Reconstruction of Core-Shell Dispersed Particles in Impact Polypropylene Copolymer during Extrusion

We reported an approach to reconstruct the complex phase morphology of impact polypropylene copolymer （IPC） with core-shell dispersed particles and to optimize its toughness in approximate shear condition. The molten-state annealing results indicate that the phase structure with core-shell dispersed particles is unstable and could be completely destroyed by static annealing, resulting in the degradation of impact strength. By using a co-rotating twin screw extruder, we found that the dispersed particle with core-shell structure could be rebuilt in appropriate condition with the recovery of excellent impact strength due to both the huge interfacial tension during solidification and the great difference in viscosity of components. Results reveal that almost all the extruded IPCs show the impact strength 60%-90% higher than that of annealed IPCs at room temperature. And the twice-extruded IPC shows the highest impact strength, 446% higher than that of IPC annealed for 30 min. As for low temperature tests, the impact strength of extruded IPCs also increases by 33%-58%. According to adjusting the processing conditions including extrusion speed, extrusion frequency and temperature, an optimization of toughness was well established.

Discussion on“Dispersion characteristics of clayey soils containing waste rubber particles”[J Rock Mech Geotech Eng 15(2023)3050-3058]

We read with great interest the recent article by Erenson(2023)entitled“Dispersion characteristics of clayey soils containing waste rubber particles”.The author has studied the dispersion characteristics of clayey soils containing different percentages of waste rubber particles(WRPs)by performing several tests(viz.consistency limit,linear shrinkage limit,double hydrometer,crumb test and pinhole test)and scanning electron microscopy(SEM)analysis on five clayey(viz.Na-activated bentonite,refined ball clay,Ukrainian kaolin,Avanos kaolin and Afyon clay)samples containing 0%,5%,10%and 15%WRPs.It should be noted that Erenson(2023)has presented some interesting observations,but there are some serious issues that we want to share through this discussion and request the author of the original paper to address them to avoid their persistence in the scientific literature.

Effects of Composition on Microstructure and Crystallization Behavior for Impact Polypropylene Copolymer Investigated by Restructuring the Complex Core-Shell Dispersed Particles in Ternary Blends

A series of ternary blends of polypropylene/ethylene-propylene random copolymer/ethylene-propylene segmented copolymer（HPP/EPR/Eb P） whose microstructures are similar to those of impact polypropylene copolymer（IPC） were prepared in order to systematically investigate the effects of composition on microstructure and crystallization behavior of IPC. The observation of primary phase morphology reveals that the dispersed phase with core-shell structure could be rebuilt in certain composition and excessive EPR leads to a bicontinuous phase structure in ternary blends. After undergoing same quiescent crystallization including isothermal and non-isothermal crystallization, these blend samples exhibit special composition-dependent melting behavior, i.e., the melting point increases markedly with the increase of EPR content until it turns down at a critical content（about 30 wt%）. The crystallization behavior is mainly ascribed to the different nucleation abilities. It is suggested that although the compatibility between EPR and HPP components becomes worse with the increase of EPR content due to the increased interfacial area and the decreased concentration of Eb P, higher EPR content in the blend facilitates to heterogeneous nucleation except for the appearance of obvious bicontinuous phase structure.

Preparation of Core-shell Structured Particles and Their Nucleation in Polyester:I. Preparation of Monodisperse SiO_2/PS Core-shell Composite Particles

To enhance the nucleation and crystallization properties of polyester (e.g., polyethylene terephthalate, PET), core-shell structured particles are used to improve these properties by controlling the inorganic dispersion properties in the polymers. In the paper, monodisperse particles of silica/polystyrene (PS) are prepared with both dispersion and emulsion polymerization techniques. The monodisperse silicon dioxide particles are first prepared with the seed growth method and modified by the coupling agents. Silica is properly modified with KH-570, and its size deviation is 3.0% or so. The modified silica then reacts with the mixture of ethanol, water medium, and monomer of styrene under dispersion polymerization. Results show that the dispersion polymerization technique is more suitable for monodisperse core-shell SiO2/PS particles than that of the emulsion. The morphology and molecular structure of the core-shell particles are investigated with the transmission electron microscope (TEM), and fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR). The results show that the modified silica particles are successfully encapsulated with polystyrene. The average number of silica particles encapsulated into each polystyrene sphere decreases when the size of silica particles increases from 50 nm to 600 nm, and will approach one when the silica is greater than 380nm in size. The mass ratio for silica/PS particles in emulsion polymerization is 4.7/1, lower than that of 6.8/1 for dispersion polymerization, which is the first reported optimized data for preparing the similar monodisperse composite particles. Thus, the PS shell in the former is thinner than that in the latter.

