Research

13 pages, 6143 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

The Influence of Carbon Nanotubes on the Physical and Chemical Properties of Nanocomposites Based on Unsaturated Polyester Resin

by Przemysław Pączkowski, Nadiia V. Sigareva, Borys M. Gorelov, Mariia I. Terets, Yurii I. Sementsov, Mykola T. Kartel and Barbara Gawdzik

Nanomaterials 2023, 13(23), 2981; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13232981 - 21 Nov 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 959

Abstract

The new actual scientific direction is in the development of different nanocomposites and the study of their medical–biological, physicochemical, and physicomechanical properties. One way to expand the functionality of nanocomposites and nanomaterials is to introduce carbon nanostructures into the polymer matrix. This study [...] Read more.

The new actual scientific direction is in the development of different nanocomposites and the study of their medical–biological, physicochemical, and physicomechanical properties. One way to expand the functionality of nanocomposites and nanomaterials is to introduce carbon nanostructures into the polymer matrix. This study presents the properties of unsaturated polyester resins (Estromal, LERG S.A.) based on PET recyclate with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs): their mechanical and thermomechanical characteristics, resistance to ultraviolet radiation (UV-vis), and chemical resistance properties. The properties of the obtained materials were characterized using physical–chemical research methods. The changes in the properties of the composites for MWCNT content of 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 wt % were determined. The results showed positive influences on the thermomechanical and mechanical properties of nanocomposites without significant deterioration of their gloss. Too much CNT added to the resin leads to heterogeneity of the composite structure. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanical, Thermal and Electrical Properties of Polymer Nanocomposites)

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13 pages, 3819 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Tailoring the Magnetic and Electrical Properties of Epoxy Composites Containing Olive-Derived Biochar through Iron Modification

by Erik Piatti, Daniele Torsello, Gaia Gavello, Gianluca Ghigo, Roberto Gerbaldo, Mattia Bartoli and Donatella Duraccio

Nanomaterials 2023, 13(16), 2326; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13162326 - 13 Aug 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 854

Abstract

The combination of conductive carbon together with magnetic particles is a consolidated strategy to produce cutting-edge fillers for the production of polymer composites able to shield against microwave radiation. In this work, we developed and characterized an iron-tailored biochar obtained from the pyrolysis [...] Read more.

The combination of conductive carbon together with magnetic particles is a consolidated strategy to produce cutting-edge fillers for the production of polymer composites able to shield against microwave radiation. In this work, we developed and characterized an iron-tailored biochar obtained from the pyrolysis of olive pruning which was added as filler for the preparation of epoxy composites. The biochar-based composites were obtained by keeping the filler concentration at 10 and 40 wt.%. An extensive characterization was carried out in order to assess the electrical and magnetic properties of the composites containing biochar and iron-tailored biochar. The highest DC electrical conductivity of 59 mS/m was observed in the 40 wt.% iron-tailored biochar-loaded composite, while the reduction of the filler loading led to a drastic reduction in conductivity: 60 μS/m in the 10 wt.%-loaded composite. Ferromagnetic behavior of composites containing iron-tailored biochar is visible in the emerging hysteretic behavior, with a magnetic signal increasing with the filler concentration. Finally, both the complex permittivity (ε’) and the AC conductivity (σ) are enhanced by increasing the BC filler amount in the matrix, regardless of the presence of iron. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanical, Thermal and Electrical Properties of Polymer Nanocomposites)

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16 pages, 4687 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Poly(lactic acid)/Plasticizer/Nano-Silica Ternary Systems: Properties Evolution and Effects on Degradation Rate

by Roberta Capuano, Roberto Avolio, Rachele Castaldo, Mariacristina Cocca, Giovanni Dal Poggetto, Gennaro Gentile and Maria Emanuela Errico

Nanomaterials 2023, 13(7), 1284; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13071284 - 05 Apr 2023

Viewed by 1280

Abstract

Plasticized nanocomposites based on poly(lactic acid) have been prepared by melt mixing following a two-step approach, adding two different oligomeric esters of lactic acid (OLAs) as plasticizers and fumed silica nanoparticles. The nanocomposites maintained a remarkable elongation at break in the presence of [...] Read more.

Plasticized nanocomposites based on poly(lactic acid) have been prepared by melt mixing following a two-step approach, adding two different oligomeric esters of lactic acid (OLAs) as plasticizers and fumed silica nanoparticles. The nanocomposites maintained a remarkable elongation at break in the presence of the nanoparticles, with no strong effects on modulus and strength. Measuring thermo-mechanical properties as a function of aging time revealed a progressive deterioration of properties, with the buildup of phase separation, related to the nature of the plasticizer. Materials containing hydroxyl-terminated OLA showed a higher stability of properties upon aging. On the contrary, a synergistic effect of the acid-terminated plasticizer and silica nanoparticles was pointed out, inducing an accelerated hydrolytic degradation of PLA: materials at high silica content exhibited a marked brittleness and a dramatic decrease of molecular weight after 16 weeks of aging. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanical, Thermal and Electrical Properties of Polymer Nanocomposites)

