Investigation of Novel Poly(urethane-urea) and MMT Foams derived via In-situ Technique

Thermal and mechanical behavior and fire performance of novel series of flame-retardant high impact poly(urethane-urea) (PUU)/montmorillonite nanocomposites and foams were designed and studied by various means. Silicate layers of hydroxyl modified montmorillonite (H-MMT) was well exfoliated in PUU matrix due to in-situ reaction between the clay and poly(urethane-urea). The combination of PUU and montmorillonite modified with bis-2-hydroxyethyl ammonium as flame retardant enhanced the charring capacity and non-flammability of foams and also increased the thermal performance with nanofiller loading. FESEM illustrated increased cell density and reduced cell size in PUU/H-MMT 1-5 Foam (1-5 wt. % nanofiller) relative to pure PUU foam. Compression strength and modulus of PUU/H-MMT 1 Foam (1 wt. % nanofiller) was 30.1 MPa and 3 GPa respectively, which was increased to 36.7 MPa and 8 GPa in PUU/H-MMT 5 Foam (5 wt. % nanofiller). 10 % thermal decomposition temperature of PUU/H-MMT 1-5 Foams were in the range 488–519 °C. In PUU/H-MMT 5 Foam Tg was increased to 157 °C relative to PUU/H-MMT 1 (Tg 147 °C). LOI and UL 94 tests had shown improved non-flammability (V-0 rating) with H-MMT loading.     

Amalgamation of Nanodiamond and Epoxy

Nanoscale diamond particles are known as nanodiamond (ND). Nanodiamond has attracted much attention of the polymeric composite community. Owing to its superior properties, ND holds great potential to improve tribological characteristics of the composites. In epoxy/nanodiamond nanocomposite, large surface to volume ratio of ND results in dramatic increase in volume of inter-phase, i.e. polymer volume which is close enough to nanodiamond. This, in turn, allows nanodiamond to exert significant impact on epoxy properties even at low concentrations. It is critically important to have physical/covalent bond at epoxy/ND interface from nanoparticle surface to the macromolecules of the matrix. Mechanical properties, thermal properties, and electrical conductivity of the covalently compatiblized epoxy/ND composite have been found better than neat epoxy matrices and compatible composites. Epoxy/ND composite has huge range of technical applications ranging from biomedical—to—electronics—to—aerospace

Role of Thermosetting Polymer in Structural Composite

Thermosetting resins are network forming polymers with highly crosslinked structure. In this review article, thermoset of epoxy, unsaturated polyester resin, phenolic, melamine, and polyurethane resin have been conversed. Thermosets usually have outstanding tensile strength, impact strength, and glass transition temperature (Tg). Epoxy is the most widely explored class of thermosetting resins. Owing to high stiffness and strength, chemical resistance, good dielectric behavior, corrosion resistance, low shrinkage during curing, and good thermal features, epoxy form the most important class of thermosetting resins for several engineering applications. Here, essential features of imperative thermosetting resins have been discussed such as mechanical, thermal, and non-flammability. At the end, employment of thermosetting resins in technical applications like sporting goods, adhesives, printed circuit board, and aerospace have been included

Corrosion Protection Behavior of Carbon Nanotube-based Nanocomposite

Polymer coatings have been successfully employed in corrosion protection of metals. In this article, the polymer coatings containing carbon nanotube have been focused for anti-corrosion behavior. Epoxy-based coatings have gained significant research interest owing to sufficient hydrophobicity, conductivity, water transport behavior, and corrosion resistance. According to corrosion resistance studies, incorporation of nanotube may increase the corrosion resistance owing to filling of microspores prone to corrosion attack. The anti-corrosive polymer coatings with low nanotube content have shown enhanced surface hydrophobicity and anti-rusting properties in addition to strength, conductivity, and thermal resistance

Properties of Polyacrylamide and Functional Multi-walled Carbon Nanotube Composite

In this study we have investigated the structural and electrical properties of multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) reinforced polyacrylamide (PAM)-based composites. Two types of nanotubes were prepared and used i.e. acid functionalized MWCNT-COOH and amine-functionalized MWCNT-A. The nanocomposite was prepared using the solution cast technique. The samples were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), mechanical testing and electrical conductivity measurement. A comparative study has been made on the physical property of PAM/MWCNT-COOH and PAM/MWCNT-A nanocomposites. It was observed that the amine-functionalization of nanotube improved the filler dispersion into the polymer matrix. SEM photographs ascertain that the MWCNT-A nanoparticles were evenly dispersed in PAM matrix. The electrical conductivity of PAM/MWCNT-COOH was in the range of 0.03-0.5 Scm-1, while PAM/MWCNT-A had higher electrical conductivity of 0.4 to 1.2 Scm-1. The ultimate tensile strength of PAM/MWCNT-A nanocomposites was found to increase from 21-26 MPa, relative to PAM/MWCNT-COOH series (19-23 MPa)

