• Composites Research
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.419-424
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• 2022

Using non-biodegradable polymers is a severe environmental problem as they are not recyclable and generate a large amount of waste. Biopolymers, such as starch-based composites, have been considered one of the most promising replacement materials. These eco-friendly materials have the advantage of being low-cost, biodegradable, and obtained from renewable sources. However, as starch tends to be brittle and hydrophilic, it can make these materials unusable when exposed to water and limit its processability for further applications. In this work, a biobased modified starch was grafted using two bioderived materials, lauryl methacrylate (LMA) and tetrahydrofurfuryl methacrylate (THFMA), by radical polymerization. A polylactic acid (PLA) composite based on the modified starch (m-St) was fabricated to enhance its toughness. These samples were characterized by Fourier transform infrared, ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR analysis, optical and scanning electron microscopy. The starch was successfully grafted, thus improving the compatibility with the PLA matrix. The mechanical properties of these films were also studied. Results from mechanical tests showed a slight enhancement of the mechanical performance of these composites when m-St was added to the PLA matrix. Such behavior is related to the improved dispersion of m-St 1:2 on PLA, confirmed by SEM images showing enhanced compatibility between modified starch and PLA matrix. This indicated excellent properties of the produced composite film for further eco-friendly applications.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.507-512
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• 2013

A graphene/waterborne polyurethane (WPU) nano composite was prepared by in-situ polymerization of PU and graphene having isocyanate (iGO) group in order to improve physicochemical/electrical characteristics. The properties of the graphene/WPU nanocomposite can effectively be enhanced as compared pristine WPU; up to 57% of tensile strength and $10^2$ fold of electrical conductivity with introduction of 2 wt% graphene. In addition, mechanical/electrical properties of the graphene/WPU nanocompsite were higher than those of graphene/WPU composite prepared by a simple physical blend method. It might attribute to homogeneous dispersion of iGO in the WPU matrix via covalent bonds and hydrogen bonds between WPU and iGO from the results of morphological analysis by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

• Composites Research
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.415-420
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• 2020

The interfacial properties in carbon fiber composites, which control the overall mechanical properties of the composites, are very important. Effective interface enhancement work is conducted on the modification of the carbon fiber surface with carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Nonetheless, most surface modifications methods do have their own drawbacks such as high temperatures with a range of 600~1000℃, which should be implemented for CNT growth on carbon fibers that can cause carbon fiber damages affecting deterioration of composites properties. This study includes the use of in-situ interfacial polymerization of polyamide 610/CNT to fabricate the carbon fiber composites. The process is very fast and continuous and can disperse CNTs with random orientation in the interface resulting in enhanced interfacial properties. Scanning electron microscopy was conducted to investigate the CNT dispersion and composites morphology, and the thermal stability of the composites was analyzed via thermogravimetric analysis. In addition, fiber pull-out tests were used to assess interfacial strength between fiber and matrix.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.28 no.10
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• pp.1534-1540
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• 2004

This study aims to obtain fundamental understandings involving the manufacturing processes of nano-composites with chemically surface-modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes(MWCNTs), and explore the role of functionalized MWCNTs in the epoxy/MWCNT composites. For this purpose, MWCNTs were purified by the thermo-chemical oxidation process, and incorporated into an epoxy matrix by in situ polymerization process, the surface of MWCNTs were functionalized with carboxyl functions which were demonstrated by an infrared spectroscopy. The mechanical properties of epoxy/MWCNT nano-composites were measured to investigate the role of a chemically functionalized carbon nanotubes. To improve the dispersion quality of MWCNTs in the epoxy matrix, methanol and acetone were exploited as dispersion media with sonification. The epoxy/MWCNT nano-composites with 1 or 2 wt.％ addition of functionalized carbon nanotubes show an improved tensile strength and wear resistance in comparison with pure epoxy, which shows the mechanical load transfer improves through chemical bonds between epoxy and functionalized MWCNTs. The tensile strength with 7 wt.％ functionalized MWCNTs increases by 28％ and the wear resistance is dramatically improved by 100 times.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.303-315
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• 2003

Inorganic/organic composite particles were also synthesized by changing an initiator an it's concentration, concentration of an adsorbed surfactant, reaction temperature, and agitation speed in the presence of $CaCO_3$ adsorbed SDBS. The polymerization conditions were optimized according to the conversion of the core-shell composite particles. In the inorganic/organic core-shell composite particle polymerization, $CaCO_3$ absorbed surfactant SDBS of 0.5 wt % was prepared first and then core $CaCO_3$ was encapsulated by sequential emulsion polymerization using MMA, concentration of APS $3.16{\times}10^{-3}mol/L$ to minimize the formation of new PMMA particle during MMA shell polymerization. The structure characterization of the inorganic/organic core-shell particles was verified by measuring the decomposition degree of $CaCO_3$ using HCl solution. It was found that $CaCO_3$ was encapsulated by shell PMMA due to having excellent dispersion in the epoxy resin, smooth surface distinctly from spindle shape, and broad particle distribution after the capsulation.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.143-149
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• 2008

