Wool fiber, composition polymer

Hydrocarbon and mineral oils are used to coat cellulose, glass, asbestos, or mineral wool fibers. Composition of the plasticizer and fibers is then mixed with the polymer matrix, with which the plasticizer is also compatible. As a result, ordinary polymer mixing equipment such as mills and internal mixers can be used, with economically acceptable mixing times under mild conditions, to prepare homogeneously dispersed fibre-polymer compositions. Frequently this process is used to obtain homogeneous dispersion of fibers but also to protect fibers or glass bubbles from mechanical damage. 

Musnickas, J., Rupainyte, V., Treigiene, R. Dye migration influences on colour characteristics of wool fiber dyed with acid dye. Fibers Text East. Eirr. 13, 65-69 (2005) Alzeer, M., MacKerrzie, K.J.D. Synthesis and mechanical properties of new fibre-reinforced composites of inorganic polymers with natural wool fibres. J. Mater. Sci. 47, 6958-6965 (2012)... 

In a pilot study, it was discovered that an ultraviolet zone (UVO) based method, which has been developed for surface treating wool fibers, could be used to oxidatively modify polymer surfaces. Electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA) and contact angle results indicated that the treatment was effective on PE and a polyetheretherketone (PEEK). It produced changes in surface oxygen chemistry and free energy, which increased polarity and improved wettability of the surface. Composite lap shear tests showed that the treatment gave a marked improvement in adhesion and that an optimum joint strength is achieved at low treatment times (<1 min). 

Further, Py-GC examination of synthetic polymer fibers can often provide more data than other techniques in cases where there are minor differences in composition within a class. In contrast, fibers that are chemically very similar are difficult to differentiate by IR and Py-GC. Cotton and viscose rayon, polyesters based on PET and wool and regenerated protein, are examples of the use of these methods. 

Thielemans, W. and Wool, R.P. (2004) Butyrated kraft lignin as compatibilizing agent for natural fiber reinforced thermoset composites. Composites Part A Applied Science and Manufacturing, 35,327-338. Satheesh Kumar, M.N., Mohanty, A.K., Erickson, L. and Misra, M. (2009) Lignin and its applications with polymers. Journal of Biobased Materials and Bioenergy, 3, 1-24. 

C. K. Hong and R. P. Wool, Development of a bio-based composite material from soybean oil and keratin fibers , J Appl Polym Sci, 2005,95,1524-38. 

Recently, wool waste has been employed as reinforcement in polymer composites, even though wool waste fiber plastic composites represent a relatively small industry. The properties of wool waste reinforced PLA/BR blend composites can be improved by chemical treatment for packaging application. 

In the emulsion prepared composites, most of the polymer was observed (3) to deposit in untreated leather (shown schematically in Fig. 4, insert a) in the space around individual fibers, largely within the confines of fiber bundles (insert f). In this way, experimental panels or even full sheepskins (38) increased in thickness (insert b) without much change in area. The coarse polymer domains so formed (2 to 50 pm) were in marked contrast to the appearance of polymer depositing within the individual fibers of cotton (7,14) and wool (9), by a variety of polymerization techniques (1,3,7,9,14). In these systems domains as small as 20 A (9) but usually 0.1 to 3 pm (3,14) were routinely observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Removal of soluble polymer by benzene extraction from the cattlehide composites (insert c) reduced the density (Table 1) while retaining the expanded volumes (1). A special feature of emulsion polymer deposition in cattle-hide (not found for sheepskins or other thinner, looser leathers) (38,40) is shown in insert e, where the polymer deposited only in layers near the outer surfaces (comprising 25 to 60% of the cross section) (1), leaving the center section polymer free. A thin,... 

Both IR and Raman spectroscopies are vibrational spectroscopies that provide a unique identification of the substance, or a fingerprint. They are used extensively to determine the composition of materials as discussed by Koenig [3]. Lang et al. [4] showed that IR and Raman provided complementary information about the fibers. They comment that sample preparation is far easier for these methods than the traditional characterization methods based on the solubility of the fibers. In this mode, Raman is used to determine whether a film or fiber is nylon, polyester, polypropylene, cotton, wool, and so forth. Each type of material will have Raman bands specific to the type of polymer of which it is composed. If copolymers are present, the Raman spectra can be used to determine the ratio of comonomers. Many comonomers are strong Raman scatterers (aromatics, double and triple bonds, carbonyls, etc.). Others are weak Raman scatterers (NH, OH, etc.) and are better determined by IR. In either case, an appropriate calibration is required and the spectroscopist needs to make an educated selection between IR and Raman or perhaps use both. 

Macromolecules, composed of thousands of atoms, are the basic components of the living world. Polymer macromolecules are part of a large number of materials used by man since the prehistory, such as leather, natural fibers (linen, cotton, wool, silk), wood and rubber. Their number has increased significantly in recent years. A large number of new polymers and composites were obtained. The common characteristic of chemical structure of polymers is the maciomolecule, which usually is a long chain, made of hundreds or thousands of mers, connected together by chemical bonds. The polymer chain ability to take different geometrical forms provides properties unattainable in the case of substances made of smaller molecules. 

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