Meiqing Guo

Anticorrosion and cytocompatibility behavior of MAO/PLLA modified magnesium alloy WE42

Recently, biodegradable magnesium alloys have been introduced in the field of cardiovascular stents to avoid the specific drawbacks of permanent metallic implants. However, the major obstacle of the clinical use of magnesium-based materials is their rapid corrosion rate. In this paper, a composite micro-arc oxidation/poly-l-lactic acid (MAO/PLLA) coating was fabricated on the surface of the magnesium alloy WE42 to improve its corrosion resistance and the cytocompatibility of the modified materials was also investigated for safety aim. In our study, the morphology of materials was analyzed by Scanning electron microscopy. Potentiodynamic polarization was used to evaluate the corrosion behavior of the samples and corrosion weight loss was used to demonstrate their degradation rate. Furthermore, we applied cytotoxicity test in testing the cytocompatibility of the modified samples. The results showed that the PLLA coating effectively sealed the microcracks and micropores on the surface of the MAO coating by physical interlocking to interfere the corrosion ions. The corrosion rate was decreased and the cyototoxicity test showed that the MAO/PLLA composite coating WE42 had good cytocompatibility.

Effect of Short Carbon Fibers and Carbon Nanotubes Dispersed by Utilizing Hollow Glass Beads as Carriers on the Tensile and Curing Properties of Epoxy Resin

The effects of the combination of silane functionalized hollow glass beads (silanized HGBs), acid functionalized carbon nanotubes (oxidized CNTs), and short carbon fibers (SCFs) on the tensile properties of epoxy (EP) resin were investigated. The combined utilization of silanized HGBs, oxidized CNTs and SCFs led to a pronounced synergy in the tensile properties of the SCF/HGB/CNT/EP composites. The composites exhibited greater tensile strength and Youngs modulus than the neat EP, clearly. The mechanism of such synergetic effect was analyzed by tensile fracture studies using SEM. In addition, by analyzing the DSC curves, the curing temperatures of the composites were obtained.

Phase Structure, Thermal, and Mechanical Properties of Polypropylene/Hollow Glass Microsphere Composites Modified with Maleated Poly(ethylene-octene)

Maleated poly(ethylene-octene) (POE-g-MAH), as a compatilizer and toughener, was incorporated in polypropylene/hollow glass microspheres (PP/HGM) binary composites, and the phase structure and thermal and mechanical properties of these composites were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy analysis indicated that the phase structure of ternary composites could be controlled by POE-g-MAH and the surface treatment of HGM. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed that there was an amidation reaction between the treated HGM and POE-g-MAH during melt compounding. Differential scanning calorimetry suggested that the crystallization and melting behaviors of ternary composites were influenced by phase structure. Evaluation of mechanical properties showed that the amide linkage between the treated HGM and POE-g-MAH was favorable for improving the properties of ternary composites.