Polypropylene nano-composites

Table 4.5 Polypropylene nano-composIte made by a slurry process compared with conventional compounds...

Layered clay nano composites have been prepared by melt intercalation for a variety of polymers, including polystyrene [221], nylon-6 [222], ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers [223], polypropylene [224], polyimide [225], poly(styrene-fo-butadiene) [226], and PEO [227],... 

The possibility of manufacturing nano-composites materials with tailored properties at low cost has gained much interest. In fact, there is already more than two decades of research on those materials. Particular interest has been paid to clay nano-platelets and their composites with non-polar thermoplastic polyolefin matrixes, namely polypropylene (PP). 

Semi-crystalline polymers such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyamide (Nylon-6), obtained by solidification from the melt, as discussed in Section 2.6.5 are nano-composites made up of chain-folded highly anisotropic crystalline... 

Keywords Nanocellulose, nano composites, polyolefins, polypropylene, natural fibers... 

Kumar, S., Doshi, H., Srinivasarao, M., Park, J. O. Schiraldi, D. A. Fibers fnmi polypropylene/nano carbon fiber composites. Polymer 43, 1701 1703 (2002). 

The authors would like to thank Dr Chris Liauw of Manchester Metropolitan University and Dr Kevin Breese of Electrolux for useful discussions regarding the contents of this chapter. They would also like to thank Massimo Sanita of Electrolux for the information regarding the effects of maleinised polypropylene on composite stability and Monica Celotto, also of Electrolux for the electron micrograph. We also thank Professor Ulf Gedde of KTH Stockholm for discussions on the permeability of nano-composites. 

Lomakin, S. Zaikov, G.E. Koverzanova, E.V. Thermal degradation and combnstibil-ity of polypropylene filled with magnesium hydroxide micro-filler and polypropylene nano-filled aluminosilicate composites, in M. Le Bras, C.A. Wilkie, S. Bonrbigot, S. Duquesne, and C. Jama, Eds., Fire Retardancy of Polymers New Applications of Mineral Fillers. Royal Society of Chemistry, London, 2005, pp. 100-113. 

Weiguo, D., Research on Properties of Nano Polypropylene/TiO Composite Fiber. Journal of Textile Research, 2002,23(1), 22-23. 

Kumar S, Doshi H, Srinivasarao M, Park JO, Schiraldi DA (2002) Fibers from polypropylene/nano carbon fiber composites. Polymer 43 1701... 

Kadir NA, et al. Physical and mechanical properties of mineral fillers filled polypropylene composites. International Conference and Exhibition on Composite Material Nano-Structure, conference proceedings (www.itma.upm.edu.my). Universiti Putra Malaysia 2008. 

Ma,C.G. Mai, Y.L. Rong, M.Z. Ruan, W.H. Zhang M.Q. (2007). Phase structure and mechanical properties of ternary polypropylene/elastomer/nano-CaCOs composites. Composites Science and Technology, vol.67, No.l4, pp.2997-3005, ISSN ... 

Ward and his coworkers investigated the interlayer adhesion in self-reinforced PP composites modified with different nano- and micron-sized particles [27-29]. They found that the introduction of a small amount of carbon nanofibers (CNFs) led to improved performance of polypropylene single-polymer composites obtained by hot compaction of oriented CNF/ PP tapes. The peel strength of a CNF/PP woven fabric composite was significantly increased. In addition, the authors pointed out that the drawn CNF/PP tapes showed substantial voiding around the fibers which were closed and sealed by the hot compaction process. As a result, the composite density increased to its initial value [27]. 

Zhou, H. J., Rong, M. Z., and Friedrich, K. 2006. Effects of reactive compatibilization on the performance of nano-silica filled polypropylene composites. Journal of Materials Science Letters 41 5767-5770. 

Chen, J. H., Rong, M. Z., Ruan, W. H., and Zhang, M. Q. 2009. Interfacial enhancement of nano-SiOj/polypropylene composites. Composites Science and Technology 69 252-259. 

Seo, M. K. and Rark, S. J. 2004. Electrical resistivity and rheological behaviors of carbon nano-tubes-filled polypropylene composites. Chemical Physics Letters 395 44-48. 

Figure 12. Population density (A) and adhesion area (B) of osteoblast-like MG 63 cells on day 2 after seeding on tissue culture polystyrene dish (TCPS). carbon fibrereinforced carbon composites (CFRC) and CFRC coated with a fullerene layer (CFRC+full). C Growth curves of MG 63 cells on a terpolymer of polytetrafluoroethylene. poljcvinyldifluoride and polypropylene (Ter), terpolymer mixed with 4 wt. % of single-wall carbon nanohorns (SWNH) or 4 wt.% of high crystalline electric arc multi-wall nanotubes (MWNT-A). D Growth curves of MG 63 cells on TCPS. a nanostructured diamond layer (Nano) and a layer with hierarchically organized micro-and nanostructure (Micro-Nano). Mean S.E.M. from 4-12 measurements. ANOVA. Student-Newman-Keuls method. Statistical significance TCPS. CFRC. Ter p<0.05 compared to the values on tissue culture polystyrene, pure CFRC and pure terpolymer [23].

Ruan W, Zhang M, Rong M, Friedrich K (2004) Polypropylene composites filled with in-situ grafting polymerization modified nano-silica particles. J Mater Sci 39(10) 3475-3478... 

Ruan WH, Mai YL, Wang XH, Rong MZ, Zhang MQ (2007) Effects of processing conditions on properties of nano-Si02/polypropylene composites fabricated by pre-drawing technique. Compos Sci Technol 67(13) 2747-2756... 

Cai LF, Huang XB, Rong MZ, Ruan WH, Zhang MQ (2(X)6) Effect of grafted polymeric foaming agent on the structure and properties of nano-silica/polypropylene composites. Polymer 47(20) 7043-7050... 

The most important filler parameter affecting modulus is its shape. Unfortunately, when the filler is non-spherical theories become much more complicated and the reader is advised to refer to Chow s review [61]. Shape factors can be incorporated in the models mentioned previously but are only useful when applied to very high aspect ratio materials, e.g., fibres. There is also an almost insurmountable problem with particulate fillers the difficulty and effort to measure aspect ratios of micrometre sized particles. Pukansky examined the effects of 11 different fillers in polypropylene [69] and concluded that Young s modulus is affected by the amount of bonded polymer, which is in turn related to surface area, and therefore to both particle size and shape. That observation helps to explain the strong effect that nano-fillers have on the modulus of a composite. Schreiber and Germain showed that modulus depends on the strength of interaction between the polymer and the filler surface [62]. 

Figure 10.6 High resolution electron micrograph of a cross-section of a nano-clay/ polypropylene composite illustrating some intercalated, partly dispersed clay stacks (tactoids) Micrograph kindly supplied by Monica Celotto)...

---