Kinetics and modeling of methyl methacrylate graft copolymerization in the presence of natural rubber latex

Performance optimization and mechanism analysis of applied Enteromorpha-based composite dust suppressant

In order to solve the problem of environmental pollution caused by the escape of coal dust in open-pit coal mines, a composite dust suppressant was prepared from Enteromorpha, and the preparation factors (water-soluble polymer, temperature, solid content and surfactant) were optimized. The mechanism of dust suppression and the possibility of large-scale field application were discussed. The research results on the related properties of dust suppressants showed that the performance of Enteromorpha-based dust suppressants prepared by this method was excellent compared with similar studies. Among them, polyacrylamide (PAM) Enteromorpha-based dust suppressant had the best performance, with viscosity of 25.1 mPa s and surface tension of 27.05 mN/m. Moreover, PAM Enteromorpha-based dust suppressant had the best effect, with the mass loss of 2.94% under the wind speed of 10 m/s and the coal dust loss rate of 4.6% after rain erosion, and it had strong water retention performance. Through the discussion of dust suppression mechanism, it was found that the mechanical entangled network structure with hydrogen bonds as nodes was formed after the graft copolymerization of PAM and Enteromorpha. It had high permeability and good adhesion. After quickly wetting coal dust, it formed a dense package for coal dust. The field experiment also showed that the use of Enteromorpha-based dust suppressant can effectively inhibit the escape of coal dust. From the point of view of economy and efficiency, Enteromorpha can save 30% of the material cost and the dust suppression efficiency can reach 89-94%. Therefore, the Enteromorpha-based dust suppressant may stably suppress coal dust on the basis of reducing the cost.

Polymer Grafting and its chemical reactions

Polymer grafting is a technique to improve the morphology, chemical, and physical properties of the polymer. This technique has the potential to improve the existing conduction and properties of polymers other than charge transport; as a result, it enhances the solubility, nano-dimensional morphology, biocompatibility, bio-communication, and other property of parent polymer. A polymer's physicochemical properties can be modified even further by creating a copolymer with another polymer or by grafting. Here in the various chemical approaches for polymer grafting, like free radical, click reaction, amide formation, and alkylation have been discussed with their importance, moreover the process and its importance are covered comprehensively with their scientific explanation. The present review also covers the effectiveness of the graft-to approaches and its application in various fields, which will give reader a glimpse about polymer grafting and its uses.

Preparation and evaluation of humic acid-based composite dust suppressant for coal storage and transportation

To mitigate environmental pollution caused by the escape of dust during coal storage and transportation, humic acid (HA) and grafted acrylamide (AM) were used as raw materials to prepare a composite dust suppressant suitable for coal storage and transportation. Single-factor experiments were used to explore the optimal synthesis conditions of the dust suppressant, and the microstructure of the product was studied using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and other methods. The wetting effect of the dust suppressant on coal was also investigated by way of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The experimental results showed that the dust suppressant had good wind erosion resistance (wind erosion rate 10.2%), shock resistance (loss rate 3.63%), and anti-evaporation performance, while the MD simulation and permeability analysis results showed that the dust suppressant had an excellent wetting effect on the coal surface. SEM images revealed that the dust suppressant can fill the gaps between coal dust particles and bond them together to form a consolidated layer, thereby effectively inhibiting the escape of dust sources during coal storage and transportation.

A Review on the Synthesis, Characterization, and Modeling of Polymer Grafting

A critical review on the synthesis, characterization, and modeling of polymer grafting is presented. Although the motivation stemmed from grafting synthetic polymers onto lignocellulosic biopolymers, a comprehensive overview is also provided on the chemical grafting, characterization, and processing of grafted materials of different types, including synthetic backbones. Although polymer grafting has been studied for many decades—and so has the modeling of polymer branching and crosslinking for that matter, thereby reaching a good level of understanding in order to describe existing branching/crosslinking systems—polymer grafting has remained behind in modeling efforts. Areas of opportunity for further study are suggested within this review.