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14 pages, 5708 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Carbon Nanotube Migration in a Compatibilized Blend System, Leading to Kinetically Induced Enhancement in Electrical Conductivity and Mechanical Properties

by Lilian Azubuike, Jun Wang and Uttandaraman Sundararaj

Nanomaterials 2023, 13(6), 1039; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13061039 - 14 Mar 2023

Viewed by 1292

Abstract

Kinetic factors that facilitate carbon nanotube (CNT) migration in a polymer blend from a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) phase to a poly (p-phenylene ether) (PPE) phase were studied, with the objective to induce CNT migration and localization at the interface. Herein, a CNT filler [...] Read more.

Kinetic factors that facilitate carbon nanotube (CNT) migration in a polymer blend from a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) phase to a poly (p-phenylene ether) (PPE) phase were studied, with the objective to induce CNT migration and localization at the interface. Herein, a CNT filler was pre-localized in an HDPE polymer and then blended with PPE at different blend compositions of 20:80, 40:60, 60:40, and 80:20 of PPE/HDPE at a constant filler concentration of 1 wt%. The level of CNT migration was studied at different mixing times of 5 and 10 min. The electrical conductivity initially increased by 2–3 orders of magnitude, with an increase in the PPE content up to 40%, and then it decreased significantly by up to 12 orders of magnitude at high PPE content up to 100%. We determined that the extent of migration was related to the difference in the melt viscosity between the constituent polymers. A triblock copolymer styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene (SEBS) was used to improve the blend miscibility, and 2 wt% copolymer was found to be the optimum concentration for the electrical properties for the two blend compositions of 20:80 and 80:20 of PPE/HDPE, at a constant filler concentration of 1 wt%. The introduction of the SEBS triblock copolymer significantly increased the conductivity almost by almost four orders of magnitude for PPE/HDPE/80:20 composites with 1 wt% CNT and 2 wt% SEBS compared to the uncompatibilized blend nanocomposite. The mechanical strength of the compatibilized blend nanocomposites was found to be higher than the unfilled compatibilized blend (i.e., without CNT), uncompatibilized blend nanocomposites, and the pristine blend, illustrating the synergistic effect of adding nanofillers and a compatibilizer. SEM and TEM microstructures were used to interpret the structure–property relationships of these polymer blend nanocomposites. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanical, Thermal and Electrical Properties of Polymer Nanocomposites)

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11 pages, 1944 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

On the State of Graphene Oxide Nanosheet in a Polyurethane Matrix

by Sergey A. Baskakov, Yulia V. Baskakova, Eugene N. Kabachkov, Elizaveta V. Dvoretskaya, Svetlana S. Krasnikova, Vitaly I. Korepanov, Alexandre Michtchenko and Yury M. Shulga

Nanomaterials 2023, 13(3), 553; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13030553 - 30 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1574

Abstract

Thermally stable films were obtained from a water-based polyurethane (PU) dispersion with small (0.1–1.5 wt.%) additions of graphene oxide (GO). The films were studied through elemental analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, differential thermogravimetry, and Raman spectroscopy. It was found that the introduction of GO [...] Read more.

Thermally stable films were obtained from a water-based polyurethane (PU) dispersion with small (0.1–1.5 wt.%) additions of graphene oxide (GO). The films were studied through elemental analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, differential thermogravimetry, and Raman spectroscopy. It was found that the introduction of GO into a PU matrix was accompanied by a partial reduction in graphene oxide nanosheet and an increase in the concentration of defects in GO structure. It has been also established that the [C/N]_at ratio in the near-surface layer of PU/GO composite films grows with an increase in the content of graphene oxide in the composite films. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanical, Thermal and Electrical Properties of Polymer Nanocomposites)

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15 pages, 30468 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mechanical and Recyclable Properties of Polyimine Enhanced by Biomimetic Modification of Graphene Oxide Sheets/Silicon Carbide Nano-Whiskers

by Si Zhang, Shiyu Ji, Zifan Wang, Jian Zhang, Wei Zhao, Chaoshuai He and Yun Chen

Nanomaterials 2022, 12(24), 4486; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12244486 - 18 Dec 2022

Viewed by 1425

Abstract

Inspired by the mineral bridge between hard phase layers of natural nacre, the biomimetic modified silicon carbide nano-whiskers (MSiCw)/graphene oxide sheets (MGO) reinforced polyimine (PI) composites (MSiCw-MGO-PI) were successfully prepared by heat-pressing at room temperature, which confirmed by FTIR, XPS, and XRD tests. [...] Read more.

