Polymers

Research

1029 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optical Characterization of Doped Thermoplastic and Thermosetting Polymer-Optical-Fibers

by Igor Ayesta, María Asunción Illarramendi, Jon Arrue, Itxaso Parola, Felipe Jiménez, Joseba Zubia, Akihiro Tagaya and Yasuhiro Koike

Polymers 2017, 9(3), 90; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym9030090 - 4 Mar 2017

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 7250

Abstract

The emission properties of a graded-index thermoplastic polymer optical fiber and a step-index thermosetting one, both doped with rhodamine 6G, have been studied. The work includes a detailed analysis of the amplified spontaneous emission together with a study of the optical gains and [...] Read more.

The emission properties of a graded-index thermoplastic polymer optical fiber and a step-index thermosetting one, both doped with rhodamine 6G, have been studied. The work includes a detailed analysis of the amplified spontaneous emission together with a study of the optical gains and losses of the fibers. The photostability of the emission of both types of fibers has also been investigated. Comparisons between the results of both doped polymer optical fibers are presented and discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Fibers)

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5813 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Novel Melt-Spun Polymer-Optical Poly(methyl methacrylate) Fibers Studied by Small-Angle X-ray Scattering

by Markus Beckers, Thomas Vad, Benjamin Mohr, Benjamin Weise, Wilhelm Steinmann, Thomas Gries, Gunnar Seide, Emmanuel Kentzinger and Christian-Alexander Bunge

Polymers 2017, 9(2), 60; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym9020060 - 13 Feb 2017

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 9535

Abstract

The structural properties of novel melt-spun polymer optical fibers (POFs) are investigated by small-angle X-ray scattering. The amorphous PMMA POFs were subjected to a rapid cooling in a water quench right after extrusion in order to obtain a radial refractive index profile. Four [...] Read more.

The structural properties of novel melt-spun polymer optical fibers (POFs) are investigated by small-angle X-ray scattering. The amorphous PMMA POFs were subjected to a rapid cooling in a water quench right after extrusion in order to obtain a radial refractive index profile. Four fiber samples were investigated with small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The resulting distance-distribution functions obtained from the respective equatorial and meridional SAXS data exhibit a real-space correlation peak indicative of periodic cross-sectional and axial variations in the scattering density contrast. Simple model calculations demonstrate how the structural information contained particularly in the equatorial distance distribution function can be interpreted. The respective results are qualitatively verified for one of the fiber samples by comparison of the model curve with the measured SAXS data. Eventually, the study confirms that the cross-sectional variation of the (scattering-) density is the main reason for the formation of radial refractive-index profiles in the POFs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Fibers)

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9974 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of a Compatibilizer on the Morphology and Properties of Polypropylene/Polyethylentherephthalate Spun Fibers

by Francesco Paolo La Mantia, Manuela Ceraulo, Gaia Giacchi, Maria Chiara Mistretta and Luigi Botta

Polymers 2017, 9(2), 47; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym9020047 - 2 Feb 2017

Cited by 29 | Viewed by 7102

Abstract

Fibers spun by melt spinning of binary and ternary polypropylene/polyethylenetherephthalate blends have been produced and characterized in order to investigate the effect of a compatibilizer on their morphology and mechanical properties. The compatibilizer was a maleic anhydride-functionalized rubber copolymer. The effect of the [...] Read more.

Fibers spun by melt spinning of binary and ternary polypropylene/polyethylenetherephthalate blends have been produced and characterized in order to investigate the effect of a compatibilizer on their morphology and mechanical properties. The compatibilizer was a maleic anhydride-functionalized rubber copolymer. The effect of the compatibilizer was well evident in the isotropic state, as the morphology became very fine, the size of the dispersed particles was very small, and the adhesion was better. The effect of the compatibilizer on the mechanical properties is very relevant, especially in the elongation at break. On the contrary, no relevant effect was observed in the anisotropic oriented fibers. Although the average diameter of the microfibrils of the dispersed phase of the compatibilized blend generated during the hot drawing was much smaller than that of the microfibrils of the same particles of the uncompatibilized blend, the mechanical properties were almost the same. This behavior has been attributed to the length of the smaller microfibrils of the ternary blends, which was lower that of the microfibrils of the binary blend. This has been explained in terms of reduced initial droplet size, and therefore of lesser possibility of stretching the droplets to very long fibrils in these samples. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Fibers)

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7049 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Fumed Silica and Draw Ratio on Nanocomposite Polypropylene Fibers

by Luca Fambri, Izabela Dabrowska, Riccardo Ceccato and Alessandro Pegoretti

Polymers 2017, 9(2), 41; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym9020041 - 28 Jan 2017

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 6307

Abstract

Hydrophylic fumed silica AR974 was tested as a potential nanofiller for the production of composite isotactic polypropylene filaments/fibers (containing 0.25–2 vol % of nanoparticles) via melt compounding and subsequent hot drawing. The objectives of this study were as follows: (i) to investigate the [...] Read more.

