Polymer Science, Series A最新文献

Abstract

The structure and rheological properties of aqueous solutions of the anionic surfactant potassium oleate and the water-soluble monomer acrylamide before and after radical polymerization have been studied. In the absence of monomer and in the presence of a low-molecular-weight salt, potassium oleate forms a network of long entangled cylindrical (wormlike) micelles. The addition of the monomer does not lead to a change in their cylindrical shape and radius, but it promotes the transformation of branched micelles into linear ones. The structure of surfactant aggregates changes significantly after polymerization: according to neutron scattering data, it becomes bicontinuous and its local geometry becomes lamellar. The coexistence of such a structure with polyacrylamide macromolecules in a semidilute solution leads to a significant synergistic increase in viscosity and elastic modulus.

Abstract

The idea of sustainable and circular utilization of difficult to decompose plastics is pursued to add value to other products. New epoxy mortars suitable for construction repair made from epoxy oligomer, amine and modified PET waste hardeners mixed with sand were prepared. Three types of carboxyl terminated PET (CTPET) were used as co-hardeners, along with an amine, to prepare new combination linkage epoxy mortars. Investigation of the viscoelastic properties revealed that the CTPETs influenced the storage modulus at glassy state and the rubbery plateau, indicative of interfacial adhesion between the epoxy matrix and sand aggregates. Additionally, the damping behavior and glassy temperature were increased with the addition of CTPET. Moreover, the combination linkage of ester groups from the CTPET likely contribute to the enhancement of compressive strength and flexural strength in the epoxy mortar. The results of absorption and flexural change after immersion in solution, as well as the interfacial flexural bonding strength with ordinary cement-based material were also investigated.

Abstract

A series of water-soluble comb-like copolymers of N-methyl-N-vinylacetamide and N-methyl-N-vinylamine (MVAA‒со‒MVA) bearing hydrophobic dodecyl side groups С₁₂Н₂₅ has been investigated by means of molecular hydrodynamics (viscometry, translational diffusion, and analytical ultracentrifugation) in dilute solutions in 0.1 M NaCl, under conditions of suppression of the polyelectrolyte effects. The issues of homology of these amphiphilic copolymers have been considered. The viscometry data plotted as lnη_r as function of c[η] have allowed to distinguish between macromolecules of the copolymers according to their hydrophobicity. Positive values of the second derivative B₂ determined from the initial parts of these curves have served as a measure of hydrophobicity of the amphiphilic copolymers. The noticeable differences in the B₂ values for different copolymers have shown that they do not form true homologous series. For the quasi-homologous series of the MVAA–со–MVAC₁₂H₂₅·HI copolymers with close values of B₂, the Kuhn–Mark–Houwink–Sakurada relationships have been obtained and the equilibrium rigidity of the chains has been assessed using the modified Gray–Bloomfield–Hearst equation.

The influence of different types of deformation of the metal matrix on mechanical behavior of the amorphous PET film upon its transverse compression in the ductile metal matrix has been investigated. Three deformation modes have been probed. In the first case, a disc-shaped polymer specimen has been put between two 5 mm thick discs of the lead–tin alloy and squeezed in the press. In the second and the third cases, planar elongation has been performed in the so called “dead channel”, i.e., the channel with fixed side walls, the film being elongated due to decrease in the width or thickness, respectively. The plots of true yield stress at different draw ratios have formed a common master curve. At high total draw ratio Λ, the true yield stresses have been close for the considered three types of drawing in the metal. At the draw ratio Λ > 2.6, the neck has not appeared, and the specimen has been deformed uniformly. When the film in the channel is elongated due to the decrease in thickness at constant width, the specimen width has been mainly decreased during subsequent elongation in the testing machine. When the film in the channel is elongated due to the decrease in width at constant thickness, further elongation has mainly led to the decrease in the specimen thickness. The true stress Σ has been expressed as Σ = Σ₀ + KΛ³, with K being a constant. Deformation of the polymer in the channel occurred with the formation of shear bands. At the preliminary draw ratio Λ = 1.82, the bands have been oriented at the angle 21.5° with respect to the stretching axis. The planar elongation has led to abnormally strong deformation softening of the polymer. The drawing has been accompanied by an increase in the elasticity modulus of the polymer. The obtained results have suggested that the macromolecules orientation is the main reason for strain hardening of the polymer.

The effect of thermal oxidation on the crystalline phase of polypropylene in composites with single-walled carbon nanotubes has been studied. The composites are synthesized in propylene bulk using a homogeneous catalytic system rac-Me₂Si(2-Me-4PhInd)₂ZrCl₂, activated by methylaluminoxane. The effect of thermal oxidation on thermophysical characteristics (the heat of melting and the melting temperature) measured by DSC and changes occurring in the polymer investigated by IR spectroscopy is studied. Changes in the structure of PP during thermo-oxidative degradation are studied by DSC at 140 and 170°С, that is, before and after melting of the samples. It is shown that the oxidized PP in the composites possesses a higher degree of crystallinity and a more perfect structure than the pure PP. At 170°С the effect of thermo-oxidative stabilization is observed only at low filling degrees (up to 3 wt %), in agreement with the TGA data. An analysis of IR spectra demonstrates that the presence of nanotubes in PP‑based composites during oxidation slows down the formation of oxygen-containing groups in the polymer. The conclusion is made that carbon nanotubes inhibit the thermal oxidation of polypropylene in the composites.

Ionic liquids, salts with melting temperature below 100°C, have continuously attracted research interest. Introduction of ionic liquids in a polymer matrix affords polymer electrolytes exhibiting extremely high electroconductivity and electrochemical stability, membranes on their basis possessing good mechanical properties. Diversity of the polymers/copolymers suitable as the matrix as well as practically unlimited variety of ionic liquids (obtained via variation of the anion-cation composition and additional modification of the ions chemical structure) have afforded the polymer electrolytes with a wide range of the physico-chemical properties. In this study, the attention has been primarily focused on the results published over the recent decades and related to investigation of electrolytes for electrochemical devices, in which the membranes based on polybenzimidazole (meta-PBI), the poly(vinylidene fluoride-со-hexafluoropropylene) (PVdF-HFP) copolymer, and ammonium or imidazolium ionic liquids have been used. Various types of polymer electrolytes differing in the composition and the application range have been considered in this study: polymer + ionic liquid, polymer + ionic liquid + acid, and polymer + ionic liquid + lithium/sodium salt. Moreover, the influence of the fillers, introduced in the above-said polymer electrolytes to improve the properties and resolve the issue of the ionic liquid retention in the membrane, has been discussed. This report presents vast data sets (tables) on the electroconductivity and thermal stability of more than 100 polymer electrolytes, which are demanded by the broad journal audience.