• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.205-224
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• 2015

A novel hydrophilic poly (vinylidene fluoride)/poly (p-phenylene terephthalamide) (PVDF/PPTA) blend membrane was prepared by in situ polycondensation of p-phenylene diamine (PPD) and terephthaloyl chloride (TPC) in PVDF solution with subsequent nonsolvent induced phase separation (NIPS) process. For comparison, conventional solution blend membrane was prepared directly by adding PVDF powder into PPTA polycondensation solution. Blend membranes were characterized by means of viscometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM). The effects of different blending methods on membrane performance including water contact angle (WCA), mechanical strength, anti-fouling and anti-compression properties were investigated and compared. Stronger interactions between PVDF and PPTA in in situ blend membranes were verified by viscosity and XPS analysis. The incorporation of PPTA accelerated the demixing rate and caused the formation of a more porous structure in blend membranes. In situ blend membranes exhibited better hydrophilicity and higher tensile strength. The optimal values of WCA and tensile strength were $65^{\circ}$ and 34.1 MPa, which were reduced by 26.1% and increased by 26.3% compared with pure PVDF membrane. Additionally, antifouling properties of in situ blend membranes were greatly improved than pure PVDF membrane with an increasing of flux recovery ratio by 25%. Excellent anti-compression properties were obtained in in situ blend membranes with a stable pore morphology. The correlations among membrane formation mechanism, structure and performance were also discussed.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.148-153
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• 1999

In situ composites containing a thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer were prepared by polycondensation of 1,4-bis(p-hydroxy-benzoyloxy)butane with 2-bromoterephthaloyl chloride in a poly(methyl methacrylate) solution. Morphology and mechanical, thermal properties of the composites were examined by differential scanning calorimeter(DSC), dynamic mechanical thermal analyser(DMTA), optical microscope and scanning electron microscope(SEM). The TLCP domains showed nematic phase. The glass transition temperature($T_g$) and mechanical properties of the PMMA in the composites increased with increasing the content of TLCP. The TLCP domains were finely dispersed in the PMMA matrix. The 20 wt % TLCP/PMMA composite prepared by in situ polymerization showed more improved mechanical property with finely well dispersed morphology compared with that prepared by solution blending of the same composition.

• Carbon letters
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.251-254
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• 2013

In this study, poly(amic acid) was prepared via a polycondensation reaction of 3,3'-dihydroxybenzidine and pyromellitic dianhydride in an N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone solution; reduced graphene oxide/polybenzoxazole (r-GO/PBO) composite films, which significantly increased the electrical conductivity, were successfully fabricated. GO was prepared from graphite using Brodie's method. The GO was used as nanofillers for the preparation of r-GO/PBO composites through an in situ polymerization. The addition of 50 wt% GO led to a significant increase in the electrical conductivity of the composite films by more than sixteen orders of magnitude compared with that of pure PBO films as a result of the electrical percolation networks in the r-GO during the thermal treatment at various temperatures within the films.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.217-227
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• 2004

A new thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer(TLCP) containing a triad aromatic ester type mesogenic unit and butylene terephthalate unit(BT) in the main chain was synthesized by polycondensation reaction. The TLCP synthesized showed nematic mesophasic behavior and its transition temperature from solid to mesophase was $260^{\circ}C$. The TLCP/PBT blends were prepared by in-situ polymerization in PBT solution and characterized by differential scanning calorimeter(DSC), thermogavimetric analyzer(TGA), scanning electron microscope(SEM), x-ray diffractometer(XRD), and dynamic mechanical thermal analyze, (DMTA). The blends showed well dispersed TLCP phases with domain sizes $0.05{\sim}0.2{\mu}m$ in the PBT matrix. As the increasing TLCP content from 5 to 20 wt%, ${\Delta}Hm$ values of pure PBT in the blend were increased because TLCP acts as a nucleating agent in the PBT matrix. The mechanical properties of the blends depended on the TLCP contents because the TLCP acted effectively as a reinforcing material in the PBT matrix. The blends showed good interfacial adhesion between the TLCP phase and PBT matrix.The blends prepared by in-situ polymerization showed higher mechanical properties and well dispersed TLCP domains than those of the blends prepared by melt blending.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.10
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• pp.3279-3284
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• 2012