Engineered Polymer and Nanodiamond

Nanodiamond possess several outstanding properties such as hardness, strength, Young’s modulus, heat stability, and thermal conductivity. Nanodiamond is stable and may offer a biocompatible interface. Due to high strength to weight ratio and low friction coefficient, these nanocomposites find applications in structural, tribological, engineering, and other sectors. Nanodiamond has large specific surface area to develop polymer-nanofiller interactions. Interphase has been developed in the vicinity of nanodiamond surface and polymer. The interphase holds great potential for obtaining high performance engineered nanocomposites. Polymer/nanodiamond nanocomposites have also been used to form multifunctional tissue scaffolds

Performance of Polyaniline Doped Carbon Nanotube Composite

        Polyaniline (PANI) doped carbon nanotube (CNT) has been utilized to form conductive thermoplastic composites. The polyaniline/carbon nanotube (PANI/CNT) nanocomposites have been formulated using different methods such as electrochemical deposition, in-situ chemical polymerization, and number of other approaches. The structure and properties of these nanocomposites have been explored using range of structural and morphological techniques. In this article, mainly developments in PANI/CNT nanocomposites have been reviewed. The performance assessment of PANI/CNT nanocomposites has revealed various technical uses in electrode, electronic devices, batteries, and corrosion protection

Review on Structure, Properties and Appliance of Essential Conjugated Polymers

One of the important classes of polymers is conductive polymers. These polymers mainly comprise of aromatic and aliphatic backbone. Polyaniline is one of most important type of conjugated polymers due to its excellent conductivity and other essential physical properties. Consequently, main focus of this review is structure, properties and application of technically important conjugated polymer. The conducting polymers such as polyaniline, polythiophene, polypyrrole, polyacetylene and pol(p-phenylene) have been discussed. Conductive polymer offers significant conductivity values similar to that of metal and semiconductors. Finally, the uses of polymers in different technical fields such as sensors, rechargeable batteries, photovoltaics, and fuel cells have been conversed

Topical Progression in Organic and Inorganic Membranes for Advance Application: A Review

Organic and inorganic nano-porous filtration membranes have been discussed in this review, as emergent water treatment technology for elite protection of human health and environment. Self-assembled block copolymer has evolved as influential tool to fabricate organic nano-porous materials with well-defined morphology, pore size and distribution, porosity and surface chemistry. These types of nano-porous materials are attractive for regulation and detection of transport at molecular level. The literature inspection presented in this article typically addressed exploration of relevant aspects such as polymerization method, surface morphology, membrane thickness, and active porosity affecting membrane performance. Similarly, considerable efforts towards fabricating ordered and water-permeable inorganic membranes were debated. In both type of membranes, fine control over pore dimensions, structural characteristics, and physical behavior of nano-structures hang about a major challenge

Polyaniline Composites with Nanodiamond, Carbon nanotube and Silver Nanoparticle: Preparation and Properties

Nanodiamond (ND), functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT), and silver nanoparticle were reinforced in polyaniline (PANI) matrix using simple emulsion polymerization method. In this way, different nanocomposites were obtained including polyaniline/nanodiamond/non-functional nanotube (PANI/ND/MWCNT), polyaniline/       nanodiamond/functional nanotube (PANI/ND/MWCNT-COOH), and polyaniline/nanodiamond/functional nanotube/silver nanoparticle (PANI/ND/MWCNT-COOH/Ag 1 2). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopey (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to study the composite structure and presence of silver nanoparticle. Morphology study (scanning electron microscopy) of the PANI/ND/MWCNT-COOH/Ag exhibited uniform polymerization of aniline monomer over the surface of well-dispersed MWCNT-COOH/ND and silver nanoparticles. The recompenses of Ag nanoparticle comprise the improvement in electrical and thermal properties without deteriorating polyaniline structure. The electrical conductivity of PANI/ND/MWCNT-COOH/Ag 2 nanocomposite with greater Ag nanoparticle content was 39 % higher than the same weight percent nanocomposite without Ag. The PANI/ND/MWCNT-COOH/Ag 1 nanocomposite also showed continuous increase in electrical conductivity over a range of temperature. Thermal stability was also noticeably increased in PANI/ND/MWCNT-COOH/Ag 2 nanocomposite through the incorporation of the Ag nanoparticles