Joey Mead

Large Strain Viscoelastic Constitutive Models for Rubber, Part I: Formulations

Abstract Constitutive models for large strain isothermal viscoelastic deformations of rubber are reviewed. The models discussed are for materials which have separable long and short term stresses, and for which the short term stresses have separable time and strain effects. They include the history integral model, an internal stress variable model, an internal stretch variable model, and an internal solid model. The internal stretch variable model and the internal solid model were motivated by molecular descriptions of rubber viscoelasticity. The material tests required to determine the constants for these large strain models are discussed. The classical problem of determining a rubber energy density function, used to describe both the long term and short term energy in these models, is reviewed. A method to assure Drucker stability, a commonly overlooked issue, is presented for experimentally determined Rivlin energy density function expansions. Also, an improved method for determining the coefficients o...

Environmental Effects of Recycled Rubber in Light-Fill Applications

Abstract Tire shred processors use various mechanical means to reduce the waste stream of tires to components including rubber and steel. There is a stockpile of shredded rubber material in many states that is currently marketed mainly for use as Tire Derived Fuel (TDF). Civil engineering applications such as light landfill cover, and potentially landfill drainage layers are also attractive applications for shredded rubber material. Local environmental protection agencies and state public health officials have been reluctant, however, in some regions to allow recycled rubber to be used in civil engineering applications. An absence of data concerning long-term effects is often cited as justification for these bans. We summarized recent laboratory investigations conducted to quantify possible leachates from various recycled tire compounds. Extension of these results to reported field tests detailing the impact of recycled rubber on air, soil and water quality is also considered, as well as biological and to...

Directed assembly of gold nanoparticle nanowires and networks for nanodevices

Alternating electric field is used to assemble gold nanoparticle nanowires from liquid suspensions. The effects of electrode geometry and the dielectrophoresis force on the chaining and branching of nanowire formation are investigated. The nanowire assembly processes are modeled using finite element calculations, and the particle trajectories under the combined influence of dielectrophoresis force and viscous drag are simulated. Nanoparticle nanowires with 10nm resolution are fabricated. The wires can be further oriented along an externally introduced flow. This work provides an approach towards rapid assembly and organization of ultrasmall nanoparticle networks.

Antibody orientation enhanced by selective polymer–protein noncovalent interactions

A unique interaction has been found between protein G’ (a truncated recombinant bacterial “alphabet” protein which aligns by noncovalent attachment to the antibody stem) and poly(methyl methacrylate), a thermoplastic polymer substrate, which can be easily fabricated using high-rate processes. Significantly improved orientation efficiency with traditional passive adsorption for this system (termed ALYGNSA) has been achieved as compared to the same assay performed on a polystyrene substrate with protein G’. Results were consistent with an average alignment of 80% of the human immunoglobulin G capture antibody which translated into a 30% to 50% improved alignment over an array of industry standards tested. Laser scanning confocal microscopy confirmed the immunological results. Studies of additional poly(methyl methacrylate) polymer derivatives and protein biolinker (A and AG) combinations have been conducted and have revealed different degrees of antibody alignment. These findings may lead to additional novel noncovalent methods of antibody orientation and greater sensitivity in immunological assays.

Directed Assembly of Polymer Blends Using Nanopatterned Templates

The direct assembly of polymer blends on chemically functionalized surfaces is shown to produce a variety of nonuniform complex patterns. This method provides a powerful tool for easily producing nonuniform patterns in a rapid (30 s), one-step process with high specificity and selectivity for a variety of applications, such as nanolithography, polymeric optoelectronic devices, integrated circuits, and biosensors.

Effect of coating thickness and penetration on shear behavior of coated fabrics

Many applications have been developed by taking advantage of the combined properties of rubber and textiles. For example, the shear behavior of rubber-coated fabrics is governed by the interaction of its two components, which is dependent on the yarn mobility. In this paper, the effect of coating penetration and thickness on the shear behavior is studied, along with the development of a combined lubrication theory and flow through a porous media model for coating penetration. For the shear deformation of the fabrics, nine types of woven PET fabrics are made and dip-coated multiple times in neoprene latex, with and without a coagulant agent. The results show that with the increase of coating thickness and penetration, the shear behavior becomes more similar to cord/textile embedded in rubber. The results from the modeling section suggest that a model can be developed to link the process and the material parameters to the ensuing coated fabric structure and its mechanical response.

