Exploring the effect of cooling rate on non-isothermal crystallization of copolymer polypropylene by fast scanning calorimetry

Polypropylene is commonly used as a binder for ceramic injection molding,and rapid cooling is often encountered during processing.However,the crystallization behavior of polypropylene shows a strong dependence on cooling rate due to its semi-crystalline characteristics.Therefore,the influence of cooling rate on the quality of final product cannot be ignored.In this study,the fast differential scanning calorimetry(FSC)test was performed to study the influence of cooling rate on the non-isothermal crystallization behavior and non-isothermal crystallization kinetics of a copolymer polypropylene(PP BC03B).The results show that the crystallization temperatures and crystallinity decrease as the cooling rate increases.In addition,two exothermic peaks occur when cooling rate ranges from 30 to 300 K·s^(-1),indicating the formation of another crystal phase.Avrami,Ozawa and Mo equations were used to explore the non-isothermal crystallization kinetics,and it can be concluded that the Mo method is suitable for this study.

Characterization and Modeling of Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Coconut Fiber-Reinforced Polypropylene Composites

In the face of the increased global campaign to minimize the emission of greenhouse gases and the need for sustainability in manufacturing, there is a great deal of research focusing on environmentally benign and renewable materials as a substitute for synthetic and petroleum-based products. Natural fiber-reinforced polymeric composites have recently been proposed as a viable alternative to synthetic materials. The current work investigates the suitability of coconut fiber-reinforced polypropylene as a structural material. The coconut fiber-reinforced polypropylene composites were developed. Samples of coconut fiber/polypropylene (PP) composites were prepared using Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF). Tests were then conducted on the mechanical properties of the composites for different proportions of coconut fibers. The results obtained indicate that the composites loaded with 2 wt% exhibited the highest tensile and flexural strength, while the ones loaded with 3 wt% had the highest compression strength. The ultimate tensile and flexural strength at 2 wt% were determined to be 34.13 MPa and 70.47 MPa respectively. The compression strength at 3 wt% was found to be 37.88 MPa. Compared to pure polypropylene, the addition of coconut fibers increased the tensile, flexural, and compression strength of the composite. In the study, an artificial neural network model was proposed to predict the mechanical properties of polymeric composites based on the proportion of fibers. The model was found to predict data with high accuracy.

Comparative impact behaviours of ultra high performance concrete columns reinforced with polypropylene vs steel fibres

Polypropylene(PP) fibres have primarily used to control shrinkage cracks or mitigate explosive spalling in concrete structures exposed to fire or subjected to impact/blast loads, with limited investigations on capacity improvement. This study unveils the possibility of using PP micro-fibres to improve the impact behaviour of fibre-reinforced ultra-high-performance concrete(FRUHPC) columns. Results show that the addition of fibres significantly improves the impact behaviour of FRUHPC columns by shifting the failure mechanism from brittle shear to favourable flexural failure. The addition of steel or PP fibres affected the impact responses differently. Steel fibres considerably increased the peak impact force(up to 18%) while PP micro-fibres slightly increased the peak(3%-4%). FRUHPC significantly reduced the maximum midheight displacement by up to 30%(under 20°impact) and substantially improved the displacement recovery by up to 100%(under 20° impact). FRUHPC with steel fibres significantly improved the energy absorption while those with PP micro-fibres reduced the energy absorption, which is different from the effect of PP-macro fibre reported in the literature. The optimal fibre content for micro-PP fibres is 1% due to its minimal fibre usage and low peak and residual displacement. This study highlights the potential of FRUHPC as a promising material for impact-resistant structures by creating a more favourable flexural failure mechanism, enhancing ductility and toughness under impact loading, and advancing the understanding of the role of fibres in structural performance.

Efficient and selective removal of Pb(Ⅱ) from landfill leachate using L-serine-modified polyethylene/polypropylene nonwoven fabric synthesized via radiation grafting technique

