Graphite Modified Polylactide (PLA) for 3D Printed (FDM/FFF) Sliding Elements

With the development of 3D printing technology, there is a need to produce printable materials with improved properties, e.g., sliding properties. In this paper, the authors present the possibilities of producing composites based on biodegradable PLA with the addition of graphite. The team created composites with the following graphite weight contents: 1%, 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, and 10%. Neat material was also subjected to testing. Tribological, mechanical, and chemical properties of the mentioned materials were examined. Measurements were also made after keeping the samples in ageing and climatic ovens. Furthermore, SEM observations of samples before and after friction tests were carried out. It was demonstrated that increasing graphite content caused a significant decrease in wear (PLA + 10% graphite had a wear rate three times lower than for a neat material). The addition of graphite did not adversely affect most of the other properties, but it ought to be noted that mechanical properties changed significantly. After conditioning in a climatic oven PLA + 10% graphite has (in comparison with neat material) 11% lower fracture stress, 47% lower impact strength, and 21% higher Young’s modulus. It can be certainly stated that the addition of graphite to PLA is a step towards obtaining a material that is low-cost and suitable for printing sliding spare parts

Opoka—Sediment Rock as New Type of Hybrid Mineral Filler for Polymer Composites

The work presents a comprehensive profile of the physicochemical characteristics of opoka sedimentary rock in the context of its use as a hybrid filler for thermoplastics. Determining the functional parameters of the studied filler was the main aim of this research. Thermal treatment leads to changes in its morphology and phase composition. A wide range of physicochemical techniques was used, such as low-temperature nitrogen adsorption, FT-IR, TGA, XRD, optical, and electron microscopy. The susceptibility of the material to micronisation was also tested (ball milling). Due to its widespread occurrence, opoka can be an attractive alternative to fillers such as silica or chalk. In order to verify this statement, polypropylene composites thereof were prepared by melt blending and injection molding, and studied by mechanical testing and microscopic imaging

Zastosowanie pomiarów reologicznych typu in-line w charakterystyce kompozytów polipropylenu ze skałą opoka jako napełniaczem proszkowym

The rheological properties of the composites of polypropylene (PP) with a new natural powder hybrid filler – carbonate-silicate rock called opoka – were investigated. Opoka rock is industrial waste originating (as a subsieve fraction) from the production of sorbents used in water treatment processes. The effect of opoka addition (1, 5 and 10 wt %) on the processability of PP was determined during the extrusion process using an in-line measuring stand. The testing instrument was an extruder rheometer equipped with a rheological measuring head with exchangeable dies. Cylindrical measuring dies with a radius of 1.5 mm and a length of L = 20, 30, 40 and 50 mm, respectively, were used in the measurements. The rheological parameters of the composites were determined based on the Ostwald-de-Waele power--law model at a temperature of 230 °C. The effect of the addition of opoka on the extruder operating characteristic, flow curves, viscosity curves, and the values of power law index (n), consistency factor (K), mass flow rate (MFR) and volume flow rate (MVR) have been determined.Badano właściwości reologicznych kompozytów polipropylenu (PP) z nowym, naturalnym, proszkowym napełniaczem hybrydowym – skałą węglanowo-krzemionkową zwaną opoką, stanowiącą odpad przemysłowy powstający podczas produkcji sorbentów (frakcja podsitowa), stosowanych w procesach oczyszczania wody. Wpływ dodatku opoki (1, 5 i 10 % mas.) na przetwarzalność PP określano na stanowisku pomiarowym typu in-line w procesie wytłaczania. Urządzenie badawcze stanowił reometr wytłaczarkowy z reologiczną głowicą pomiarową z wymiennymi dyszami. W pomiarach zastosowano cylindryczne dysze pomiarowe o promieniu R = 1,5 mm i długości L = 20, 30, 40 i 50 mm. Parametry reologiczne kompozytów wyznaczano na podstawie modelu potęgowego Ostwalda-de-Waele w temp. 230 °C. Określano wpływ dodatku opoki na charakterystykę pracy wytłaczarki, przebieg krzywej płynięcia oraz krzywej lepkości, a także wartości wykładnika płynięcia (n), współczynnika konsystencji (K), masowego wskaźnika szybkości płynięcia (MFR) oraz objętościowego wskaźnika szybkości płynięcia (MVR)

New Ethynylphenylborasilsesquioxanes—Their Reactivity and Behavior during Thermal Decomposition

