Dynamic Mechanical and Gel Content Properties of Irradiated ENR/PVC Blends with TiO2 Nanofillers

Numerous studies reported on irradiated epoxidized natural rubber/polyvinyl chloride (ENR/PVC) blends and the blends were found miscible at all compositional range thus it offers a broad of opportunity in modifying the blend characteristic. Addition of low loading titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanofillers in the ENR/PVC blends has shown a remarkable increment in tensile strength. Thus, this study was initiated to address the effect of TiO2 nanofillers on ENR/PVC blends dynamic mechanical and gel content properties and its morphology upon exposure to electron beam irradiation. ENR/PVC blends with addition of 0, 2 and 6 phr TiO2 nanofillers were first blended in a mixing chamber before being irradiated by an electron beam accelerator at different 0-200 kGy irradiation doses. The influence of TiO2 nanofillers on the irradiation crosslinking of ENR/PVC blends was study based on the dynamic mechanical analysis which was carried out in determining the glass transition temperature and the storage modulus behavior of ENR/PVC blends incorporated with TiO2 nanofillers. Formations of irradiation crosslinking in the blend were investigated by gel content measurement. While, the TiO2 nanofillers distribution were examined by Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM). Upon irradiation, the ENR/PVC/6 phr TiO2 formed the highest value of gel fraction. For dynamic mechanical analysis, it was found that electron beam radiation increased the Tg of all the compositions. The relationship between the crosslinking and the stiffness of the nanocomposites also can be found in this study. The enhancement in the storage modulus and Tg at higher amount of TiO2 in the blend could be correlated to the enhancement of the irradiation-induced crosslinking in the nanocomposites characteristic and also with the higher agglomerations of TiO2 evidence shown from the TEM micrograph examination. Lastly, the dimensions of TiO2 in the blends were found less than 100 nm in diameter which indicates incorporation of TiO2 nanofillers in ENR/PVC blends is potentially to provide the nanocomposites features. Doi: 10.12777/ijse.6.1.24-30 [How to cite this article: Ramlee, N.A., Ratnam, C.T., Alias, N.H., Rahman, M.F.A.. 2014. Dynamic Mechanical and Gel Content Properties of Irradiated ENR/PVC blends with TiO2 Nanofillers. International Journal of Science and Engineering, 6(1),24-30. Doi: 10.12777/ijse.6.1.24-30

Electron beam irradiation of low density polyethylene/ethylene vinyl acetate filled with metal hydroxides for wire and cable applications

The mechanical test showed that upon irradiation, the tensile strength (TS) values of the EVA/LDPE blends increased with the addition of EVA. A gradual increase in gel content (GC) and tensile strength (TS) with a concomitant decline in elongation at break (EB) and hot set (HS) were observed upon electron beam irradiation of the blends. The densities of all compounds were found to reduce with irradiation. The melt flow index test (MFI) results revealed that addition of ATH and MH reduced the flowability and addition of EVA improved the processability of the LDPE/EVA blend compounds. The TS of the LDPE/EVA blends deteriorated with the addition of flame retardants. The thermal stability and flame behavior of the halogen free flame retarded composites were studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), limiting oxygen index (LOI), and cone calorimeter. The TGA results revealed that the decomposition temperatures of water evolved from the compounds incorporated with MH were significantly higher than that of ATH (i.e. 218–560 °C versus 310–610 °C). The minimum smoke density generation during the combustion obtained with 30% EVA content at both ATH and MH blends. The electrical test showed that the volume resistivity (VR) of the EVA/LDPE blends decreased with increase of EVA, ATH and MH contents, whereas, it declined with increasing irradiation dose. Consequently, this study demonstrated that addition of MH to the irradiated EVA/LDPE blends resulted higher thermal stability, better flammable retardancy, electrical and mechanical properties than addition ATH to the irradiated blends for wire and cable applications

Electron beam irradiation of low-density polyethylene filled with metal hydroxides for wire and cable applications

The effects of electron beam irradiation for crosslinking of polymers used for wire and cable insulations are still being researched. In this research, the influence of electron beam irradiation on the different blends of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) filled with aluminum trihydrate and magnesium hydroxide (ATH, MH) were studied. It was revealed by melt flow index, tensile strength, and elongation at break tests that addition of MH to LDPE increases the adhesion forces inside polymer matrices more efficient than similar ATH/LDPE compounds. Field emission scanning electron microscopy test showed that MH is platy in structure and more homogenous mixed than ATH with LDPE. The results on thermogravimetric analysis and limiting oxygen index tests revealed that the thermal stability and incombustibility properties of MH blends are more efficient than similar ATH blends. Meanwhile, it was observed by smoke density test that MH blends produce the lowest smoke density compared with virgin LDPE and similar ATH blends. It was also observed that increasing irradiation by electron beam had impressive affections on the density, gel content, and mechanical properties for all the polymeric samples in this study

Mechanical, thermal and electrical properties of ethylene vinyl acetate irradiated by an electron beam

