• Polymer(Korea)
• /
• v.33 no.3
• /
• pp.254-262
• /
• 2009

Nine kinds of hydroxypropyl celluloses (HPCs) with degree of substitution (DS) and molar substitution (MS) ranging from 2.10 to 2.71 and 2.3 to 6.7, respectively and seven kinds of fully butanoated HPCs (BPCs) based on the HPCs with $2.3\;{\le}\;MS\;{\le}\;6.7$ were synthesized, and the molecular characteristics of HPCs and the thermotropic liquid crystalline properties of the derivatives were investigated. MS was nearly equal to DS for small value of DS, but it became exceedly larger than DS for $DS{\gtrsim}1$, showing that in the later stages of reaction, propylene oxide preferentially adds to the side chains rather than the main chain. All the derivatives formed enantiotropic cholesteric phases with right-handed helical structures. The glass and clearing transition temperatures of both HPCs and BPCs were decreased with increasing MS. The optical pitches (${\lambda}_m'S$) of BPCs, as well as HPCs themselves, increased with increasing temperature. However, the ${\lambda}_m'S$ of both HPCs and BPCs at the same temperature increased with increasing MS. Moreover, the temperature dependence of ${\lambda}_m$ of HPCs was weaker than that of BPCs, suggesting that the helical twisting power of the cellulose chain highly depends on the length and chemical structure of the side chain introduced in cellulose chain.

• Polymer(Korea)
• /
• v.33 no.6
• /
• pp.561-568
• /
• 2009

Small injection molded articles are generally molded by multi-cavity injection molding. The most important thing in multi-cavity molding is flow imbalance among the cavities because it affects the physical property and the quality of products. The cavity filling balance can be achieved by flow balance in the runner through the thermal balance. In this study, novel screw type runner or helical type runner has been developed for the flow balance in the runner and performed experiment and computer simulation. Flow balance has been observed using various screw type runners for several resins such as amorphous and crystalline polymers including low and high viscosities grades. Flow balance experiments have been performed for various injection speeds since the flow balance can be affected by injection speed among the injection conditions. Experimental results have been compared with computational results and they showed good agreement. The cavity filling balance can be achieved by the screw runner where the temperature distribution is uniform through the circulation flow along the screw channel in the screw runner. It has been verified that the novel screw runner is very effective device in flow balance in the multi-cavity injection molding. cavity filling imbalance, multi-cavity injection molding, runner design, screw runner, thermal balance.

• Resources Recycling
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.34-40
• /
• 2012

$Pt_{10}$/C, $Pt_9Mn_1$/C, $Pt_7Mn_3$/C electrocatalysts for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells(PEMFCs) were synthesized by reduction with HCHO and their activity as a oxygen reduction reaction(ORR) was examined at half cell. The electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction(ORR) was studied by using a glaasy carbon electrode through cyclic voltammetric curves(CV) in a 1 M $H_2SO_4$ solution. The ORR activities of $Pt_9Mn_1$/C were higher than $Pt_{10}$/C, $Pt_7Mn_3$/C. Also potential-current curves of $Pt_9Mn_1$/C at 0.9, 0.8, 0.7, 0.6V for 5minutes respectively were higher than $Pt_{10}$/C, $Pt_7Mn_3$/C. Physical characterization was made by using x-ray diffraction(XRD) and transmission electron microscope(TEM). The TEM images of $Pt_9Mn_1$/C, $Pt_{10}$/C catalysts showed homogenous particle distribution with particle size of about 2.7 nm, 3 nm respectively and then the XRD results showed that the crystalline structure of the synthesized catalysts are seen FCC structure.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.380-385
• /
• 2016

