Shaowei Guan

Influence of the addition of lubricant on the properties of poly(ether ether ketone)/basalt fiber composites

Improvement in the processability of poly(ether ether ketone)/basalt fiber (PEEK/BF) composites with less influence on other properties is important. A novel high-temperature lubricant GENIOPLAST PELLETS (GPPS) was used in order to decrease the melt viscosity of PEEK/BF composites. The compounds of PEEK/BF/GPPS were characterized by torque of screw, universal tester, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The results showed that a small amount of GPPS could greatly decrease melt viscosity of the composites during processing, and improve the dispersion uniformity and orientation of BF in the PEEK matrix, followed by the enhancement of the modulus and strength of PEEK/BF composites, meanwhile the thermal stability of the compounds was almost unaffected.

Preparation and properties of high-performance polyethersulfone composites reinforced by modified silicon nitride:

Si3N4 fillers were added to polyethersulfone (PES) using the solution mixing and ball-mill mixing methods to increase the thermal conductivity. 3-Aminpropyltriethoxysilane was used as a coupling agent for the surface modification of the Si3N4 particles. The morphology, thermal stability, mechanical properties, and thermal conductivity of the Si3N4/PES composites were then studied in detail. The dispersion of the Si3N4 particles into the matrix resin was higher in ball-mill mixing than in solution mixing. As the Si3N4 content increased, the coefficient of thermal expansion of the composites gradually decreased, whereas the Vickers hardness and thermal conductivity increased. At 19 vol.% Si3N4, the thermal conductivities of the composites via ball-mill mixing and solution mixing reached 0.677 and 0.7 W/m·k, respectively.