Thermoplastic Adhesive for Automotive Applications

The objective of this study is to give a general overview on the thermoplastic adhesives used in the automotive sector. Some of the main applications in which the hot-melt adhesives (HMAs) are used in automotive industries are indicated, together with the adhesive characteristics that explain the reasons for their adoption. The chemical and mechanical behavior of these adhesives and the generally used experimental characterization methods are presented and opportunely criticized. In this study, some of the main properties of thermoplastic adhesives are reviewed together with the standard tests used for their characterization. For what concerns the structural performance, single lap joint test is used to determine the shear strength of the adhesive joint. Thermogravimetric analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy are used to characterize the chemical properties of the adhesive. This study clarifies what are the potentialities of a thermoplastic adhesive in car industries compared to other adhesives

Poly(NIPAM-co-MPS)-grafted multimodal porous silica nanoparticles as reverse thermoresponsive drug delivery system

Hybrid drug delivery systems (DDS) have been prepared by grafting poly(NIPAM-co-MPS) chains on multimodal porous silica nanoparticles having an inner mesoporous structure and an outer thin layer of micropores. The hybrid thermoresponsive DDS were fully characterized and loaded with a model drug. The in vitro drug release tests are carried out at below and above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the copolymer. The results have revealed that due to the presence of small diameter (~1.3 nm) micropores at the periphery of the particles, the collapsed globules of the thermoresponsive copolymer above its LCST hinders the complete release of the drug which resulted in a reverse thermoresponsive drug release profile by the hybrid DDS

Hollow Section Fibers Characterization for Seats Covers Fabric Application

This research is focused on hollow polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers and fabrics. The aim of hollow section fibers application is a textile contribution to weight reduction of the whole vehicle. CO2 emissions consequences and awareness of companies to environmental issues are driving studies on the direction of vehicle weight reduction, according to recent European regulations. For this purpose, fabrics composed of hollow fibers have been produced and characterized. In order to be applied as seats covers for the automotive sector, they have been compared to current production woven fabrics. Tensile, tear strength tests and aesthetic and structural abrasion have been carried out. The performance of hollow fibers PET fabrics is slightly lower than full section fabrics, but completely acceptable according to automotive requirements. Its specific application can be evaluated