Nanocelluloses, mainly cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNC, i.e., defect-free, rod-like crystalline residues after acid hydrolysis of fibers), have been the subject of recent interest. Due to the presence of hydroxyl groups on the surface of nanocelluloses, their surfaces are reactive, making them suitable candidates for reinforcing materials for manufacturing polymer composites. In this study, CNF was used as a reinforcing material for manufacturing cement composites. CNF was prepared by TEMPO (2,2,6,6,-tetramethyl piperidine-1-oxyl radical) oxidation procedure combined with extensive homogenization and ultrasonication. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis of the suspension showed the width of CNF between 10 and 15 nm. The compressive strength of cement composites containing 0.5% CNF was comparable to that of conventional cement composites. On the other hand, the tensile and flexural strength were improved by 49.7% and 38.8%, respectively, compared to those of conventional cement composites. Also, at an ambient condition, the degree of self-shrinkage reduction reached to 18.9% in one day, followed by 5.9% in 28 days after molding.

• Macromolecular Research
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.156-171
• /
• 2004

We describe the precision synthesis schemes of siloxane-containing polymers, i.e., the control of their molecular weight, stereoregularity, and higher-order structures. First, we found a new catalytic dehydrocoupling reaction of water with bis(dimethylsilyl)benzene to give poly(phenylene-disiloxane). Together with this reaction, we applied hetero-condensations to the synthesis of thermally stable poly(arylene-siloxane)s. The dehydrocoupling reaction was applied to the synthesis of syndiotactic poly(methylphenylsiloxane) and poly(silsesquioxane)s, which we also prepared by hydrolysis and deaminative condensation reactions. We discuss the tendency for loop formation to occur in the synthesis of poly(silsesquioxane) by hydrolysis, and provide comments on the design of functionality of the polymers produced. By taking advantage of the low energy barrier to rotation in the silicon-oxygen bond, we designed selective oxygen-permeable membrane materials and liquid crystalline materials. The low surface free energy of siloxane-containing systems allows surface modification of a blend film and the design of holographic grating materials.

• Macromolecular Research
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.172-177
• /
• 2004

We have studied the lamella-level morphology of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET)/polycarbonate (PC) blends using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Measurements were made as a function of the holding time in the melt. We determined the morphological parameters at the lamellar level by correlation function analysis of the SAXS data. An increased amorphous layer thickness was identified in the blend, indicating that some PC was incorporated into the interlamellar regions of PET during crystallization. The blend also exhibits a larger lamella crystalline thickness (l$\sub$c/) than that of pure PET. A possible reason for the increase in l$\sub$c/ is that the inclusion of the PC molecules in the interlamellar regions causes an increase in the surface free energy of folding. At the early stage of isothermal crystallization, we observed a rapid drop in the value of l$\sub$c/ in the blend; this finding indicates that a relatively large fraction of secondary crystals form during the primary crystallization. In contrast, the value of l$\sub$c/ for the sample that underwent a prolonged holding time increased with time in the secondary crystallization-dominant regime; this observation suggests that the disruption of chain periodicity, which results from transesterification between the two polymers, favors the development of fringed micellar crystals that have larger values of l$\sub$c/ rather than the development of normal chain-folded crystals.

• Composites Research
• /
• v.12 no.6
• /
• pp.53-64
• /
• 1999

Microstructural morphology and bending strengths of moulded composites of thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer(LCP) and polyamide 6 (PA6) have been studied as a function of epoxy fraction. Injection-moulding of a composite plaque at a temperature below the melting point of the LCP fibrils generated a multi-layered structure: the surface skin layer with thickness of $65\;-\;120{\mu\textrm{m}}$ exhibiting a transverse orientation; the sub-skin layer with an orientation in the flow direction; the core layer with arc-curved flow patterns. The plaques containing epoxy 4.8vol% exhibited superior bending strength and large fracture strain. With an increase of epoxy fraction equal to and beyond 4.8vol%, geometry of LCP domains was changed from fibrillar shape to lamella-like one, which caused a shear-mode fracture. An analysis of the bending strength of the composite plaques by using a symmetric layered model beam suggested that addition of epoxy component altered not only the microstructural geometry but also the elastic moduli and strengths of the respective layers.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.50 no.1
• /
• pp.167-172
• /
• 2012

