Mechanical and Dynamic Properties

So one can maximise the benefit from ultra-low monol PPG polyols in urethane systems such as MDI/BDO cured elastomers by understanding their fundamental differences in comparison to other high-performance polyols like PTMEG. A detailed look at the effect of the polyol MWD on the mechanical and dynamic properties of polyurethanes follows. 

Polyol Molecular Weight Distribution Effect on Mechanical and Dynamic Properties of Polyurethanes... 

Another important feature of these polyols is their narrow MWD. Low polydispersity results in lower viscosities in both the polyol and isocyanate-terminated prepolymers. Polyol MWD has a significant effect on the mechanical and dynamic properties of polyurethane and polyurethane/urea systems. Broad-MWD polyols such as PTMEG or polyester polyols contain significant amounts of hard-segment diol, which limits their softness. Acclaim polyols contain no hard-segment diol and thus have inherent superior properties in soft systems. They can be made to approximate broad-MWD polyols such as PTMEG by incorporation of a low MW glycol. 

For carbon, for example, a common atomistic potential model is the three-body (Tersoff II) potential model [65]. This model accounts for the relative stability of the bulk crystalline diamond and graphite structures and account well for the basic mechanical and dynamic properties of single-walled C-NTs [66]. In the Tersoff II potential model [65] the energy of each individual carbon atom is taken to be half that of the bonding pair. 

Polyurethane roll covers were introduced to the paper industry at the end of the 1980s. The outstanding mechanical and dynamical properties make polyurethane the most suitable material for soft elastomeric covers in press positions. Depending on paper quahty and press design, high open surfaces up to 45 % with grooves, blind drilled holes or suction holes, as well as combinations thereof are used. An example of surface design is shown in Fig. 5.11. 

This solid product was incorporated into SBR/butadiene rubber (BR) blends at various levels, and the mechanical and dynamic properties were compared with those of conventional silica/carbon black (2 1 ratio) filled SBR/BR compounds. The results showed that the physical properties, and the dynamic ones (such as heat build-up and tan 8), of the two types of compound were comparable. Their work showed that the recovered silica had a similar particle size to virgin silica, and its ability to disperse evenly within the rubber matrix was also similar. 

The complexity of polymeric systems make tire development of an analytical model to predict tlieir stmctural and dynamical properties difficult. Therefore, numerical computer simulations of polymers are widely used to bridge tire gap between tire tlieoretical concepts and the experimental results. Computer simulations can also help tire prediction of material properties and provide detailed insights into tire behaviour of polymer systems. A simulation is based on two elements a more or less detailed model of tire polymer and a related force field which allows tire calculation of tire energy and tire motion of tire system using molecular mechanisms, molecular dynamics, or Monte Carlo teclmiques 1631. 

An important aspect of the mechanical properties of fibers concerns their response to time dependent deformations. Fibers are frequently subjected to conditions of loading and unloading at various frequencies and strains, and it is important to know their response to these dynamic conditions. In this connection the fatigue properties of textile fibers are of particular importance, and have been studied extensively in cycHc tension (23). The results have been interpreted in terms of molecular processes. The mechanical and other properties of fibers have been reviewed extensively (20,24—27). 

Chloroprene Elastomers. Polychloroprene is a polymer of 2-chloro-l,3-butadiene. The elastomer is largely composed of the trans isomer. There are two basic polymer types the W-type and the G-type. G-types are made by using a sulfur-modified process W-types use no sulfur modification. As a result, G-types possess excellent processing and dynamic properties, and tend to be used in V-belts. However, they have poorer aging properties than W-types. The W-types tend to be used in appHcations requiring better aging, such as roUs and mechanical goods (see Elastomers, SYNTHETIC-POLYCm.OROPRENE). 

Empirical energy functions can fulfill the demands required by computational studies of biochemical and biophysical systems. The mathematical equations in empirical energy functions include relatively simple terms to describe the physical interactions that dictate the structure and dynamic properties of biological molecules. In addition, empirical force fields use atomistic models, in which atoms are the smallest particles in the system rather than the electrons and nuclei used in quantum mechanics. These two simplifications allow for the computational speed required to perform the required number of energy calculations on biomolecules in their environments to be attained, and, more important, via the use of properly optimized parameters in the mathematical models the required chemical accuracy can be achieved. The use of empirical energy functions was initially applied to small organic molecules, where it was referred to as molecular mechanics [4], and more recently to biological systems [2,3]. 

To understand the global mechanical and statistical properties of polymeric systems as well as studying the conformational relaxation of melts and amorphous systems, it is important to go beyond the atomistic level. One of the central questions of the physics of polymer melts and networks throughout the last 20 years or so dealt with the role of chain topology for melt dynamics and the elastic modulus of polymer networks. The fact that the different polymer strands cannot cut through each other in the... 