Hydrophylic fumed silica AR974 was tested as a potential nanofiller for the production of composite isotactic polypropylene filaments/fibers (containing 0.25–2 vol % of nanoparticles) via melt compounding and subsequent hot drawing. The objectives of this study were as follows: (i) to investigate the effects of the composition and the processing conditions on the microstructure and the thermal and mechanical properties of the produced fibers; (ii) to separate the effects of silica addition from those produced by fiber drawing; and (iii) to interpret the changes in the matrix molecular mobility (produced by silica and/or drawing). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) evidenced a good dispersion of nanoparticles at fractions up to 0.5 vol % of the nanofiller. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses revealed the increase in crystallinity after drawing of both neat polypropylene (PP) and produced nanocomposite fibers. Consequently, tensile modulus and stress at break of the fibers were enhanced. Drawn fibers containing 0.25–0.5 vol % of nanofiller showed also a remarkable increase in the creep resistance. Loss modulus of drawn fibers showed a pronounced α-relaxation peak at about 65 °C; the higher the draw ratio, the higher the peak intensity. Thermal and mechanical properties of composite fibers were improved due to the combined effects of nanofiller reinforcement and fiber orientation produced during hot drawing. Both fumed silica and draw ratio were significantly effective on tensile modulus and tenacity of nanocomposite fibers up to 0.5 vol % of AR974. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Fibers)

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7158 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Needleless Melt-Electrospinning of Biodegradable Poly(Lactic Acid) Ultrafine Fibers for the Removal of Oil from Water

by Haoyi Li, Yi Li, Weimin Yang, Lisheng Cheng and Jing Tan

Polymers 2017, 9(2), 3; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym9020003 - 25 Jan 2017

Cited by 35 | Viewed by 8663

Abstract

As environmentally friendly and degradable material, Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) ultrafine fibers are promising candidates for the removal of oil from water. In this work, a self-established needleless melt-electrospinning process was used to produce PLA ultrafine fibers with diameters in the range of 800 [...] Read more.

As environmentally friendly and degradable material, Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) ultrafine fibers are promising candidates for the removal of oil from water. In this work, a self-established needleless melt-electrospinning process was used to produce PLA ultrafine fibers with diameters in the range of 800 nm–9 µm. In order to obtain ultrafine fibers, three types of hyperbranched polymers were respectively added into the melt for electrospinning. Effects of amount and molecular weight of the added hyperbranched polymers on average fiber diameter and its distribution, and contact angle were investigated. The prepared PLA ultrafine fibers exhibited superhydrophobicity with the contact angle as high as 156°, making it a potential candidate in marine oil spill recovery. The oil sorption capability of these fibers is as high as 159, 118, and 96 g/g for motor oil, crude oil, and diesel, respectively. Even after seven cycles of reuse, the fiber still maintained about 60% of its initial capacity of sorption. The kinetics of oil sorption in the film agrees very well with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. This work is expected to promote the mass production and application of biodegradable PLA fibers in the treatment of marine oil spill pollution. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Fibers)

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10590 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Core/Shell Structure of Ni/NiO Encapsulated in Carbon Nanosphere Coated with Few- and Multi-Layered Graphene: Synthesis, Mechanism and Application

by Ferial Ghaemi, Luqman Chuah Abdullah and Paridah Tahir

Polymers 2016, 8(11), 381; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym8110381 - 9 Nov 2016

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 7033

Abstract

This paper focuses on the synthesis and mechanism of carbon nanospheres (CNS) coated with few- and multi-layered graphene (FLG, MLG). The graphitic carbon encapsulates the core/shell structure of the Ni/NiO nanoparticles via the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. The application of the resulting [...] Read more.

This paper focuses on the synthesis and mechanism of carbon nanospheres (CNS) coated with few- and multi-layered graphene (FLG, MLG). The graphitic carbon encapsulates the core/shell structure of the Ni/NiO nanoparticles via the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. The application of the resulting CNS and hybrids of CNS-FLG and CNS-MLG as reinforcement nanofillers in a polypropylene (PP) matrix were studied from the aspects of mechanical and thermal characteristics. In this research, to synthesize carbon nanostructures, nickel nitrate hexahydrate (Ni(NO₃)₂·6H₂O) and acetylene (C₂H₂) were used as the catalyst source and carbon source, respectively. Besides, the morphology, structure and graphitization of the resulting carbon nanostructures were investigated. On the other hand, the mechanisms of CNS growth and the synthesis of graphene sheets on the CNS surface were studied. Finally, the mechanical and thermal properties of the CNS/PP, CNS-FLG/PP, and CNS-MLG/PP composites were analyzed by applying tensile test and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Fibers)

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2219 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mechanical and Electrochemical Performance of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer in Oxygen Evolution Environment

by Ji-Hua Zhu, Liangliang Wei, Guanping Guo and Aizhu Zhu

Polymers 2016, 8(11), 393; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym8110393 - 8 Nov 2016

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 7402

Abstract

Carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) is recognized as a promising anode material to prevent steel corrosion in reinforced concrete. However, the electrochemical performance of CFRP itself is unclear. This paper focuses on the understanding of electrochemical and mechanical properties of CFRP in an oxygen [...] Read more.

Carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) is recognized as a promising anode material to prevent steel corrosion in reinforced concrete. However, the electrochemical performance of CFRP itself is unclear. This paper focuses on the understanding of electrochemical and mechanical properties of CFRP in an oxygen evolution environment by conducting accelerated polarization tests. Different amounts of current density were applied in polarization tests with various test durations, and feeding voltage and potential were measured. Afterwards, tensile tests were carried out to investigate the failure modes for the post-polarization CFRP specimens. Results show that CFRP specimens had two typical tensile-failure modes and had a stable anodic performance in an oxygen evolution environment. As such, CFRP can be potentially used as an anode material for impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) of reinforced concrete structures, besides the fact that CFRP can strengthen the structural properties of reinforced concrete. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Fibers)

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2346 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Preparation and Characterization of High Surface Area Activated Carbon Fibers from Lignin

by Jian Lin and Guangjie Zhao

Polymers 2016, 8(10), 369; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym8100369 - 18 Oct 2016

Cited by 32 | Viewed by 9105

Abstract

Activated carbon fibers (ACFs) were successfully prepared from softwood lignin, which was isolated with polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG-400) as a solvolysis reagent, by water steam activation. The pore characterization and adsorption property of ACFs were investigated. The results showed that all the ACFs [...] Read more.

Activated carbon fibers (ACFs) were successfully prepared from softwood lignin, which was isolated with polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG-400) as a solvolysis reagent, by water steam activation. The pore characterization and adsorption property of ACFs were investigated. The results showed that all the ACFs with more micropores exhibited high specific surface area and total pore volume which increased with the activation time prolonging; the highest ones were around 3100 m²/g and 1.5 mL/g, respectively. The specific surface area and total pore volume were much larger than those of other types of lignin-based ACFs and activated charcoal. Besides, with increasing activation time, the amount of graphitic carbon, which was the main compound on the surface of ACFs, decreased, while the amount of functional groups containing C–O slightly increased. In addition, the adsorption capacity of ACFs for methylene blue was highly increased as the activation time increased. Accordingly, lignin isolated with PEG is a promising precursor for ACF production. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Fibers)

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6281 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Injection Molding Temperature on the Morphology and Mechanical Properties of PP/PET Blends and Microfibrillar Composites

by Maja Kuzmanović, Laurens Delva, Ludwig Cardon and Kim Ragaert

Polymers 2016, 8(10), 355; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym8100355 - 9 Oct 2016

Cited by 55 | Viewed by 11523

Abstract

Within this research the effect of injection molding temperature on polypropylene (PP)/poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) blends and microfibrillar composites was investigated. Injection molding blends (IMBs) and microfibrillar composites (MFCs) of PP/PET have been prepared in a weight ratio 70/30. The samples were processed at [...] Read more.

Within this research the effect of injection molding temperature on polypropylene (PP)/poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) blends and microfibrillar composites was investigated. Injection molding blends (IMBs) and microfibrillar composites (MFCs) of PP/PET have been prepared in a weight ratio 70/30. The samples were processed at three different injection molding temperatures (T_im) (210, 230, 280 °C) and subjected to extensive characterization. The observations from the fracture surfaces of MFCs showed that PET fibers can be achieved by three step processing. The results indicated that T_im has a big influence on morphology of IMBs and MFCs. With increasing the T_im, distinctive variations in particle and fiber diameters were noticed. The differences in mechanical performances were obtained by flexural and impact tests. Establishing relationships between the processing parameters, properties, and morphology of composites is of key importance for the valorization of MFC polymers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Fibers)

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2884 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study of Polymer Matrix Degradation Behavior in CFRP Short Pulsed Laser Processing

by Hebing Xu and Jun Hu

Polymers 2016, 8(8), 299; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym8080299 - 15 Aug 2016

Cited by 25 | Viewed by 5707

Abstract

Short pulsed laser is preferred to avoid the thermal damage in processing the heat sensitive material, such as carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP). In this paper, a numerical model capturing both the material ablation and polymer matrix pyrolysis processes in pulsed laser processing [...] Read more.

Short pulsed laser is preferred to avoid the thermal damage in processing the heat sensitive material, such as carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP). In this paper, a numerical model capturing both the material ablation and polymer matrix pyrolysis processes in pulsed laser processing is established. The effect of laser pulse length from ns order to μs order is studied. It was found that with shorter pulse length, ablation depth is increased and heat affected zone is remarkably reduced. Moreover the pyrolysis gas transport analysis shows that shorter pulse length results in a larger internal pressure. At pulse length in ns order, maximum pressure as high as hundreds of times atmospheric pressure in CFRP could be produced and leads to mechanical erosion of material. The predicted ablation depth of a single short laser pulse conforms well to the experiment result of the CFRP laser milling experiment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Fibers)

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