In this study,to efficiently remove Pb(Ⅱ) from aqueous environments,a novel L-serine-modified polyethylene/polypropylene nonwoven fabric sorbent(NWF-serine)was fabricated through the radiation grafting of glycidyl methacrylate and subsequent L-serine modification.The effect of the absorbed dose was investigated in the range of 5–50 kGy.NWF-serine was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,thermogravimetric analysis,and scanning electron microscopy.Batch adsorption tests were conducted to investigate the influences of pH,adsorption time,temperature,initial concentration,and sorbent dosage on the Pb(Ⅱ) adsorption performance of NWF-serine.The results indicated that Pb(Ⅱ) adsorption onto NWF-serine was an endothermic process,following the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm model.The saturated adsorption capacity was 198.1 mg/g.NWF-serine exhibited Pb(Ⅱ) removal rates of 99.8% for aqueous solutions with initial concentrations of 100 mg/L and 82.1% for landfill leachate containing competitive metal ions such as Cd,Cu,Ni,Mn,and Zn.Furthermore,NWF-serine maintained 86% of its Pb(Ⅱ) uptake after five use cycles.The coordination of the carboxyl and amino groups with Pb(Ⅱ) was confirmed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and extended X-ray absorption fine structure analysis.

Effects of cement content, polypropylene fiber length and dosage on fluidity and mechanical properties of fiber-toughened cemented aeolian sand backfill

Using aeolian sand(AS)for goaf backfilling allows coordination of green mining and AS control.Cemented AS backfill(CASB)exhibits brittle fracture.Polypropylene(PP)fibers are good toughening materials.When the toughening effect of fibers is analyzed,their influence on the slurry conveying performance should also be considered.Additionally,cement affects the interactions among the hydration products,fibers,and aggregates.In this study,the effects of cement content(8wt%,9wt%,and 10wt%)and PP fiber length(6,9,and 12 mm)and dosage(0.05wt%,0.1wt%,0.15wt%,0.2wt%,and 0.25wt%)on fluidity and mechanical properties of the fibertoughened CASB(FCASB)were analyzed.The results indicated that with increases in the three aforementioned factors,the slump flow decreased,while the rheological parameters increased.Uniaxial compressive strength(UCS)increased with the increase of cement content and fiber length,and with an increase in fiber dosage,it first increased and then decreased.The strain increased with the increase of fiber dosage and length.The effect of PP fibers became more pronounced with the increase of cement content.Digital image correlation(DIC)test results showed that the addition of fibers can restrain the peeling of blocks and the expansion of fissure,and reduce the stress concentration of the FCASB.Scanning electron microscopy(SEM)test indicated that the functional mechanisms of fibers mainly involved the interactions of fibers with the hydration products and matrix and the spatial distribution of fibers.On the basis of single-factor analysis,the response surface method(RSM)was used to analyze the effects of the three aforementioned factors and their interaction terms on the UCS.The influence surface of the two-factor interaction terms and the three-dimensional scatter plot of the three-factor coupling were established.In conclusion,the response law of the FCASB properties under the effects of cement and PP fibers were obtained,which provides theoretical and engineering guidance for FCASB filling.

PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION ON THE MISCIBILITY OF ISOTACTIC POLYPROPYLENE (iPP) AND SYNDIOTACTIC POLYPROPYLENE (sPP) BLENDS

Experimental miscibility studies were performed on different compositions of iPP/sPP blends, where sPP has a low syndiotacticity （[rrrr] = 81%）. Combining optical microscopy, rheology, and solid state NMR spectroscopy, the miscibility of the blends was investigated at different scales in the traditionally thought to be ＂immiscible＂ iPP/sPP blends. For the composition of iPP/sPP （90/10） blend, it shows to be miscible in the melt, and furthermore, the existence of intermolecular chain interactions between sPP and iPP components was detected in the solid state.

Enhance of Grafting Reaction of Acrylic Acid and Acrylamide onto Preirradiated Polypropylene Film

Grafting of acrylic acid (AAc) and acrylamide (AAm) onto preirradiated PP film was performed in aqueous solution of AAc and AAm, respectively. Electron beam accelerator was used as irradiation source. The effect of ferrous sulfate, sodium nitrate, methanol and glucose on the degree of grafting was demonstrated. The function of the different additives was compared by the grafting of different monomers (AAc and AAm). The results show that the four of these additives are elective on the grafting of AAc. Only two of these additives, ferrous sulfate and methanol were effective on the grafting of AAm.