In this paper, a new type of borasilsesquioxanes was synthesized through a condensation process, and its reactivity in catalytic hydrosilylation reactions with silanes, siloxanes, and silsesquioxanes was investigated. The obtained compounds were mostly obtained in >90% yield. They were fully characterized using spectroscopic (1H, 13C, 29Si NMR) and spectrometric (MALDI-TOF-MS) methods. The next stage of the research involved studying the thermogravimetric properties of the borasilsesquioxanes. By analyzing the different stages of decomposition using spectroscopic techniques (NMR, ATR-FTIR, Raman) and microscopic imaging, it was found that the structure of the borasilsesquioxanes changed during the pyrolysis process and polymer compounds were formed

Silsesquioxanes in the Cosmetics Industry—Applications and Perspectives

The rising demand for innovative and sophisticated personal care products is a driving factor for manufacturers to obtain new formulations that will fulfill the customers’ preferences. In recent years, silsesquioxanes have attracted the attention of the cosmetics industry. These compounds have been proposed to be used in novel cosmetic formulations as emollient, dispersant, and viscosity modifiers. Therefore, this publication aims to review the main important aspects of polyhedral oligosilsesquioxanes as ingredients of personal care formulations, taking into consideration different types of products. The methods of obtaining these compounds were also presented. Additionally, the detailed analysis of patents dedicated to the application of silsesquioxanes in cosmetic formulations was also performed

Processing Technologies for Crisis Response on the Example of COVID-19 Pandemic—Injection Molding and FFF Case Study

The paper presents a comparison of two methods of manufacturing utility objects made of plastics, applied to the emerging immediate need in the field of quick provision of personal protective equipment for medical services. The traditional processing method, which is injection molding (IM), and a modern rapid prototyping method, which is fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D printing, were compared in terms of unit costs and production possibilities at various timeframes. The paper presents the effects of launching two production processes of protective helmets (face shields) using the example of real cases implemented ad hoc during the epidemic development. The implementation of the protective helmet production project based on polyamide-6 processing showed the real possibilities of quickly launching the rapid production of protective equipment with the aid of mold injection technology

Metallic Strontium as a Precursor of the Al₂O₃/SrCO₃ Xerogels Obtained by the One-Pot Sol–Gel Method

Two series of binary xerogel systems of Sr/Al with molar ratios of 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, and 1.0 were synthesized by the sol–gel technique with metallic strontium component as a precursor. The influence of the metallic precursor on the properties of the final xerogel was determined. The properties of the gels were determined on the basis of X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), low temperature nitrogen adsorption, transmission, and scanning electron microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (TEM, SEM, and SEM/EDS). The Al2O3/SrCO3 xerogels were tested as supports for platinum catalysts. Hydrogen chemisorption was used to determine the platinum dispersion of the Pt/Al2O3-SrCO3 systems. The original method of synthesis allows to obtain highly dispersed and stable strontium carbonate phases that allow for obtaining a high (42–50%) dispersion of platinum nanoparticles

Aspects and Principles of Material Connections in Restorative Dentistry—A Comprehensive Review

The combination of two dissimilar materials has always been a serious problem in dentistry. In order to meet this challenge, it is necessary to combine both chemical methods (treatment with silanes, (meth)acrylic functional monomers) and the development of the surface of the joined material in a physical way, e.g., by sandblasting with alumina, alumina with silica, acid etching, the use of lasers and other means. The purpose of this literature review is to present all methods of joining dental composites with other materials such as ceramics, metal, another composite material. This review covers articles published within the period 2012–2022 in journals indexed in the PubMed database, written in English and describing joining different dental materials to each other. All the critical steps of new joint preparation have been addressed, including proper cleaning of the joint surface, the application of appropriate primers capable of forming a chemical bond between ceramics, zirconium oxide or metals and alloys, and finally, the application of new composite materials

Silsesquioxane Derivatives as Functional Additives for Preparation of Polyethylene-Based Composites: A Case of Trisilanol Melt-Condensation

In this work, polyethylene (PE) composites were prepared with a series of completely condensed silsesquioxanes (SSQ), as well as with open-cage hepta(isobutyl)trisilanol silsesquioxane. The effect of the additives on the thermal, mechanical, rheological, and crystalline properties of the composites obtained was determined. The dispersion of trisilanol derivative within polymer matrix was slightly better than that of the other isobutyl compounds, suggesting condensation of the additive to less polar products of different structure, which was confirmed by thermogravimetry (TG) and matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry analysis. The additives improved the thermal stability of polyethylene and formed composites of higher rigidity than the neat polyolefin. The results were compared to the literature data, with aminopropylhepta(isobutyl)silsesquioxane and vinylhepta(isobutyl)silsesquioxane being used partially as references, as PE composites thereof were reported earlier, but lacked some analytical results and required further investigation. It was proven that the practical upper loading limit for such silsesquioxane compounds as processing and functional additives for polyethylene should be fixed at around 1%