Poly(benzimidazole-co-benzoxazole)s (PBI-co-PBO) are synthesized by polycondensation reaction with 3,3'-diaminobenzidine, terephthalic acid and 3,3'-dihydroxybenzidine or 4,6-diaminoresorcinol in polyphosphoric acid (PPA). All polymer membranes are prepared by the direct casting method (in-situ fabrication). The introduction of benzoxazole units (BO units) into a polymer backbone lowers the basic property and $H_3PO_4$ doping level of the copolymer membranes, resulting in the improvement of mechanical strength. The proton conductivity of $H_3PO_4$ doped PBI-co-PBO membranes decrease as a result of adding amounts of BO units. The maximum tensile strength reaches 4.1 MPa with a 10% molar ratio of BO units in the copolymer. As a result, the $H_3PO_4$ doped PBI-co-PBO membranes could be utilized as alternative proton exchange membranes in high temperature polymer electrolyte fuel cells.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.244-257
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• 2002

A thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer(TLCP) which has flexible butylene/hexylene spacers in the main chain and a triad aromatic ester type mesogenic unit containing a naphthyl group was prepared by solution polycondensation. The in-situ composites based on poly(ethylene 2,6-naphthalate) (PEN) and a thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer(TLCP) were prepared and melt spun at different TLCP contents and different draw ratios to produce monofilaments. Blends of the TLCP with PEN were investigated in terms of thermal, mechanical properties and morphology. The TLCP synthesized showed nematic mesophasic behavior and its transition temperature to isotropic melt from mesophase was 249℃. The blends showed well dispersed TLCP phases in the PEN matrix without macroscopic phase separation. Inclusion of TLCP in the blends decreased the cold crystallization temperature of PEN in the blend, therefore, the TLCP acts as a nucleating agent in the blend and showed good interfacial adhesion between the dispersed LCP phases and PEN matrix with domain sizes 40~50 nm in diameter and well developed fibrillation in the monofilaments. The TLCP acted effectively as a reinforcing material in the PEN matrix at the 10wt% level, it led to an increase of initial modulus up to 270% and tensile strength by 235%, while the elongation rate increasing with higher draw ratios.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.454-462
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• 1997

Thermotropic block copolyester(TLCP-b-PBN) based on poly(tetramethylene 2,6-(naphthaloyldioxy)dibenzoates)(TLCP) and poly(butylene 2,6-naphthalate)(PBN) was synthesized by solution polycondensation and melt-blended with poly(ethylene 2,6-naphthalate)(PEN) for in-situ composites. The TLCP domains showed nematic behavior in melt. The composition of block copolymer was determined from $^1H-NMR$ spectroscopy. The DSC thermogram of block copolymer revealed the presence of two major melting transitions, corresponding to the separete melting of PBN and TLCP domains. The glass transition temperature(Tg) of the PEN in the blends decreased with increasing the content of TLCP-b-PBN and the TLCP-b-PBN acted as a nucleating agent for the matrix polymers. In the 20% TLCP-b-PBN blend, well oriented TLCP fibriles were observed at temperature above the melting point of the PEN by optical microscopy. By scanning electron micrographs of cryogenically fractured surfaces of extruded blends, the TLCp domains were found to be finely and uniformely dispersed in 0.15 to $0.2{\mu}m$ size. Interfacial adhesion between the TLCP and matrix polymer was seemed to be good. Under certain condition TLCP formed a fiver structure in the PEN matrix, with thin oriented TLCP fibril in the skin region and spherical TLCP domains in the core.