The effects of electron beam irradiation of (ethylene vinyl acetate) EVA containing 18% vinyl acetate was studied. The EVA sample was then irradiated by using 3 MeV electron beam machine at doses ranging from 120 to 360 kGy in air at room temperature and analyzed for mechanical, thermal and electrical properties. It was revealed by DSC analysis that the crystallinity of the electron-beam radiated EVA decreased slightly as verified by a marginal reduction in the densities and heats of melting. Thermal degradation of EVA occurred through two steps as shown by the thermogravimetric curve with maximum rates of 350 and 450°C, respectively. The results obtained from both gel content and hot set tests showed that under the irradiation conditions employed, the EVA sample cross-linked by the electron beam irradiation, and the degree of cross-linking in the amorphous regions was dependent on the irradiation dose. A significant improvement in the tensile strength of the neat EVA samples was obtained upon electron-beam radiation up to 210 kGy with a concomitant decline in elongation of break. Various electrical properties of EVA such as surface and volume resistance, breakdown voltage and dielectric constant were studied as a function of radiation dose. It was revealed that the surface resistance and volume resistivity of the EVA reaches a maximum at a 190 kGy dose of radiation. No considerable change of breakdown voltage and dielectric constant was observed with increasing irradiation dose. These studies suggest that radiation-cured EVA is more thermally and mechanically stable than pure EVA. Similarly, the results from the electrical properties revealed that surface and volume resistance are higher than pure EVA

Effects of montmorillonite on the electron beam irradiated alumina trihydrate added polyethylene and ethylene vinyl acetate nanocomposite

This study aims at investigating the effects of montmorillonite (MMT) nanocomposite on the electron beam irradiated alumina trihydrate flame retardant added polyethylene and ethylene vinyl acetate blends (FRLE). The addition of MMT into FRLE blends has increased the limiting oxygen index (LOI%), which corresponds the improvement of flame resistivity, whereas increasing amount of MMT and irradiation dosage were found moderately in?uenced LOI% of the blends. However, incorporation of MMT has shown reinforcing effect to the FRLE, where the tensile strength for the samples subjected to 150 and 250 kGy irradiation have increased for 10.7 and 27%, respectively. In addition, increasing loading level of MMT and irradiation dosage caused inferior effects to the surface and volume resistivity of FRLE as high as four folds. This is due to the enhancement of transportability of MMT ionic in polymer matrix that caused the reduction of resistivity of FRLE. POLYM. COMPOS., 33: 1883–1892, 2012

Thermal and dynamic-mechanical properties of silane functionalized graphene oxide (GO)/Epoxy nanocomposites coatings

In this study, graphene oxide (GO) and functional-GO (f-GO) were incorporated into epoxy (EP) resins to provide a protective layer for the metal substrate. Functional-GO is synthesized using environmentally friendly gamma irradiation techniques by incorporating methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) to its surface by radiation from gammaray. GO, and functionalized-GO are characterized via fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), x-ray diffractometer (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Evidence of silane grafting is indicated by the presence of new peaks in the FTIR spectra of the functionalized GO. The crystal surface changes and surface defects due to modification are determined by XRD. The TGA thermograms showed an increase in weight loss due to the grafting of silane in the 300-650°C associated with the chemically bonded silane degradation on the GO from 0 to 32.17 for GO and TGO-150 respectively. Preparation of the steel substrate protective material begins by ultrasonically dispersing the GO in the solvent before mixing it into an epoxy matrix and adding a hardener. XRD showed the existence of GO morphology and f-GO intercalation and exfoliation throughout the matrix. TGA and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) are employed to investigate nanocomposite coatings’ thermomechanical properties. The TGA thermogram showed a decrease in percentage weight loss at 350°C (W350°C) from 29 for neat epoxy (EP) to 19.8 for ETG-150. Similarly, DMA analysis also showed an increase of Tan δ from 1953.30 MPa to 3414.90 MPa and Tg from 80.18°C to 90.49°C for EP and ETG-150 respectively

Surface plasma modification of LLDPE for biomedical applications

Linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) surface was modified by water plasma treatment to functionalized with oxygen-containing functional groups and to improve wettability. The LLDPE surface was treated at 10 and 20 W discharge power at various exposure times. A laboratory scale Megatherm radio frequency (RF) plasma apparatus that operates at 27 MHz was used to generate the water plasmas. Comparative studies were also made on LLDPE by using Argon plasma discharge followed by exposure to oxygen. The changes in chemical structure of the LLDPE polymeric chain upon plasma treatment were characterized by FTIR and XPS techniques. The selectivity of trifluoroacetic anhydride (TFAA) toward hydroxyl groups is used to quantify the hydroxyl groups formed on the polymer surface upon plasma treatment. The surface wettability of the samples was evaluated by measuring water contact angle of the samples before and after modification. In an attempt to understand the effect of surface modification of polymers on organopolysiloxane coating, selected samples were coated with SIGMACOTE. After exposition to the plasma discharge a decline in water contact angle were observed. FTIR and XPS measurements indicate an oxidation of degraded polymeric chains and creation of hydroxyl, carbonyl, ether, ester and carboxyl groups. Chemical derivatization with TFAA of water plasma treated polymer surfaces has shown that under the conditions employed, a very small (less than 5%) of the oxygen introduced by the water plasma treatment was present as hydroxyl group. The XPS results revealed that, under the plasma condition utilized, the surface modification of LLDPE using water plasma improves the wetting of polysiloxane onto the LLDPE surface