Analysis of particle dispersion in a turbulent flow considering particle rotation

Non-spherical particles exist widely in natural and industrial fluid systems and the motions of nonspherical particles are significantly different from that of spherical particles.In this paper,a simplified model of non-spherical particles considering particle drag correction,lift,and rotation was established.Based on the Eulerian-Lagrangian simulation,the dispersion characteristics of spherical and nonspherical particles with different Stokes numbers in a high-speed turbulent jet were analyzed and compared considering the effect of particle rotation.The results show that,the differences in particle dispersion and radial velocity fluctuation between non-spherical particles and spherical particles in the jet are significant,especially when Stokes number is large.Moreover,the effects of different type of forces on the dispersion of non-spherical particles and spherical particles were compared in detail,which revealed that the change of the Magnus force caused by the increase in the angular velocity of non-spherical particles plays a dominant role in the differences of particle dispersion.

Dispersion characteristics of clayey soils containing waste rubber particles

The rubber-containing waste materials have been widely used to improve the engineering properties of soils in recent years.Among others,granular rubbers are utilized in various ways to increase the bearing capacity and shear strength and to reduce the settlement and liquefaction potential of soils.The granular rubbers have many advantages such as temperature resistance,flexibility,tear-resistance,non-slip,and thermal and electrical insulation.This study presents the distribution characteristics of five different types of clayey soils with different engineering properties containing waste rubber particles(WRPs).On the other hand,determining and controlling the dispersion characteristics of clayey soils is two significant engineering problems.The study aims to solve these two remarkable and problematic issues in an eco-friendly and safe way.The role of WRP treatment in the investigation of soil dispersion behavior,which can cause dangerous problems such as piping,erosion,and dispersion,reflects the original and different perspectives of this study.Within this scope,geotechnical parameters of the clayey soils were determined.Subsequently,pinhole test,crumb test,double hydrometer test,and scanning electron microscopy(SEM)analysis were performed on the Na-activated bentonite,refined ball clay,Ukrainian kaolin,Avanos kaolin,and Afyon clay samples with different percentages of WRPs(0%,5%,10%,and 15%).Consequently,Avanos and Ukrainian kaolin clays gave the most limited response to the dispersion behavior with the addition of WRP.Also,WRP treatment on the ball clay and bentonite samples showed limited efficiency.Afyon clay,which was defined as dispersive by the three tests that determined its dispersion potential,showed 3 level changes in the pinhole tests and 2 level changes in the crumb tests,and gave the most effective results in terms of WRP efficiency.

THE PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF SBR/PS CORE-SHELL PARTICLES BY GAMMA IRRADIATION

A kind of core(SBR)-shell(PS)particles was synthesized by using SBR latex and grafting with St under gammairradiation.The influences of absorbed dose and dose rate on the grafting yield of PS on SBR seed latex have beeninvestigated.Results show there was a transition layer which contained the SBR/PS graft copolymer between the SBR coreand PS shell.Dynamic laser scattering(DLS)and differential scanning calorimetry(DSC)results confirm the existence ofgrafted polystyrene,and transmission electron microscope(TEM)observation verifies the core-shell structure of SBR-g-PSlatex.Such SBR/PS core-shell latex could be processed easily to ultrafine rubber powders by using spray drying andexpected to be used as an impact modifier for PS.

TOUGHENING OF POLYCARBONATE WITH PBA-PMMA CORE-SHELL PARTICLES

The miscibility,mechanical properties,morphology and toughening mechanism of PC/PBA-PMMA blends wereinvestigated.The dynamic mechanical results show that PC/PBA-PMMA blend has good miscibility and strong interfacialadhesion.The Izod impact strength of blend PC/PBA-PMMA with 4%(volume fraction)PBA-PMMA core-shell modifier is16 times higher than that of pure PC.The core-shell volume fraction and thickness of the PMMA shell have effect on thetoughness of PC/PBA-PMMA blends.As PMMA volume fraction increases,the toughness of PC/PBA-PMMA blendincreases,and reaches a maximum value at 30% volume fraction of PMMA or so.The tensile properties of PC/PBA-PMMAblend with a minimum amount of PBA-PMMA modifier show that brittle-tough transition has no significant variance incomparison with that of pure PC.The scanning electron microscopic(SEM)observation indicates that the tougheningmechanism of the blend with the pseudo-ductile matrix modified by small core-shell latex polymer particles is the synergeticeffect of cavitation and shear yielding of the matrix.