Fire-retardant wood coating based on natural rubber bearing methacrylic functionality

The main objective of the present work was to develop intumescent fire-retardant coating (IFRC) for wood based on modified natural rubber (NR). A newly modified form of NR, namely graft copolymers of NR and poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA), NR-g-PMAA, was first synthesized by a solution polymerization technique. The IFRC was then prepared by compounding the synthesized NR-g-PMAA with a curing agent and an intumescent additive to form a compound coating. Cross-linking of the NR-g-PMAA coating was achieved by reactions with polyisocyanate based on hexamethylene diisocyanate (poly‐HDI) under ambient conditions. Interactions of NR-g-PMAA with poly‐HDI were also studied using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Expandable graphite (EG) was employed as intumescent filler in the present study. The thermal stability of the NR-g-PMAA coating films was first studied by thermogravimetric analysis. The fire-retardant properties of wood, with or without the NR-g-PMAA coating, were then examined using the limiting oxygen index and cone calorimetry test. The flammability tests indicate that the flame-retardant properties of wood were greatly improved by treatment with the NR-g-PMAA-based IFRC. Hence, it can be stated that this new form of modified NR has shown to possess potential application in the IFRC when used in combination with EG.

New Grafted Copolymers Carrying Betaine Units Based on Gellan and N-Vinylimidazole as Precursors for Design of Drug Delivery Systems

New grafted copolymers possessing structural units of 1-vinyl-3-(1-carboxymethyl) imidazolium betaine were obtained by graft copolymerization of N-vinylimidazole onto gellan gum followed by the polymer-analogous reactions on grafted polymer with the highest grafting percentage using sodium chloroacetate as the betainization agent. The grafted copolymers were prepared using ammonium persulfate/N,N,N',N' tetramethylethylenediamine in a nitrogen atmosphere. The grafting reaction conditions were optimized by changing one of the following reaction parameters: initiator concentration, monomer concentration, polymer concentration, reaction time or temperature, while the other parameters remained constant. The highest grafting yield was obtained under the following reaction conditions: ci = 0.08 mol/L, cm = 0.8 mol/L, cp = 8 g/L, tr = 4 h and T = 50 °C. The kinetics of the graft copolymerization of N-vinylimidazole onto gellan was discussed and a suitable reaction mechanism was proposed. The evidence of the grafting reaction was confirmed through FTIR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, 1H-NMR spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The grafted copolymer with betaine structure was obtained by a nucleophilic substitution reaction where the betainization agent was sodium chloroacetate. Preliminary results prove the ability of the grafted copolymers to bind amphoteric drugs (cefotaxime) and, therefore, the possibility of developing the new sustained drug release systems.

The development and characterization of a novel coagulant for dust suppression in open-cast coal mines

This paper proposes the development of a novel coagulant for dust suppression in open-cast mines. Specifically, pretreated sodium lignin sulfonate and acrylic acid were first cross-linked, then the graft copolymerization of the intermediate product (the cross-linking product) and acrylamide was conducted and finally the resulting gelatinous substances were crushed. During the reaction process, N,N’-methylene-bis-acrylamide and ammonium persulfate were used as the cross-linking agent and initiator, respectively. Subsequently, the functional groups, crystalline structure, and thermal stability of the dust coagulant were examined by means of Fourier transform infrared spectra measurements, X-ray diffraction spectra measurements, and differential scanning calorimeter analysis. Moreover, single-factor experiments were conducted to explore the optimal synthesis condition. According to the experimental results, the coagulant achieved its optimal dust suppression performance under the following conditions: the mass ratio of lignin to acrylic acid was 1:3, the mass ratio of lignin to acrylamide was 2:7, the content of the cross-linking agent was 0.9%, the mass ratio of initiator to acrylamide was 2:100, the reaction temperature was set as 60℃, and the pH value was set as 7. Finally, the coagulant was measured for its swelling kinetics, viscosity, film-forming hardness, peeling strength, and ability to suppress dust. It can be concluded that the coagulant exhibits a very high standard of both dust suppression and wind resistance.