a continuous phase and HDPE being a dispersed phase. The FTIR results show that the combination of HDPE does not influence the chemical structure of PP, indicating that the polyblends are made of a physical blending. The DSC and XRD results show that PP and HDPE are not compatible, and the combination of HDPE is not correlated with the crystalline structure and stability of PP. The PLM results show that the combination of HDPE causes stacking and incompatibility between HDPE and PP spherulites, and PP thus has incomplete spherulite morphology and a smaller spherulite size. However, according to mechanical property test results, the combination of HDPE improves the impact strength of PP.

Polypropylene/Short Glass Fibers Composites: Effects of Coupling Agents on Mechanical Properties, Thermal Behaviors, and Morphology

This study uses the melt compounding method to produce polypropylene (PP)/short glass fibers (SGF) composites. PP serves as matrix while SGF serves as reinforcement. Two coupling agents, maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene, (PP-g-MA) and maleic anhydride grafted styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene block copolymer (SEBS-g-MA) are incorporated in the PP/SGF composites during the compounding process, in order to improve the interfacial adhesion and create diverse desired properties of the composites. According to the mechanical property evaluations, increasing PP-g-MA as a coupling agent provides the composites with higher tensile, flexural, and impact properties. In contrast, increasing SEBS-g-MA as a coupling agent provides the composites with decreasing tensile and flexural strengths, but also increasing impact strength. The DSC results indicate that using either PP-g-MA or SEBS-g-MA as the coupling agent increases the crystallization temperature. However, the melting temperature of PP barely changes. The spherulitic morphology results show that PP has a smaller spherulite size when it is processed with PP-g-MA or SEBS-g-MA as the coupling agent. The SEM results indicate that SGF is evenly distributed in PP matrices, but there are distinct voids between these two materials, indicating a poor interfacial adhesion. After PP-g-MA or SEBS-g-MA is incorporated, SGF can be encapsulated by PP, and the voids between them are fewer and indistinctive. This indicates that the coupling agents can effectively improve the interfacial compatibility between PP and SGF, and as a result improves the diverse properties of PP/SGF composites.

Poly-l-lactide/sodium alginate/chitosan microsphere hybrid scaffolds made with braiding manufacture and adhesion technique: Solution to the incongruence between porosity and compressive strength

Bone scaffolds require a three-dimensional structure, high porosity, interconnected pores, adequate mechanical strengths, and non-toxicity. A high porosity is incongruent with mechanical strengths. Therefore, this study combines a braiding method and microsphere solution to create bone scaffolds with a high porosity and sufficient mechanical strengths. First, poly-L-lactide (PLLA) plied yarns are braided into 5-, 10-, 15-, 20-, and 25-layer hollow braids, and then thermally treated at 165 °C for various durations. Next, sodium alginate (SA) microspheres, cross-linked with CaCl2 solution with various concentrations, are combined with PLLA porous braided bone scaffolds to form PLLA/SA/CS microsphere hybrid scaffolds, which are then observed for surface observation, and tested for porosity, water contact angle, compressive strength, MTT assay, bioactivity, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) assay, cell attachment, and statistical analyses. The test results show that the layer amount of the bone scaffold is proportional to the compressive strength. With the same number of layers, the compressive strength is inversely proportional to the concentration of the CaCl2 solution. The results of surface observation, porosity, and water contact angle tests show that PLLA/SA/CS microsphere hybrid scaffolds possess a high porosity and good hydrophilicity; as a result, the braiding manufacture and the bonding technique effectively solve the confliction between porosity and mechanical strength. The concentration of CaCl2 does not pertain to cell activity and ALP results, exemplified by good cell attachment on bone scaffolds for each specification.

Effect of Different Manufacturing Methods on the Conflict between Porosity and Mechanical Properties of Spiral and Porous Polyethylene Terephthalate/Sodium Alginate Bone Scaffolds

In order to solve the incompatibility between high porosity and mechanical properties, this study fabricates bone scaffolds by combining braids and sodium alginate (SA) membranes. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plied yarns are braided into hollow, porous three dimensional (3D) PET braids, which are then immersed in SA solution, followed by cross-linking with calcium chloride (CaCl2) and drying, to form PET bone scaffolds. Next, SA membranes are rolled and then inserted into the braids to form the spiral and porous PET/SA bone scaffolds. Samples are finally evaluated for surface observation, porosity, water contact angle, compressive strength, and MTT assay. The test results show that the PET bone scaffolds and PET/SA bone scaffolds both have good hydrophilicity. An increasing number of layers and an increasing CaCl2 concentration cause the messy, loose surface structure to become neat and compact, which, in turn, decreases the porosity and increases the compressive strength. The MTT assay results show that the cell viability of differing SA membranes is beyond 100%, indicating that the PET/SA bone scaffolds containing SA membranes are biocompatible for cell attachment and proliferation.

Recovery evaluation of rats' damaged tibias: Implantation of core-shell structured bone scaffolds made using hollow braids and a freeze-thawing process

This study prepares biodegradable bone scaffolds helping the recovery of damaged tibias of rats. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) plied yarns are fabricated into hollow braids. The braids are combined with hydroxyapatite (HA)/gelatin/PVA mixtures and processed using freeze-thawing and freeze-drying processes in order to form bone scaffolds. These bone scaffolds are observed by scanning electron scope (SEM) and tested for compression strength. Afterwards, recovery of damaged bone, the morphology of the bone, and the histological observation are evaluated. Results indicate a small amount of HA helps in enhancing the compressive strength of bone scaffolds. Results of in vivo assay indicate the damaged tibias of rats recover and function well eight weeks after the implantation, and exhibit a normal morphology. Histological observation confirms the bone scaffolds gradually decompose, allowing tissue infiltration and facilitating ossification. This study successfully produces bone scaffolds with satisfactory mechanical properties helping in the recovery of damaged tibias of rats.

PP/MWCNTs composites: Effects of length of MWCNTs on isothermal crystallization behaviors, crystalline structure, and thermal stability

This study adopts the melt compounding method to prepare /mutli-walled carbon nanotubes composites. The effects of different lengths of the mutli-walled carbon nanotubes on the isothermal crystallization behaviors, crystalline structure, and thermal stability of the polypropylene/mutli-walled carbon nanotubes composites are examined. The PLM results show that the combination of mutli-walled carbon nanotubes prevents the growth of polypropylene spherulites, and thus results in a small size of spherulites. The differential scanning calorimetry results show that the short (S-) or long (L-) mutli-walled carbon nanotubes can function as the nucleating agent of polypropylene, which accelerates the crystallization rate of polypropylene. Avrami theory analyses indicate that the addition of short-mutli-walled carbon nanotubes particularly provides polypropylene/mutli-walled carbon nanotubes composites with a high crystallization rate. The X-ray diffraction results show that the combination of mutli-walled carbon nanotubes does not pertain to the crystal structure. The TGA test results show that long-mutli-walled carbon nanotubes outperform short -mutli-walled carbon nanotubes in improving the thermal stability of polypropylene, and both can significantly improve it.