Interaction Between Large-scale Vortex Structure and Dispersed Particles in a Three Dimensional Mixing Layer

In order to understand the interaction between large-scale vortex structure and particles, a two-way coupling temporal mixing layer laden with particles at a Stokes number of 5 with different mass loading planted initially in the upper half region is numerically studied. The pseudospectral method is used for the flow fluid and the Lagrangian approach is employed to trace particles. The momentum coupling effect introduced by a particle is approximated to a point force. The simulation results show that the coherent structures are still dominant in the mixing layer, but the large-scale vortex structure and particle dispersion are modulated. The length of large-scale vortex structure is shortened and the pairing is delayed. At the same time, the particles are distributed more evenly in the whole flow field as the mass loading is increased, but the particle dispersion along the transverse direction differs from that along the spanwise direction, which indicates that the effect by the addition of particle on the spanwise large-scale vortex structure is different from the streamwise counterpart.

Polybutylacrylate/poly (methyl methacrylate) Core-Shell Elastic Particles as Epoxy Resin Toughener: Part Ⅱ Toughness on DGEBA/DDM system

Mechanlcal properties of epoxy resin were investigated by adding core-shell elastic particles (CSEP). The results indicated that optimized core-shell ratio was 60/40 and the loading volume of CSEP was 10 phr (per hundred parts of epoxy resin by weight). The impact strength of modified systems increased apparently with the decrease of core sizes. However, the shearing strength changed gently with the particle sizes. CSEP with lightly crosslinked rubbery core showed more effectiveness on toughness than others. With solution blending, CSEP could be dispersed in epoxy matrix well, and the morphologies of dispersed rubber domains were controlled perfectly by CSEP whose structure was predesigned. A cavitation-shearing band toughness mechanism was observed from the SEM micrographs of fracture surface. It also was found that the deforming temperature (DT) of modified epoxy did not decline apparently.

Controlling Shell Thickness of PS/SiO_2 Core-Shell Particles and Their Crystallization into 3-D Ordered Thin Film

PS/SiO2 particles with core-shell structure were synthesized by coating silica on surface of polystyrene(PS) colloidal particles.The reaction parameters,such as initial tetraethyl orthosilicate(TEOS) concentration,water concentration and reaction temperature,have been investigated to control the thickness of silica shells.The shell thickness was prepositional to the square root of the initial concentration of TEOS and first increased with increasing water concentration,reached a maximum at about 2.0 mol/L and then started decreasing beyond that concentration.It was also found that the shell thickness decreased firstly with the reaction temperature added,then tended to a constant.The so-synthesized PS/SiO2 core-shell particles were directly crystallized into 3-D ordered thin film,then sintered at 570℃ into the ordered macroporous thin film.Compared with the conditional method,the present approach avoids repeatedly filling the precursor in the templetes and save time more.

Optimized high performance liquid chromatography–ultraviolet detection method using core-shell particles for the therapeutic monitoring of methotrexate

Methotrexate （MTX） is an antineoplastic drug, and due to its high toxicity, the therapeutic drug mon- itoring is strictly conducted in the clinical practice. The chemometric optimization and validation of a high performance liquid chromatography （HPLC） method using core-shell particles is presented for the determination of MTX in plasma during therapeutic monitoring. Experimental design and response surface methodology （RSM） were applied for the optimization of the chromatographic system and the analyte extraction step. A Poroshel1120 EC-C18 （3.0 mm × 75 mm, 2.7 μm） column was used to obtain a fast and efficient separation in a complete run time of 4 min. The optimum conditions for the chroma- tographic system resulted in a mobile phase consisting of acetic acid/sodium acetate buffer solution （85.0 mM, pH =4.00） and 11.2% of acetonitrile at a flow rate of 0.4 mL/min. Selectivity, linearity, accuracy and precision were demonstrated in a range of 0.10-6.0 μM of MTX. The application of the optimized method required only 150μL of patient plasma and a low consumption of solvent to provide rapid re- sults.