Inspired by the mineral bridge between hard phase layers of natural nacre, the biomimetic modified silicon carbide nano-whiskers (MSiCw)/graphene oxide sheets (MGO) reinforced polyimine (PI) composites (MSiCw-MGO-PI) were successfully prepared by heat-pressing at room temperature, which confirmed by FTIR, XPS, and XRD tests. According to the results of mechanical tests, the composites with filling weights of MSiCw and MGO, which were found to be 1% and 0.3%, presented tensile strength of 94.27 MPa, which was 32% higher than the matrix. With the additional weights amount of 1%MSiCw and 0.2%MGO, the impact strength of the composites reached 17.46 KJ/m², which was increased by 81% compared with the matrix. In addition, the reinforcing mechanisms, such as the bridging principle and mechanism of whiskers pulling out, were investigated by analyzing the fracture surface of MSiCw-MGO-PI composites. The results showed that MSiCw and MGO can synergistically improve the mechanical properties of the composites. In addition, the recyclability of the composites valued by the mechanical properties of the composites from regrinding and heat pressing showed that three generations of MSiCw-MGO-PI composites can still maintain high mechanical properties on account of the better dispersion of the reinforcing phases in the matrix from regrinding. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanical, Thermal and Electrical Properties of Polymer Nanocomposites)

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16 pages, 3851 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Formation of UHMWPE Nanofibers during Solid-State Deformation

by Ramin Hosseinnezhad, Iurii Vozniak, Dario Romano, Sanjay Rastogi, Gilles Regnier, Ewa Piorkowska and Andrzej Galeski

Nanomaterials 2022, 12(21), 3825; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12213825 - 29 Oct 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1659

Abstract

A network of nanofibers is formed in situ through solid-state deformation of disentangled ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (dis-UHMWPE) during compounding with a polyolefin elastomer below the melting temperature of dis-UHMWPE crystals. Dis-UHMWPE was prepared in the form of powder particles larger than 50 [...] Read more.

A network of nanofibers is formed in situ through solid-state deformation of disentangled ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (dis-UHMWPE) during compounding with a polyolefin elastomer below the melting temperature of dis-UHMWPE crystals. Dis-UHMWPE was prepared in the form of powder particles larger than 50 μm by polymerization at low temperatures, which favored the crystallization and prevention of macromolecules from entangling. Shearing the blend for different durations and at different temperatures affects the extent to which the grains of dis-UHMWPE powder deform into nanofibers. Disentangled powder particles could deform into a network of nanofibers with diameters between 110 and 340 nm. The nanocomposite can be further sheared for a longer time to decrease the diameter of dis-UHMWPE nanofibers below 40 nm, being still composed of ≈70 wt.% of crystalline and ≈30 wt.% of amorphous components. Subsequently, these thinner fibers begin to melt and fragment because they are thinner and also because the amorphous defects locally decrease the nanofibers’ melting temperature, which results in their fragmentation and partial loss of nanofibers. These phenomena limit the thickness of dis-UHMWPE nanofibers, and this explains why prolonged or more intense shearing does not lead to thinner nanofibers of dis-UHMWPE when compounded in a polymeric matrix. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanical, Thermal and Electrical Properties of Polymer Nanocomposites)

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20 pages, 4805 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characterisation and Mechanical Modelling of Polyacrylonitrile-Based Nanocomposite Membranes Reinforced with Silica Nanoparticles

by Seren Acarer, İnci Pir, Mertol Tüfekci, Tuğba Erkoç, Vehbi Öztekin, Can Dikicioğlu, Güler Türkoğlu Demirkol, Sevgi Güneş Durak, Mehmet Şükrü Özçoban, Tuba Yelda Temelli Çoban, Selva Çavuş and Neşe Tüfekci

Nanomaterials 2022, 12(21), 3721; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12213721 - 23 Oct 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1887

Abstract

In this study, neat polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and fumed silica (FS)-doped PAN membranes (0.1, 0.5 and 1 wt% doped PAN/FS) are prepared using the phase inversion method and are characterised extensively. According to the Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis, the addition of FS [...] Read more.

In this study, neat polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and fumed silica (FS)-doped PAN membranes (0.1, 0.5 and 1 wt% doped PAN/FS) are prepared using the phase inversion method and are characterised extensively. According to the Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis, the addition of FS to the neat PAN membrane and the added amount changed the stresses in the membrane structure. The Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) results show that the addition of FS increased the porosity of the membrane. The water content of all fabricated membranes varied between 50% and 88.8%, their porosity ranged between 62.1% and 90%, and the average pore size ranged between 20.1 and 21.8 nm. While the neat PAN membrane’s pure water flux is 299.8 L/m² h, it increased by 26% with the addition of 0.5 wt% FS. Furthermore, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA) techniques are used to investigate the membranes’ thermal properties. Finally, the mechanical characterisation of manufactured membranes is performed experimentally with tensile testing under dry and wet conditions. To be able to provide further explanation to the explored mechanics of the membranes, numerical methods, namely the finite element method and Mori–Tanaka mean-field homogenisation are performed. The mechanical characterisation results show that FS reinforcement increases the membrane rigidity and wet membranes exhibit more compliant behaviour compared to dry membranes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanical, Thermal and Electrical Properties of Polymer Nanocomposites)

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