T.E. Motaung

The Effects of Cd2+ Concentration on the Structure, Optical and Luminescence Properties of MgAl2O4:x% Cd2+ (0 < x ≤ 1.75) Nanophosphor Prepared by Sol–Gel Method

Cadmium-doped magnesium aluminate (MgAl2O4:x% Cd2+) powders with different cadmium concentrations (0 < x ≤ 1.75) were prepared by the sol–gel method. Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis confirmed the presence of the expected elements (Mg, Al, O, and Cd). The x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that the powders crystallized into the cubic spinel structure. Cd2+ doping influenced crystallinity of the powder samples. The crystallite size and particle morphology were not affected by variation in the Cd2+ concentration. Ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–vis) measurements revealed that the band gap of the MgAl2O4 was influenced by Cd2+ doping. Un-doped and Cd2+-doped MgAl2O4 nanophosphors exhibited violet emission at 392 nm. There was no evidence of the emission peak shift, which suggested that all emissions originated from the defects within the host material. Increasing the Cd2+ concentration up-to 0.88 mol.% lead to luminescence intensity enhancement, while further increase of Cd2+ concentration lead to concentration quenching. The critical energy transfer distance (Rc) between the neighbouring donors and acceptors was found to be 5.21 Å, suggesting that the multipole–multipole interaction (M-MI) is the major cause of concentration quenching. Commission Internationale de l’Elcairage (CIE) colour coordinates confirmed non-tuneable violet emission with intensity dependent on the Cd2+ concentration.

Effects of alkali treatment on the poly(furfuryl) alcohol–flax fibre composites

Flax fibre was treated with low concentrations of alkali and used to prepare poly(furfuryl alcohol) (PFA)-based composites through in situ polymerization of furfuryl alcohol. The properties of low concentrations of alkali-treated flax fibre and flax fibre–reinforced composites were characterized for their structure and properties by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared, thermogravimetric analysis, dynamic mechanical analysis, water absorption and flexural measurements. The alkali-treated flax fibre showed increased cellulose content and crystallinity index with smooth surfaces of the microfibres. PFA composites exhibited dispersed microfibres within PFA matrix with agglomerates. There was also a clear increase in thermal stability, storage modulus and damping factor for all treated PFA composites. Poor resistance to water uptake was also observed for the PFA composites, even though the highest alkali treatment improved the resistance compared to the untreated composite. PFA–flax biocomposites were characterized by improved flexural strength and modulus, except the untreated which showed the opposite.

In-situ Polymerization of Nylon-Cellulose Nano composite

Polymeric Nano composite has been strongly studied due to the improvement achieved when a little amount of Nano sized particles are added to the polymer matrix. This is primarily due to large surface area which increased the interaction between the nanoparticles and the polymer. There are different routes for preparation of the polymer Nano composite with Nano fillers it can be melt compound, in-situ polymerization and the solvent method. The in-situ method was found to be best method due to that the nanoparticle is introduced directly to the monomer and it allowed for few minutes to disperse well to the monomer before the initiator is added to start polymerization. The in-situ method gives control over the particle size and morphology. The present studies investigate the surface morphology and thermal properties of nylon when the cellulose Nano-whiskers of different content was added into nylon monomer. SEM for surface studies, TGA for thermal stabilities and FTIR for chemical properties were studied. TGA results reveal that nylon thermal properties changes with addition of Nano crystals compared to pure nylon.

Thermal Degradation Kinetics of Sugarcane Bagasse and Soft Wood Cellulose

The properties of untreated sugar cane bagasse (SCB) and soft wood (SW) and their respective celluloses were investigated. The celluloses indicated improved crystallinity index values and decreased concentration of lignin and hemicellulose compared to their untreated counterparts. Three degradation models, Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS), Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (OFW), and Kissinger (KGR) methods were employed to determine apparent activation energy values. Generally, the thermal degradation processes of both sugarcane bagasse and soft wood included dehydration, degradation of hemicellulose and cellulose, whereas the lignin degraded from the degradation temperature of hemicellulose to the end of the cellulose. The apparent activation energy values obtained from the OFW and KAS models vary with the degree of conversion, and showed similar trends. The activation energies obtained by KGR were relatively lower than those obtained from the KAS and OFW methods.

