Studies on crystallization kinetics, microstructure and mechanical properties of different short carbon fiber reinforced polypropylene (SCF/PP) composites

Polymer Waste-Based Highly Efficient Maleated Interfacial Modifier in iPP/SCF Composites—Some Notes on the Role of Processing in Their Thermal and Dynamic Mechanical Properties

This work has a two-fold objective. First, it attempts to present the excellent efficiency of a maleated interfacial agent (obtained by the authors by using atactic polypropylene industrial waste) when used as interfacial additive in polypropylene/short carbon fiber composites (iPP/SCF). Second, in this paper, we pay attention to the role played by processing in the final properties of the composite. This work has been performed by considering the emerging crystalline morphologies generated by the different shear forces that the molten material suffers depending on the molding method employed. The interfacial agent analyzed here consists of an atactic polypropylene containing succinic anhydride grafts obtained through a chemical modification process performed in solution. It incorporates different types of succinic grafts, such as succinic bridges between aPP chains and backbone and terminal grafts (aPP-SASA) in its structure, and contains 5.6% (5.6 × 10−4 g/mol) of grafted polar groups in total. The adhesion of the polyamide SCF sizing and the succinic units is followed by Field Emission Scanning Electronic Microscopy (FESEM) and Synchrotron Infrared Microscopy (SIRM). However, the main objective of this work is the study of the thermal and the dynamic mechanical behavior of the materials of a series of both compression- and injection-molded samples to ascertain the enhanced interfacial interactions in the material and further comparison between the results obtained by both processing operations. Therefore, we detect improvements of 200% in stiffness and 400% in the viscous response of the same SCF content composites caused by aPP-SASA, depending on the processing method used.

Crystallization Kinetics and Multiple Melting Behavior of Biodegradable Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate)

The crystallization and melting behavior of biodegradable poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB-co-4HB)] with 11 % 4HB content was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), small and wide angle X-ray scattering (SAXS and WAXS). The Avrami analysis was performed to obtain the kinetic parameters of crystallization. The results showed that the Avrami equation was suitable for describing the isothermal and nonisothermal crystallization processes of P(3HB-co-4HB). Based on the values of the equilibrium melting temperature and the half-time of crystallization, its nucleation constant of crystal growth kinetics was obtained by using the Lauritzen-Hoffman model, which was found to be 1.92 × 105 K2, lower than that for pure PHB. During the subsequent heating process, quite different multiple melting behaviors were observed for P(3HB-co-4HB) crystallized isothermally or nonisothermally. The origins of the multiple melting behaviors were discussed based on either the presence of dual lamellar thicknesses or the melt-recrystallization mechanism. In general, the crystallization and melting behaviors were elucidated by this work.