医用丝线和Polypropylene缝线用于皮肤除皱的对比研究

目的:研究临床常用外科缝线医用丝线和在国外用于皮肤提升除皱术中的常用Polypropylene缝线对皮肤胶原蛋白的影响。方法:将21只造模成功的衰老家兔随机分为三组,即Polypropylene缝线(P)组、医用丝线(S)组和空白对照组。在缝线植入术后第3、7、15、30、45、60及90天切取P组和S组手术标记区及对照组取样区皮肤,做羟脯氨酸(HYP)的含量测定。结果:P组、S组和对照组在不同时间点测得的HYP含量差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。测定时点与手术分组存在交互作用(P<0.05)。HYP含量为P组>S组>对照组。结论:Polypropylene缝线比医用丝线能更为有效的改善皮肤弹性和皱纹。

医用丝线和Polypropylene缝线对植入部位皮肤衰老因子影响的实验研究

目的通过衰老动物模型研究临床常用外科缝线医用丝线和皮肤提升除皱术中的常用聚丙烯缝线(Polypropylene缝线)对皮肤抗衰老指标的影响,探讨手术缝线对皮肤除皱的机制。方法将21只造模成功的衰老家兔随机分为三组,并于缝线植入术后第3,7,15,30,45,60,90天切取手术标记区及对照组取样区皮肤,测定皮肤组织中超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)的活性及过氧化氢(H2O2)的含量。结果缝线植入组和对照组在不同时间点测得的SOD及H2O2含量差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。测定时点与手术分组存在交互作用(P<0.05)。结论植入缝线可以起到一定的抗衰老作用,Polypropylene缝线比医用丝线能更为有效地改善皮肤弹性和皱纹。

The Effect of Silane Grafted Polypropylente on the Property of Different Filler/Polypropylene Composites

Aim To determine the effect of silane grafted polypropylene on the property of different filler/polypropylene composites. Methods Polypropylene (PP) composites filled with talc(Ta), baryta sulfate and calcium carbonate coupled with silane grafted polypropylene (PP-g-Si) were made, their mechanical properties and thermal properties were investigated, respectively. Results As compared with the non-coupled composites, the mechanical properties of PP/Ta/PP-g-Si composites were improved to some extent, though the values of tensile modulus and the strain at peak were decreased. But for PP/BaSO4 and PP/CaCO3 composites, the values of their mechanical properties varied slightly or even decreased with increasing PP-g-Si content within the experimental component. Meanwhile, PP-g-Si also affected the melting and crystallization behavior of PP in the composites. Conclusion PP-g-Si offers compatibilization in PP/Ta composites, but offers no-compatibilization in PP/BaSO4 and PP/CaCO3 composites within the extent of the present range of PP-g-Si, which shows that PP-g-Si can be used as the macromolecular coupling agent of PP and Ta composite.

Fracture Properties of Cement Composites Reinforced with Steel Polypropylene Hybrid Fibres

Polypropylene fibres and three sizes of steel fibres reinforced concrete are discussed. The total fibres content ranges from 0 4%-0 95% by volume of concrete. A four point bending test is adopted on the notched prisms with the size of 100?mm×100?mm×500?mm to investigate the effect of hybrid fibres on crack arresting. The research results show that there is a positive synergy effect between large steel fibres and polypropylene fibres on the load bearing capacity in the small displacement range. But this synergy effect disappears in the large displacement range. The large and strong steel fibre is better than soft polypropylene fibre and small steel fibre in the aspect of energy absorption capacity in the large displacement range. The static usage limitation for the hybrid fibres concrete with “wide peak' or “multi peaks' load CMOD pattern should be carefully selected. The ultimate load bearing capacity and the crack width or CMOD at this load level should be jointly considered.

TEXTURE AND CRYSTALLINITY EVOLUTION IN ISOTACTIC POLYPROPYLENE INDUCED BY ROLLING AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON MECHANICAL PROPERTIES

The orientation and crystallinity evolution of isotactic polypropylene （iPP） induced by rolling were studied using wide angle X-ray scattering with an area detector. The tensile mechanical properties of rolled isotactic polypropylene sheets were also measured in this work. The texture component method was used to analyze the rolling texture. The rolling texture consists mainly of （010）[001], （130）[001] and [001]//RD fiber components in the sample with a rolling true strain of 1.5. The results reveal that crystallinity drastically decreases during rolling. It is suggested that amorphization is a deformation mechanism which takes place as an alternative to crystallographic intralamellar slip depending on the orientation of the lamellae. Both the orientation and crystallinity affect the tensile mechanical properties of rolled polypropylene. Crystallinity influences the elastic modulus on both directions and yield strength on transverse direction at the first stage of deformation. Orientation is the main reason for the changes of mechanical properties, especially at the latter part of deformation. The changes of both tensile strength and elongation percentage on rolling direction are larger than those on transverse direction, which results from the orientation. At last, the anisotropic mechanical properties occur on the rolling and transverse direction： high tensile strength with low elongation percentage on rolling direction and low tensile strength with high elongation percentage on transverse direction.

