Effect of Borpolymer on Mechanical and Structural Parameters of Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene

The paper presents the results of studying the effect of borpolymer (BP) on the mechanical properties, structure, and thermodynamic parameters of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). Changes in the mechanical characteristics of polymer composites material (PCM) are confirmed and complemented by structural studies. X-ray crystallography (XRC), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and infrared spectroscopy (IR) were used to study the melting point, morphology and composition of the filler, which corresponds to the composition and data of the certificate of the synthesized BP. Tensile and compressive mechanical tests were carried out in accordance with generally accepted standards (ASTM). It is shown that BP is an effective modifier for UHMWPE, contributing to a significant increase in the deformation and strength characteristics of the composite: tensile strength of PCM by 56%, elongation at break by 28% and compressive strength at 10% strain by 65% compared to the initial UHMWPE, due to intensive changes in the supramolecular structure of the matrix. Structural studies revealed that BP does not chemically interact with UHMWPE, but due to its high adhesion to the polymer, it acts as a reinforcing filler. SEM was used to establish the formation of a spherulite supramolecular structure of polymer composites.

Beyond homogeneous dispersion: oriented conductive fillers for high κ nanocomposites

Rational design of structures for regulating the thermal conductivities (κ) of materials is critical to many components and products employed in electrical, electronic, energy, construction, aerospace, and medical applications. As such, considerable efforts have been devoted to developing polymer composites with tailored conducting filler architectures and thermal conduits for highly improved κ. This paper is dedicated to overviewing recent advances in this area to offer perspectives for the next level of future development. The limitations of conventional particulate-filled composites and the issue of percolation are discussed. In view of different directions of heat dissipation in polymer composites for different end applications, various approaches for designing the micro- and macroscopic structures of thermally conductive networks in the polymer matrix are highlighted. Methodological approaches devised to significantly ameliorate thermal conduction are categorized with respect to the pathways of heat dissipation. Future prospects for the development of thermally conductive polymer composites with modulated thermal conduction pathways are highlighted.

Preparation and Thermomechanical Properties of Ketone Mesogenic Liquid Crystalline Epoxy Resin Composites with Functionalized Boron Nitride

In order to enhance the thermomechanical behaviors of epoxy molding compounds, the hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) fillers were incorporated in a ketone mesogenic liquid crystalline epoxy (K–LCE) matrix to prepare a high-performance epoxy composites. The h-BN was modified by surface coupling agent 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES). The grafting of silane molecules onto the surface of BN fillers improved the compatibility and homogeneous dispersion state of BN fillers in the K–LCE matrix with a strong interface interaction. The surface-modified BN fillers were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The thermomechanical properties and morphologies of K–LCE/BN composites loading with different contents of modified BN fillers, ranging from 0.50 to 5.00 wt%, were investigated. These results show that modified BN fillers uniformly dispersed in K–LCE matrix, contributing to the enhancement in storage modulus, glass transition temperatures, impact strength and reduction in the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). The thermal stability and char yield of the K–LCE/BN composites were increased by increasing the amount of modified BN fillers and the thermal decomposition temperatures of composites were over 370 °C. The thermal conductivity of the K–LCE/BN composites was up to 0.6 W/m·K, for LC epoxy filled with 5.00-wt%-modified BN fillers. Furthermore, the K–LCE/BN composites have excellent thermal and mechanical properties compared to those of the DGEBA/BN composites.

Thermally Conductive Elastomer Composites with Poly(catechol-polyamine)-Modified Boron Nitride

Effective heat dissipation has become a major concern with the rapid development of microelectronic devices. In general, thermally conductive fillers are incorporated into the polymeric matrix to increase the thermal conductivity of polymer composites. Herein, poly(catechol-polyamine) (PCPA) is employed to modify boron nitride (BN) platelets, referred to as BN-PCPA, and improves the interfacial compatibility between a thermally conductive filler and elastomer matrix, resulting in carboxylated acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (XNBR) composites filled with BN-PCPA platelets with enhanced thermal conductivity. The influence of PCPA thickness on the mechanical properties, thermal conductivity, and dielectric properties of BN-PCPA/XNBR composites is systematically studied. Briefly, the interfacial compatibility between the BN-PCPA filler and XNBR matrix increases with increasing PCPA thickness, leading to enhanced thermal conductivity. The maximum thermal conductivity of 0.399 W/(m·K) has been rendered by the BN-PCPA-12h/XNBR composite, which is about 2.5 times of pure XNBR. This work provides an easy route to develop polymer composites with a relatively high thermal conductivity and high dielectric constant for potential application in practical electronic packaging.

The role of interfacial H-bonding on the electrical properties of UV-cured resin filled with hydroxylated Al2O3 nanoparticles

Surface hydroxylation of crude Al₂O₃ (c-Al₂O₃) nanoparticles by H₂O₂ was conducted to tailor the electrical properties of UV-cured resin. The hydroxyl groups on Al₂O₃ particles were designed to establish hydrogen bonding between the hydroxyl and carboxyl groups, which favors the enhancement of interfacial strength between fillers and UV-cured resin matrix. The effect of interfacial strength on the electrical properties was investigated. Owing to the improved interfacial strength, it can be conjectured that a larger volume of the interaction zone exists in UV-cured resin/hydroxylated Al₂O₃ (UV/h-Al₂O₃) composites. As a consequence, the number of deeper traps is increased, restraining the charge migration and raising the charge injection barrier. Thus, UV/h-Al₂O₃ composites exhibit remarkably enhanced breakdown strength, improved volume resistivity and suppressed space charge accumulation in comparison with that of UV/c-Al₂O₃ composites at the same filler content. It was found that the addition of 0.5 wt% h-Al₂O₃ increases the AC breakdown strength and volume resistivity by 15.5% and 367.9%, respectively. Our results suggest that hydroxylation is an efficient way to improve the electrical properties of UV-cured resin nanocomposites, thus promoting stereolithography 3D printing in the application of electrical and electronic fields.

Thermal Performances of UHMWPE/BN Composites Obtained from Different Blending Methods

UHMWPE/BN composites were prepared by solvent mixing (SM) in this work, then were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), Raman mapping, differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TG), and thermal conductivity meter to study the morphology, filler distribution, segregated structure, and thermal stability as well as thermal conductivity. Compared to the traditional melt mixing (MM), SM followed by molding contributes to the construction of segregated structures in UHMWPE composite. This segregated structure can greatly improve the thermal conductivity of the composites. The segregated structure of composites prepared by MM is destroyed by shearing. Moreover, the thermal stability of composites by SM is improved with the increment of BN content, which is better than that of samples by MM, probably resulting from the barrier function of the segregated structure.

Development of AlN/Epoxy Composites with Enhanced Thermal Conductivity

AlN/epoxy composites with high thermal conductivity were successfully prepared by infiltrating epoxy into AlN porous ceramics which were fabricated by gelcasting of foaming method. The microstructure, mechanical, and thermal properties of the resulting composites were investigated. The compressive strengths of the AlN/epoxy composites were enhanced compared with the pure epoxy. The AlN/epoxy composites demonstrate much higher thermal conductivity, up to 19.0 W/(m·K), compared with those by the traditional particles filling method, because of continuous thermal channels formed by the walls and struts of AlN porous ceramics. This study demonstrates a potential route to manufacture epoxy-based composites with extremely high thermal conductivity.