The effect of boehmite alumina nanoparticles on the properties of polylactide/polypropylene blend composites

The effect of boehmite alumina nanofiller on properties of polylactide/polypropylene blend compatibilized with 3% maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene was investigated. Boehmite alumina nanoparticles were finely dispersed in polylactide/polypropylene/boehmite alumina blend up to 7 wt.% to form blend nanocomposites which were prepared by twin-screw melt compounding. The morphology, thermal, mechanical, heat distortion temperature, thermomechanical and degradation characteristics were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy indicated a tubular morphology with increasing boehmite alumina in the blend matrix particularly at 5 and 7 wt.% of boehmite alumina loadings with few agglomerates. Transmission electron microscopy indicated a highly dispersed boehmite alumina in the blend nanocomposites. Boehmite alumina nanoparticles significantly influenced the thermal properties and a nucleation of the blend matrix. A significant improvement in the tensile modulus and tensile strength upon addition of boehmite alumina in the blend nanocomposites was obtained. However, beyond 3 wt.% of boehmite alumina addition, there was a clear deterioration in mechanical properties.

The effects of varying the Eu3+ concentration on the structural and optical properties of Mg1.5Al2O4.5:x% Eu3+ (0 ≤ x ≤ 2) nanophosphors prepared by sol–gel method

Mg1.5Al2O4.5:x% Eu3+ (0 ≤ x ≤ 2) nanopowders were successfully synthesized via sol–gel method. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectrum revealed that the Mg1.5Al2O4.5:x% Eu3+ matches the single phase of face-centred cubic MgAl2O4. The estimated average crystallite sizes calculated using the XRD spectra were found to be in the order of 4 nm. The estimated crystal size was confirmed by the high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy confirmed the presence of all expected elementary composition (Mg, Al, O and Eu). The field emission gun scanning electron microscope showed that varying the Eu3+ concentration influence the morphology of the prepared nanophosphor. The photoluminescence results showed that the host emits the violet colour at around 382 nm, which was attributed to the defects within the band gap (E g) of host material. The Eu3+-doped samples showed the emission at around 560, 580, 593, 618, 655 and 704 nm which are, respectively, attributed to the 5D1 → 7F3, 5D0 → 7F0, 5D0 → 7F1, 5D0 → 7F2, 5D0 → 7F3 and 5D0 → 7F4 characteristic transitions in Eu3+. The International Commission on Illumination colour chromaticity showed that the Eu3+ doping influences the emission colour.

Effect of sodium dodecylbenzene sulphonate modifier and PP-g-MA on the morphology and thermal conductivity of PP/EG composites

ABSTRACT This study investigates the influence of expanded graphite (EG) and sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) treated EG (SDBS/EG) on the structure, thermal stability and thermal conductivity of polypropylene (PP) and polypropylene/maleic anhydride-grafted polypropylene (PP/MAPP) blend. The dispersion of EG and SDBS/EG was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The SDBS-EG showed a crushed and randomly deformed structure. There was an improved interfacial adhesion between the polymer and the SBDS-EG particles. The graphite dispersed much better with less restacking for PP/MAPP/SDBS/EG system. The better dispersion also contributed towards the improved compatibility between the PP or PP/MAPP and SBDS/EG. The SDBS functionalised EG composites showed better thermal stability than the non-functionalized SDBS composites. It was further shown that the functionalized graphite significantly improved the thermal conductivity of the PP and PP/MAPP. This is because the functionalized SDBS/EG seemed to improve the interfacial heat transfer between the conductive filler (EG) and PP matrix.