Catalytic performances of kaoline and silica alumina in the thermal degradation of polypropylene

Polypropylene was cracked thermally and catalytically in the presence of kaoline and silica alumina in a semi batch reactor in the temperature range 400℃～550℃ in order to obtain suitable liquid fuels.The dependencies between process temperatures,types of catalyst,feed compositions and product yields of the obtained fuel fractions were found.It was observed that up to 450℃ thermal cracking temperature,the major product of pyrolysis was liquid oil and the major product at other higher temperatures(475℃～550℃) are viscous liquid or wax and the highest yield of pyrolysis product is 82.85% by weight at 500℃.Use of kaoline and silica alumina decreased the reaction time and increased the yield of liquid fraction.Again the major pyrolysis product in catalytic pyrolysis at all temperatures was low viscous liquid oil.Silica alumina was found better as compared to kaoline in liquid yield and in reducing the reaction temperature.The maximum oil yield using silica alumina and kaoline catalyst are 91% and 89.5% respectively.On the basis of the obtained results hypothetical continuous process of waste polypropylene plastics processing for engine fuel production can be presented.

Effect of Oleic Acid-modified Nano-CaCO3 on the Crystallization Behavior and Mechanical Properties of Polypropylene

Oleic acid (OA)-modified CaCO3 nanoparticles were prepared using surface modification method. Infrared spectroscopy (IR) was used to investigate the structure of the modified CaCO3 nanoparticles, and the result showed that OA attached to the surface of CaCO3 nanoparticles with the ionic bond. Effect of OA concentration on the dispersion stability of CaCO3 in heptane was also studied, and the result indicated that modified CaCO3 nanoparticles dispersed in heptane more stably than unmodified ones. The optimal proportion of OA to CaCO3 was established. The effect of modified CaCO3 nanoparticles on crystallization behavior of polypropylene (PP) was studied by means of DSC. It was found that CaCO3 significantly increased the crystallization temperature, crystallization degree and crystallization rate of PP, and the addition of modified CaCO3 nanoparticles can lead to the formation of β-crystal PP. Effect of the modified CaCO3 content on mechanical properties of PP/CaCO3 nanocomposites was also studied. The results showed that the modified CaCO3 can effectively improve the mechanical properties of PP. In comparison with PP, the impact strength of PP/CaCO3 nanocomposites increased by about 65% and the flexural strength increased by about 20%.

DISPERSION AND TENSILE BEHAVIOR OF POLYPROPYLENE/MONTMORILLONITE NANOCOMPOSITES PRODUCED VIA MELT INTERCALATION

Most of the articles on polymer nanocomposites focus on the importance of chemistry used to modify the surface of the clay, usually montmorillonite (MMT), and characterization of the nano-scale structure obtained. The role and importance of processing were also discussed recently. However, few papers concerning the correlation between morphology of MMT and mechanical properties were published. In order to understand. the tensile behavior of PP/Montmorillonite (MMT) nanocomposites better, and to further improve the reinforcement efficiency, we first prepared the PP nanocomposites via direct melt intercalation using conventional twin-screw extrusion. The dispersion and tensile property of the composites were then investigated by SEM, XRD, TEM and a video-controlled tensile set-up. The macroscopic and microscopic dispersion of MMT in PP matrix was verified by XRD and TEM, combined with SEM. The tensile properties were obtained by video-controlled tensile set-up, which gives true stress-strain curve. It was found that a partly intercalated and partly exfoliated structure (also called incomplete exfoliation) existed in the system. Though the tensile strength of PP nanocomposites is not much improved in engineering stress-strain curves, more than 20% increase of true stress was found in a true stress-strain experiment at high true strain, which indicates that only oriented silicate layers can have a big effect on tensile properties: Not only orientation of silicate platelets but also the degree of exfoliation is a key factor to determine the reinforcement efficiency. The reinforcement efficiency of MMT has been discussed based on the 'continuum' Halpin-Tsai equations. A good agreement was found between experimental data and theoretical prediction by changing N value (number of platelets per stack) which corresponding to different state of the dispersion of MMT in PP matrix.