Synthesis and Characterization of Superparamagnetic Fe₃O₄@SiO₂Core-Shell Composite Nanoparticles

The Fe3O4@SiO2 composite nanoparticles were obtained from as-synthesized magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles through the modified St?ber method. Then, the Fe3O4 nanoparticles and Fe3O4@SiO2 composite nanoparticles were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectra, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Recently, the studies focus on how to improve the dispersion of composite particle and achieve good magnetic performance. Hence effects of the volume ratio of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and magnetite colloid on the structural, morphological and magnetic properties of the composite nanoparticles were systematically investi-gated. The results revealed that the Fe3O4@SiO2 had better thermal stability and dispersion than the magnetite nanoparticles. Furthermore, the particle size and magnetic property of the Fe3O4@SiO2 composite nanoparticles can be adjusted by changing the volume ratio of TEOS and magnetite colloid.

Characteristics and displacement mechanisms of the dispersed particle gel soft heterogeneous compound flooding system

Considering high temperature and high salinity in the reservoirs, a dispersed particle gel soft heterogeneous compound(SHC) flooding system was prepared to improve the micro-profile control and displacement efficiency. The characteristics and displacement mechanisms of the system were investigated via core flow tests and visual simulation experiments. The SHC flooding system composed of DPG particles and surfactants was suitable for the reservoirs with the temperature of 80-110 °C and the salinity of 1×10~4-10×10~4 mg/L. The system presented good characteristics: low viscosity, weak negatively charged, temperature and salinity resistance, particles aggregation capacity, wettability alteration on oil wet surface, wettability weaken on water wet surface, and interfacial tension(IFT) still less than 1×10^(-1) mN/m after aging at high temperature. The SHC flooding system achieved the micro-profile control by entering formations deeply and the better performance was found in the formation with the higher permeability difference existing between the layers, which suggested that the flooding system was superior to the surfactants, DPG particles, and polymer/surfactant compound flooding systems. The system could effectively enhance the micro-profile control in porous media through four behaviors, including direct plugging, bridging, adsorption, and retention. Moreover, the surfactant in the system magnified the deep migration capability and oil displacement capacity of the SHC flooding system, and the impact was strengthened through the mechanisms of improved displacement capacity, synergistic emulsification, enhanced wettability alteration ability and coalescence of oil belts. The synergistic effect of the two components of SHC flooding system improved oil displacement efficiency and subsequently enhanced oil recovery.

Review:Progress in Core-shell Rubber Particles for Efficiently Toughening Resins

Core-shell toughening particles are structured composite particles consisting of generally two different components, one at the center as a rubbery elastic core and surrounding by the second as a glassy inelastic shell. The design, preparation, and application of core-shell polymer particles have been briefly reviewed. Morphological characteristics of the core-shell particles by transmission electron microscopy(TEM) and scanning electron microscopy(SEM) are focused. The vital factors that are useful to control core-shell morphology and toughening properties including core-shell monomer species, polymerization conditions, cross-linking reagents, synthetic method, and post-processing techniques are analyzed. Distinguished properties are mainly considered as the most desirable features that endow core-shell polymer particles with various applicabilities, particularly as effectively toughening components in brittle epoxy resin and polylactide that are substrate of copper clad laminate widely used in the modern electronic world and environmentally friendly materials that are useful as packaging films, disposable tableware, biomedical equipment, and new energy vehicles.

Computer simulated experiments on fracture toughness of particle-dispersed composites

The fracture behavior of a series of geometrically similar three point bend specimens is simulated by a nonlinear multi zone boundary element computer program. The material is based on Al 2O 3 SiC (p) ceramic in which particles are randomly dispersed in a relatively soft matrix. A single edge main crack and a large number of interfacial microcracks randomly distributed between particles and matrix are prescribed. The load deflection curve and the spread of the fracture process zone (FPZ) are observed with confidence. The computer simulated results show that the fracture toughness of the material increases with increasing specimen dimension and becomes constant when the specimen size exceeds a critical value. A practical specimen size for predicting the true fracture toughness of aggregate materials is proposed.