Large Strain Viscoelastic Constitutive Models for Rubber, Part II: Determination of Material Constants

Abstract A method for determining material constants in large strain viscoelastic materials was demonstrated for a highly saturated nitrile rubber. Material constant selection was based on viscoelastic stress relaxation data at small and large strains, under both tension and compression, and was constrained to assure Drucker stability. Assuming that the viscoelastic strain energy function was both time and strain separable, a Prony series was constructed for the time dependent material constants. For comparison, four different Prony series were developed from collocation methods and a nonlinear regression analysis, each separately based on either large or small tensile strain relaxation data. In addition, a final Prony series was constructed from dynamic data. These Prony series were included in this comparison to judge their ability to predict both large and small strain material behavior. Finite element analyses of large and small step-strain relaxation tests and a single cycle hysteresis loop at large ...

Characterization of Potential Exposures to Nanoparticles and Fibers during Manufacturing and Recycling of Carbon Nanotube Reinforced Polypropylene Composites.

Carbon nanotube (CNT) polymer composites are widely used as raw materials in multiple industries because of their excellent properties. This expansion, however, is accompanied by realistic concerns over potential release of CNTs and associated nanoparticles during the manufacturing, recycling, use, and disposal of CNT composite products. Such data continue to be limited, especially with regards to post-processing of CNT-enabled products, recycling and handling of nanowaste, and end-of-life disposal. This study investigated for the first time airborne nanoparticle and fibers exposures during injection molding and recycling of CNT polypropylene composites (CNT-PP) relative to that of PP. Exposure characterization focused on source emissions during loading, melting, molding, grinding, and recycling of scrap material over 20 cycles and included real-time characterization of total particle number concentration and size distribution, nanoparticle and fiber morphology, and fiber concentrations near the operator. Total airborne nanoparticle concentration emitted during loading, melting, molding, and grinding of CNT-PP had geometric mean ranging from 1.2 × 10(3) to 4.3 × 10(5) particles cm(-3), with the highest exposures being up to 2.9 and 300.7 times above the background for injection molding and grinding, respectively. Most of these emissions were similar to PP synthesis. Melting and molding of CNT-PP and PP produced exclusively nanoparticles. Grinding of CNT-PP but not PP generated larger particles with encapsulated CNTs, particles with CNT extrusions, and respirable fiber (up to 0.2 fibers cm(-3)). No free CNTs were found in any of the processes. The number of recycling runs had no significant impact on exposures. Further research into the chemical composition of the emitted nanoparticles is warranted. In the meanwhile, exposure controls should be instituted during processing and recycling of CNT-PP.

Insulation Materials for Wire and Cable Applications

Abstract A wide range of polymers has been used for wire and cable insulation. Older materials include natural, butyl, and styrene-butadiene rubber. Newer materials include crosslinked polyethylene...

Numerical simulation of phase separation of immiscible polymer blends on a heterogeneously functionalized substrate

The spinodal phase decomposition of an immiscible binary polymer blend system is investigated with numerical models in two-dimensional and three-dimensional (3D). The effect of the elastic energy is included. The mechanism of the evolution of the phase separation is studied and the characteristic length R(t) is shown to be proportional to t(13). In the case when the phase separation is directed by a heterogeneously functionalized substrate, the increase in the characteristic length is divided into two stages by a critical time. The R(t) approximately t(13) diagram can be fitted with a straight line in both the first and second stages. The slope of the fitting line significantly decreases after the critical time. The compatibility of the resulting pattern to the substrate pattern is also measured by a factor C(S). It is observed that there is also a critical time in the evolution of the compatibility for the cases with and without elastic energy. The critical time of C(S) is identical with the respective critical time of R(t). The lateral and vertical composition profiles functionalized substrate is observed with the 3D model. The difference mechanism of the cases with and without elastic energy is discussed.