Reinforcing effects of modified Kevlar~ fiber on the mechanical properties of wood-flour/polypropylene composites

Kevlar fiber （KF） is a synthesized product with strong mechanical properties. We used KF as a reinforcement to improve the mechanical properties of wood-flour/polypropylene （WF/PP） composites. KF was pretreated with NaOH to improve its compatibility with the thermoplastic matrix. Maleated polypropylene （MAPP） was used as a coupling agent to improve the interfacial adhesion between KF, WF, and PP. Incorporation of KF improved the mechanical properties of WF/PP composites. Treatment of KF with NaOH resulted in further improvement in mechanical strength. Addition of 3% MAPP and 2% hydrolyzed KF （HKF） led to an increment of 93.8% in unnotched impact strength, 17.7% in notched impact strength, 86.8% in flexure strength, 50.8% in flexure modulus, and 94.1% in tensile strength compared to traditional WF/PP composites. Scanning electron microscopy of the cryo-fractured section of WF/PP showed that the HKF surface was rougher than the virgin KF, and the KF was randomly distributed in the composites, which might cause a mechanical interlocking between KF and polypropylene molecules in the composites.

Fabrication and Characterization of Nano-CaCO_3/Polypropylene Foam Sheets

By applying the reinforcing and toughening effect of calcium carbonate （CaCO3） nanoparticles on polypropylene, foam sheets of good performance were successfully fabricated by extrusion. The equipment and conditions of the extrusion were explored. The mechanical properties of the produced foam sheets were tested. The effect of CaCO3 nano-particles on the mechanical properties and the cellular structure of the sheets was comprehensively studied. The experimental results show that the optimum content of CaCO3 nano-particles in the composite material was -4wt%. At this content, the nano-particles were well dispersed in the substrate, and the composite material had maximum tensile strength and impact strength. Surface treatment of the nano-particles only affected the impact strength of the composite material. CaCO3 micro-particles, on the other hand, showed little effect on the properties of the composite material when the micro-particles content was less than 5 wt%. At a content higher than 5wt%, the properties of the composite material significantly worsened.

CRYSTALLIZATION AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF POLYPROPYLENE FILLED WITH SiO_2 NANOPARTICLES

Oleic acid （OA）-modified SiO2 （OA-m-SiO2） nanoparticles were prepared using surface modification method. Infrared spectroscopy （IR） was used to investigate the structure of the OA-m-SiO2 nanoparticles, and the result showed that OA attached onto the surface of SiO2 nanoparticles through esterification. Effect of OA concentration on the dispersion stability of OA-m-SiO2 in heptane was also studied, and the result indicated that OA-m-SiO2 nanoparticles were dispersed in heptane more stably than the unmodified ones. OA-m-SiO2 nanoparticles can also be dispersed in polypropylene （PP） matrix in nano-scale. The effect of OA-m-SiO2 on crystallization of PP was studied by means of DSC. It was found that the introduction of OA-m-SiO2 resulted in significant increase in the crystallization temperature, crystallization degree and crystallization rate of PP, and OA-m-SiO2 could effectively induce the formation of β-crystal PP. Effect of OA-m-SiO2 content on mechanical properties of PP/OA-m-SiO2 nanocomposites was also studied. The results show that OA-m-SiO2 can significantly improve the mechanical properties of PP.

Effect of Polypropylene Fibers on the Long-term Tensile Strength of Concrete

The influence of low volume fraction of polypropylene（PP） fibers on the tensile properties of normal and high strength concretes was studied. The experimental results indicate that the addition of PP fibers in concrete leads to a reduction in tensile strength during the age of 28 d. Whereas, after 28 days, there is a notable effect in tensile strength due to PP fibers restraining the formation and growth of microcracks in concrete, which improves the continuity and integrality of concrete structure, Thus, a low volume fraction of PP fibers is beneficial to enhancing the long-term tensile strength of concrete materials and improving the durability of concrete structures.

DYNAMIC RHEOLOGICAL BEHAVIOR OF POLYPROPYLENE FILLED WITH ULTRA-FINE POWDERED RUBBER PARTICLES

Dynamic rheological characteristics of polypropylene (PP) filled with ultra-fine full-vulcanized powdered rubber (UFPR) composed of styrene-butadiene copolymer were studied through dynamic rheological measurements on an Advanced Rheometric Expansion System (ARES). A specific viscoelastic phenomenon, i.e. 'the second plateau', appeared at low frequencies, and exhibits a certain dependence on the amount of rubber particles and the dispersion state in the matrix. This phenomenon is attributed to the formation of aggregation structure of rubber particles. The analyses of Cole-Cole diagrams of the dynamic viscoelastic functions suggest that the heterogeneity of the composites is enhanced on increasing both particle content and temperature.