A new type of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) based on EPDM ionomer as an elastomer and polyamide-6 as a reinforcing crystalline polymer was prepared and the thermal properties of TPEs were investigated. Especially effects of neutralization of maleated EPDM (MA-EPDM) to prepare EPDM ionomer with zinc oxide and the content of polyamide-6 on the thermal properties of the blends were investigated. Both the neutralization and blending were carried out employing a twin screw extruder. It was found that the neutralization of MA-EPDM results in the increase of cooling crystallization temperatures. Polyamide-6 plays the role of reinforcing filler in the blends due to the high crystallinity. Fine dispesion of polyamide-6 in the blends was confirmed and attributed to the imide formation between the maleic anhydride of MA-EPDM and amine group of polyamide-6. TPEs based on EPDM ionomer/Polyamide-6 blends showed balanced mechanical properties with improvement in heat resistance.

• Macromolecular Research
• /
• v.17 no.7
• /
• pp.528-532
• /
• 2009

The size and shape of free volume (FV) holes available in membrane materials control the rate of gas diffusion and its permeability. Based on this principle, a segmented, thermo-sensitive polyurethane (TSPU) membrane with functional gate, i.e., the ability to sense and respond to external thermo-stimuli, was synthesized. This smart membrane exhibited close-open characteristics to the size of the FV hole and water vapor permeation and thus can be used as smart food packaging materials. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), positron annihilation lifetimes (PAL) and water vapor permeability (WVP) were used to evaluate how the morphological structure of TSPU and the temperature influence the FV holes size. In DSC and DMA studies, TSPU with a crystalline transition reversible phase showed an obvious phase-separated structure and a phase transition temperature at $53^{\circ}C$ (defined as the switch temperature and used as a functional gate). Moreover, the switch temperature ($T_s$) and the thermal-sensitivity of TSPU remained available after two or three thermal cyclic processes. The PAL study indicated that the FV hole size of TSPU is closely related to the $T_s$. When the temperature varied cyclically from $T_s-10{\circ}C$ to $T_s+10^{\circ}C$, the average radius (R) of the FV holes of the TSPU membrane also shifted cyclically from 0.23 to 0.467 nm, exhibiting an "open-close" feature. As a result, the WVP of the TSPU membrane also shifted cyclically from 4.30 to $8.58\;kg/m^2{\cdot}d$, which produced an "increase-decrease" response to the thermo-stimuli. This phase transition accompanying significant changes in the FV hole size and WVP can be used to develop "smart materials" with functional gates and controllable water vapor permeation, which support the possible applications of TSPU for food packaging.

• Macromolecular Research
• /
• v.17 no.7
• /
• pp.491-498
• /
• 2009

New $\pi$-conjugated multi-branched molecules were synthesized through the Homer-Emmons reaction using alkyl-substituted, 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene-based, thiophenyl aldehydes and octaethyl benzene-l,2,4,5-tetrayltetrakis(methylene) tetraphosphonate as the core unit; these molecules have all been fully characterized. The two multi-branched conjugated molecules exhibited excellent solubility in common organic solvents and good self-film forming properties. The semiconducting properties of these multi-branched molecules were also evaluated in organic field-effect transistors (OFET). With octyltrichlorosilane (OTS) treatment of the surface of the $SiO_2$ gate insulator, two of the crystalline conjugated molecules, 7 and 8, exhibited carrier mobilities as high as $2.4({\pm}0.5){\times}10^{-3}$ and $1.3({\pm}0.5){\times}10^{-3}cm^2V^{-1}s^{-1}$, respectively. The mobility enhancement of OFET by light irradiation ($\lambda$ = 436 nm) supported the promising photo-controlled switching behavior for the drain current of the device.