Rubber Toughening of Polylactic Acid (PLA) with Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT): Mechanical Properties, Fracture Mechanics and Analysis of Ductile-to-Brittle Behavior while Varying Temperature and Test Speed

This review summarizes the main advances published over the last 15 years outlining the different methods of grafting, including reactive extruder systems, surface modification, grafting and graft copolymerization of synthetic and natural polymers with maleic anhydride and its isostructural analogues such as maleimides and maleates, and anhydrides, esters and imides of citraconic and itaconic acids, derivatives of fumaric acid, etc. Special attention is spared to the grafting of conventional and non&conventional synth etic and natural polymers, including biodegradable polymers, mechanism of grafting and graft copolymerization, in situ grafting reactions in melt by reactive extrusion systems, in solutions and solid state (photo& and plasma& induced graftings), and H&bonding effect in the rea ctive blend processing. The structural phenomena, unique properties and application areas of these copolymers and their various modifications and composites as high performance engineering materials have been also described.

/pdf/graft-copolymers-of-maleic-anhydride-and-its-isostructural-phsjwiw1aa.pdf

Graft Copolymers of Maleic Anhydride and its Isostructural Analogues: High Performance Engineering Materials

Polypropylene hybrid composites reinforced with long glass fibres and particulate filler

Continuity development in polymer blends of very low interfacial tension

This paper presents a study of interface modification effect through the use of maleic anhydride (MAH) grafting on one of the component polymers of the binary blend. The system used is binary blend of polypropylene (PP) and the elastomer EPDM (copolymer of ethylene–propylene–diene monomer). Two sets of the blend (i) PP/EPDM binary blend and (ii) PP/EPDM-g-MAH binary blend at constant degree of grafting (i.e., EPDM : MAH ratio) and at varying blending ratios were studied and compared for the properties and structure development. Results are discussed to illustrate the effect of interfacial modification due to presence of MAH by comparing the data of mechanical properties and crystallization behavior for the two sets of the binary blend at identical blending ratios, as well as to study the trends of variation of properties with blending ratio for each individual set of the blend. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102:5528–5532, 2006

Interfacial adhesion through maleic anhydride grafting of EPDM in PP/EPDM blend

Mica-filled polypropylene (PP)-based GMT (PP–mica–GMT) was prepared by a double-belt press and its mechanical properties were tested. The effect of the mica content on the mechanical properties of PP–mica–GMT was investigated. It was found that with a lower mica content in matrix the tensile and flexural properties were improved; however, at a high mica content level, the tensile and flexural properties decreased. With respect to the impact strength, there is a maximum value at an approximate 20 wt % mica content level. These results were attributed to the influence of mica on fiber–matrix adhesion. It is most likely that low mica content enhances fiber–matrix adhesion; however, high mica content is unfavorable to fiber–matrix adhesion. Maleic anhydride-grafted PP (MPP) was used to enhance the fiber–matrix adhesion at a higher mica loading level for PP–mica–GMT. With increasing MPP content in the matrix, the tensile properties were significantly improved, whereas the Izod impact strength decreased. In addition, with 5 wt % MPP and 40 wt % mica in the PP matrix formulation, the effect of the mica particle size and glass fiber content on the mechanical properties of PP–mica–GMT was investigated. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 82: 2719–2728, 2001

Study of the mechanical properties of mica‐filled polypropylene‐based GMT composite

The comparison of the mechanical properties between poly(propylene)/ethylene-propylene-diene monomer elastomer (PP/EPDM) and poly(propylene)/maleic anhydride-g-ethylene-propylene-diene monomer [PP/MEPDM (MAH-g-EPDM)] showed that the latter blend has noticeably higher Izod impact strength but lower Young's modulus than the former one. Phase morphology of the two blends was examined by dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, indicating that the miscibility of PP/MEPDM was inferior to PP/EPDM. The poor miscibility of PP/MEPDM degrades the nucleation effectiveness of the elastomer on PP. The observations of the impact fracture mode of the two blends and the dispersion state of the elastomers, determined by scanning electron microscopy, showed that PP/EPDM fractured in a brittle mode, whereas PP/MEPDM in a ductile one, and that a finer dispersion of MEPDM was found in the blend PP/MEPDM. These observations indicate that the difference in the dispersion state of elastomer between PP/EPDM and PP/MEPDM results in different fracture modes, and thereby affects the toughness of the two blends. The finer dispersion of MEPDM in the blend of PP/MEPDM was attributed to the part cross-linking of MEPDM resulting from the grafting reaction of EPDM with maleic anhydride (MAH) in the presence of dicumyl peroxide (DCP). © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 86: 2486–2491, 2002

Mechanical property and morphology comparison between the two blends poly(propylene)/ethylene-propylene-diene monomer elastomer and poly(propylene)/maleic anhydride-g-ethylene-propylene-diene monomer

Chlorosulfonated polyethylene (CSM) has been prepared by the gas-solid method in a tank reactor using chlorinated polyethylene (CPE) and a gaseous mixture of chlorine and dioxide sulfur. Sulfur content of CSM determined by element analysis is used as a reference for the quantitative determination of the degree of chlorosulfonation. The effects of reaction temperature, effective gaseous mixture concentration, particle size of CPE, and the ratio of chlorine to dioxide sulfur on chlorosulfonation are investigated. The results indicate that with the increment of reaction temperature within the range of from 30 to 50°C, the rate of chlorosulfonation during the later reaction period (15–25 min) is markedly increased and the prepared CSM has higher sulfur content. It was also found that the rate of chlorosulfonation increases with the effective gaseous mixture concentration, and that the ratio of chlorine to dioxide sulfur is preferably 1 : 1. It was proven that HCl, by-product of the chlorosulfonation, can accelerate the rate of chlorosulfonation when the volume concentration of HCl is lower than 40%, and that the presence of oxide results in higher sulfur content of the resultant CSM. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 81: 3582–3588, 2001

Ruofei Zhao

Papers

Study of the mechanical properties of mica‐filled polypropylene‐based GMT composite

Mechanical property and morphology comparison between the two blends poly(propylene)/ethylene-propylene-diene monomer elastomer and poly(propylene)/maleic anhydride-g-ethylene-propylene-diene monomer

Preparation of chlorosulfonated polyethylene by the gas‐solid method