In this situation computer simulation is useful, since the conditions of the simulation can be chosen such that full equihbrium is established, and one can test the theoretical concepts more stringently than by experiment. Also, it is possible to deal with ideal and perfectly flat surfaces, very suitable for testing the general mechanisms alluded to above, and to disregard in a first step all the complications that real substrate surfaces have (corrugation on the atomistic scale, roughness on the mesoscopic scale, surface steps, adsorbed impurities, etc.). Of course, it may be desirable to add such complications at a later stage, but this will not be considered here. In fact, computer simulations, i.e., molecular dynamics (MD) and Monte Carlo (MC) calculations, have been extensively used to study both static and dynamic properties [11] in particular, structural properties at interfaces have been considered in detail [12]. 

Ljungberg, N. and Wesslen, B. 2002. The effects of plasticizers on the dynamic mechanical and thermal properties of polyjlactic add). Journal of Applied Polymer Science 86 1227-1234. 

Maiti and Bhowmick reported exciting results that a polar matrix like fluoroelastomer (Viton B-50) was able to exfoliate unmodified clay (Cloisite NA ) as well as the modified one (Cloisite 20A) [93]. They studied morphology, mechanical, dynamic mechanical and swelling properties of fluoroelastomer nanocomposites. The unmodified-clay-filled systems showed better properties than the modified ones (Table 2.3). 

Finer dispersion of silica improves the mechanical and dynamic mechanical properties of the resultant composites. Figure 3.11a and b compares the tensile properties of the acrylic copolymer and terpolymers in the uncross-hnked and cross-linked states, respectively. 

Recently Sahoo and Bhowmick [75] synthesized hydroxyl-terminated POSS in their laboratory starting from (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APS) and phenylglycidylether (PGE) and used it as a curative in carboxylated nitrile mbber (XNBR). This has been a newer class of material where the nanofiller simultaneously cures the mbber and promotes solvent resistance, as well as mechanical and dynamic mechanical properties. Table 3.3 illustrates some of these findings. 

ZnO nanoparticles possess greater surface/volume ratio. When used in carboxylated nitrile rubber as curative, ZnO nanoparticles show excellent mechanical and dynamic mechanical properties [41]. The ultimate tensile strength increases from 6.8 MPa in ordinary rabber grade ZnO-carboxylated nitrile rubber system to 14.9 MPa in nanosized ZnO-carboxylated nitrile mbber without sacrificing the elongation at failure values. Table 4.1 compares these mechanical properties of ordinary and nano-ZnO-carboxylated nitrile rubbers, where the latter system is superior due to more rubber-ZnO interaction at the nanolevel. 

Jha A. and Bhowmick A.K., Thermoplastic elastomeric blends of nylon 6/acrylate rubber Influence of interaction of mechanical and dynamic mechanical thermal properties. Rubber Chem. TechnoL, 70, 798, 1997. 

Research concerning nylon-elastomer blends has mostly focused on the improvement of mechanical and thermal properties. Their dynamic mechanical properties are quite important both for processing and engineering applications. Wang and Zheng have smdied the influence of grafting on the dynamic mechanical properties of a blend based on nylon 1212 and a graft... 

Clay hllers were surface modihed with TMPTA or triethoxyvinyl silane (TEVS) followed by EB irradiation by Ray and Bhowmick [394]. Both the untreated and treated fillers were incorporated in an ethylene-octene copolymer. Mechanical, dynamic mechanical, and rheological properties of the EB-cured unfilled and filled composites were studied and a significant improvement in tensile strength, elongation at break, modulus, and tear strength was observed in the case of surface-treated clay-filled vulcanizates. Dynamic mechanical studies conducted on these systems support the above findings. 

A considerable amount of work has already been successfully carried out in HASETRI with naturally occurring oils as eco-friendly process oils in conventional tire recipes [31,32]. These naturally occurring oils were found to be suitable on the basis of low PCA content. Some of the naturally occurring oils showed better processing properties, polymer-filler interaction, and dispersion properties in NR-based truck tire tread cap compound and hence better mechanical and dynamic mechanical properties. As the presently available low PCA oil in the market in the form of MES TDAE and naphthenic oil are comparatively costly, these natural oils can act as the best alternative processing aids for the elastomer industry, especially in developing and underdeveloped countries. 

Jha, A. and Bhowmick, A.K., Thermoplastic elastomeric blends of poly(ethylene terephthalate) and acrylate rubber I. Influence of interaction on thermal, dynamic mechanical and tensile properties. Polymer, 38, 4337, 1997. 

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