We synthesized PEG-PLA (or PLGA) amphiphilic di-block copolymers, which consist of PEG as biocompatible and hydrophilic block and PLA (or PLGA) as biodegradable and hydrophobic block, by ring opening polymerization of LA in the presence of methoxy PEG as a macroinitiator. The compositions and the molecular weights of the copolymers were controlled by changing the feed ratio of LA (and GA) to PEG initiator. The di-block copolymers could self-assemble in aqueous media to form micellar structure. A hydrophobic model drug, pioglitazone, was loaded into the polymer micelle using solid dispersion and dialysis methods, and the drug-loaded micelles were characterized by AFM, DLS and HPLC measurements. The drug loading capacity and in vitro release studies were performed and evaluated under various conditions. These results indicated that the amphiphilic di-block copolymers of PEG-PLA (or PLGA) could solubilize pioglitazone by solid dispersion method and the drug release was modulated according to micellar chemical compositions.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.301-305
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• 2011

ABS/silicate composites with different clay types and compositions were prepared by in situ emulsion polymerization. The chemical structure of ABS was confirmed by the change of C-H stretching peak(near 3000 $cm^{-1}$) in fourier transform-infrared(FT-IR) spectrum. The thermal properties of the ABS/silicate composites were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry(DSC) and thermogravimetric analyzer(TGA). There was no distinct change in glass transition temperature of the ABS/silicate composites with different clay types. TGA curve indicates a dramatic increase in degradation temperature in case of ABS/20A composite with 3 wt% 20A. The silicate dispersion in the composites was measured by X-ray diffraction(XRD). The silicate dispersion in ABS/20A composites depended on the 20A composition. XRD results showed that the diffraction peak of the ABS/20A composite appeared when the content of 20A was higher than 5 wt%.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.634-643
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• 2020

In this study, the rheological and tribological properties of urea grease were studied according to the type and amount of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) powders added to the urea grease, which is the most widely used among solid lubricants, to develop an optimal lubrication system. Urea grease was synthesized using 4,4'-methylenebis(phenyl isocyanate)(MDI), oleylamine, and cyclohexylamine, and PTFE powders prepared by dispersion or suspension polymerization process were then added. The basic rheological and tribological properties of the prepared greases were compared. The worked penetration numbers of urea grease decreased with increasing amount of PTFE powders, but both PTFE powders caused no significant changes in heat resistance and copper corrosion resistance. The shear viscosity increased with increasing PTFE powder content, and the dispersion-type PTFE powder was more effective in increasing the viscosity. In the value of the loss coefficient = 1, the shear stress was higher for the grease containing PTFE powders than the non-PTFE added grease, and the dispersion-type PTFE-added grease showed higher viscosity than the suspension-type PTFE-added grease. Finally, urea grease was found to have a low-performance improvement in terms of wear reduction effects by adding PTFE powders, but the load-bearing performance was up to 2.5 times higher for the dispersion-type PTFE and five times higher for the suspension-type PTFE.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.284-288
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• 2004

To improve mechanical properties of $Al_2$O$_3$/ZrO$_2$composites have been controlled dispersion of ultra low size ZrO$_2$ particles in $Al_2$O$_3$ ceramics by polymeric precursor method (Pechini process). In case of coprecipitation or mechanical mixing of ZrO$_2$ powders with $Al_2$O$_3$, homogeneous dispersion and controlling the ZrO$_2$ size were relatively difficult due to high sintering temperature. So the polyesterization process of Zr/Y(NO$_3$)$_3$-citric acid solution in ethylene glycol with the commercial sub-micron sized o(-alumina powder (Sumitomo AES-11(0.4 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$)) was adopted in order to obtain homogeneous dispersion of ZrO$_2$ in A1203. By this partial polyesterization process, the homogeneous dispersion of relatively low sized ZrO$_2$in $Al_2$O$_3$/ZrO$_2$composites was achieved at 1450∼1$600^{\circ}C$ of sintering temperature range and their mechanical properties were measured.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.266-273
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• 1999

본 연구에서는 겔캐스팅법의 제조공정 확립을 위하여 분산제의 분자구조가 질화규소 슬립의 점성특성 및 성형체의 상대밀도와 기계적 특성에 미치는 영향을 조사하였다. 슬립과 겔캐스팅 성형체의 제조방법은 기보고된 방법과 동일하게 하였다. 그 결과, 겔캐스팅 슬립의 점성은 분산제의 분자구조와 모노머와 분산제의 구성비율에 크게 의존하였다. PMAA 분산제를 사용한 슬립의 점성은 PAA 및 PAAm 분산제 보다 높은 점도를 나타내었다. 성형체의 상대밀도는 슬립의 농도에 크게 의존하였으며, 분산제양과 모노머의 양변화에는 그다지 변화가 없었다. 그리고, 겔캐스팅 성형체의 기계적 특성은 크게 모노머의 농도에 의존하였으며, 분산제양과 슬립의 농도에는 큰 변화가 없었다.