Structure and property relationship
Leila Latreche; Samira Maou; Lokmane-Taha Abdi; Tahir Habila; Yazid Meftah
Abstract
Polypropylene (PP) is a strong, tough, crystalline thermoplastic material with high performance. Because of its diverse thermo-physical and mechanical properties, it is utilized in a wide variety of disciplines. In this study, the impact of free quenching on the thermo-physical characteristics of PP/calcium ...
Read More
Polypropylene (PP) is a strong, tough, crystalline thermoplastic material with high performance. Because of its diverse thermo-physical and mechanical properties, it is utilized in a wide variety of disciplines. In this study, the impact of free quenching on the thermo-physical characteristics of PP/calcium carbonate (CaCO3) composites was examined. Three distinct heating procedures were used. First, composites were cooled from their melting phase temperature to ambient temperature. Second, composites were cooled from 130°C to a pre-determined and controlled temperature (T: 0°, 20°, 30°, 40°, 50°, 60°, 70°, 80°C). Third, composites were temperature-tested using annealing. The findings suggest that the elongation-at-break and impact strength may be improved following an initial quenching process from the melting phase to ambient temperature. On the other hand, a second quenching process at 0°C produces superior results, and a correlation between mechanical and thermal characteristics is noted; however, while these qualities are increased, others, such as flexibility, density, Vicat softening temperature (VST), and heat distortion temperature (HDT) are negatively impacted.
Composites and nanocomposites
Slimani Mohammed; Ahmed Meghezzi; Yazid Meftah; Samira Maou
Abstract
Date palm tree leaf-reinforced polymer composites have important advantages, such as sustainability and low-cost. In the present study, ternary blend composites of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), and acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) copolymer (LDPE/PVC: C0, LDPE/PVC/NBR:C1) ...
Read More
Date palm tree leaf-reinforced polymer composites have important advantages, such as sustainability and low-cost. In the present study, ternary blend composites of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), and acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) copolymer (LDPE/PVC: C0, LDPE/PVC/NBR:C1) as well as reinforced composites with 10, 20, and 30 wt.% of alkali treated date palm fiber (TDPF) (C2, C3 and C4 respectively) were fabricated using a melt blending extrusion process. TDPF and the NBR copolymer were used to improve the interfacial bonding, compatibility, and thermo-mechanical properties of the composite, yielding the highest tensile strength of 32 MPa for the composite containing 10 wt.% TDPF. Moreover, the morphological analysis showed that the incorporation of the NBR copolymer enhanced the compatibility of the blend. Mechanical tests revealed that the hardness of the TDPF/PVC/LDPE/NBR composite increased in the order C2 (450 MPa) < C3 < C4 (540 MPa). In addition, the flexural and tensile moduli of the composite increased with increasing TDPF content, with the highest values (534 and 1585 MPa, respectively) observed for composite C4. Thermal analysis revealed increased Tonset and T10% values, indicating an improved thermal stability of the composite. This study clearly demonstrates that the (DPF/PVC/LDPE/NBR) composites can be used in various high-tech engineering applications, which require excellent properties.
Polyolefin recycling
Samira Maou; Yazid Meftah; Ahmed Meghezzi
Abstract
Thermo-mechanical recycling process is the cheapest way to recover plastic waste such as LDPE with low ecological impact. Thus, the goal of this work is to obtain high-performance microcomposites from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), recycled low-density polyethylene (r-LDPE), calcium carbonate (CaCO3), and ...
Read More
Thermo-mechanical recycling process is the cheapest way to recover plastic waste such as LDPE with low ecological impact. Thus, the goal of this work is to obtain high-performance microcomposites from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), recycled low-density polyethylene (r-LDPE), calcium carbonate (CaCO3), and calcium/zinc stearate (CaSt2/ZnSt2). The effect of the two ratios of thermal stabilizers with different concentrations on the mechanical properties and thermal stability of PVC and PVC/r-LDPE (1:1) blend was studied. The samples were characterized using infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), mechanical tests, thermal analysis, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The addition of 5 phr of CaSt2:ZnSt2 (9:1) to PVC (MC4) resulted in optimal tensile strength and elongationat-break values. In addition, MC4 showed high thermal stability. Moreover, the incorporation of r-LDPE into PVC made the PVC matrix stronger and more stable than pure PVC, which yields high mechanical and thermal performances. Furthermore, an outstanding synergistic effect is obtained when a heat stabilizer rich in calcium is combined with CaCO3 and r-LDPE. This PVC/r-LDPE blend as a composite can be used in several industrial fields.