Analysis of Equivalent Oxygen DifFusivity of Particle Dispersed Composites

This paper presents a new method to determine the equivalent oxygen diffusivities of particle dispersed composites. This method can be used to design FGM thermal barrier systems with the function of oxygen barrier. A qualitative explanation of the oxidation of nickel with the increment of zirconia contents in the composite samples can be accepted by this method. The values of equivalent oxygen diffusivities obtained with this method are in excellent agreement with those from the EMT method for the composites with ZrO2 particle dispersed phase when the volume fractions of dispersed phase are lower than 25%.

EFFECTS OF DISPERSED SECOND-PHASE PARTICLES ON MIXED CONDUCTORS OF Li_(1+x)V_3O_8(X=0, 1)

The structure and electric properties of the mixed conductors of Li_(1+x)V_3O_8(x=0.1) containing dispersed second-phase α-Al_2O_3 particles have been studied in the paper. The total conductivity of the specimen containing 6m/o α-Al_2O_3 is five or six times as much as that of pure Li_(1+x)V_3O_8 (x=0.1) at room temperature. By the analyses of NMR and ESR, it is known that at low temperature, the transport activation energy of Li^+ ions reduced, the transport frequency of Li^+ ions are speeded up and thus ionic conductivity increased in the specimens containing α-Al_2O_3 particles. At high temperature, diffusion effect of α-Al_2O_3 on electronic transport becomes great, the enhancement of ionic conductivity caused by α-Al_2O_3 doesn't make up the decrease of electronic conductivity caused by the diffusion effect, so that total conductivity of the specimens containing DSPP is lower than that of pure Li_(1+x)V_3O_8(x=0.1). As a result, DSPP mainly increases ionic conductivity of the mixed conductors at room temperature.

Development of re-crosslinkable dispersed particle gels for conformance improvement in extremely high-temperature reservoirs

Micro-scale and nano-scale dispersed gel particles(DPG)are capable of deep migration in oil reservoirs due to their deformability,viscoelasticity,and suitable particle size.Therefore,it has been widely studied and applied in reservoir conformance control in recent years.However,for highly permeable channels,their plugging performance is still limited.In addition,conventional in situ cross-linked polymer gels(ISCPGs)have fast gelation time under extremely high-temperature conditions,which often causes problems such as difficulty in pumping.Therefore,a re-cross linkable dispersed particle gel(RDPG)system applied for conformance control in highly permeable channels of extremely high-temperature petroleum reservoirs was investigated.The particle size distribution,gelation time,gel strength,injection performance,and perfo rmance strength in po rous media were investigated using a laser particle size meter,the Sydansk bottle test method,rheometer,and core displacement experiments,respectively.Results show that the RDPG suspension can be stable for more than 6 months at room temperature with storage modulus G’much lower than 10 Pa.It can pass through the pore throat by elastic deformation effect and does not cause strong blockage.Moreover,it can undergo re-crosslinking reaction at 150℃to form a strong bulk gel.The gel strength G’of re-crosslinked RDPG can be as high as 69.3 Pa,which meets the strength requirement of conformance control.The RDPG suspension has the properties of easy injection,and it also has strong plugging,and high-temperature resistance after re-crosslinked in the core,which can be a very promising material for conformance improvement in extremely high-temperature reservoirs.

Probing the effect of Young's modulus on the plugging performance of micro-nano-scale dispersed particle gels

The effect of mechanical strength of the dispersed particle gel(DPG)on its macro plugging performance is significant,however,little study has been reported.In this paper,DPG particles with different mechanical strengths were obtained by mechanical shearing of bulk gels prepared with different formula.Young’s moduli of DPG particles on the micro and nano scales were measured by atomic force microscope for the first time.The mapping relationship among the formula of bulk gel,the Young’s moduli of the DPG particles and the final plugging performance were established.The results showed that when the Young’s moduli of the DPG particles increased from 82 to 328 Pa,the plugging rate increased significantly from 91.46%to 97.10%due to the distinctly enhanced stacking density and strength at this range.While when the Young’s moduli of the DPG particles surpassed 328 Pa,the further increase of plugging rate with the Young’s moduli of the DPG particles became insignificant.These results indicated that the improvement of plugging rate was more efficient by adjusting the Young’s moduli of the DPG particles within certain ranges,providing guidance for improving the macroscopic application properties of DPG systems in reservoir heterogeneity regulation.