РОЗРОБЛЕННЯ ПРОГРАМНОГО ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННЯ ДЛЯ ОЦІНЮВАННЯ ОДНОРІДНОСТІ РОЗПОДІЛУ НАПОВНЮВАЧА В ПОЛІМЕРНІЙ МАТРИЦІ

Purpose. Creation of software for evaluating the uniformity of distribution of the filler in a polyethylene matrix.Methodology. Software development was carried out using the Python programming language and libraries: PIL, Numpy, Matplotlib, Xlsxwriter. The suitability of the developed software for use was determined by verifying it. During this verification, polyethylene compositions filled with colloidal graphite in the form of compressed films were evaluated. To obtain these compositions, we chose P6006AD grade polyethylene and C-1 colloidal graphite. Samples of polyethylene compositions were obtained in two stages: 1) obtaining a strand by extrusion; 2) additional mixing of the composition on a disc mixer and pressing the obtained compositions into a film.Findings. The software has been developed to assess the uniformity of the distribution of the filler in the polyethylene matrix. The data were established on the dependence of the coefficient of heterogeneity of polyethylene compositions on the content of colloidal graphite with use of the developed software. The increase in the content of the filler leads to a decrease in its heterogeneity. It is shown that this effect can be explained by the structuring of the filler in the polyethylene matrix. Despite the formation of aggregates in polyethylene compositions, a significant amount of small colloidal particles of graphite is located between the aggregate space. This leads to a certain leveling of the concentration in the film and reduces its inhomogeneity.Scientific novelty. The influence of the content of colloidal graphite on the homogeneity of polyethylene compositions is determined. It is shown that with an increase in the graphite content from 0 to 20% vol. the coefficient of heterogeneity of the composition decreases from 5.3% to 3.9%, which is due to the structuring of the filler in the polyethylene matrix.Practical value. Software that makes it possible to evaluate the uniformity of the distribution of filler particles in a polymer matrix, and can be used to study the quality of mixing of polymer composite materials has been developed.

Manufacturing and Characterization of Environmentally Friendly Wood Plastic Composites Using Pinecone as a Filler into a Bio-Based High-Density Polyethylene Matrix

The use of wood plastic composites (WPC) is growing very rapidly in recent years, in addition, the use of plastics of renewable origin is increasingly implemented because it allows to reduce the carbon footprint. In this context, this work reports on the development of composites of bio-based high density polyethylene (BioHDPE) with different contents of pinecone (5, 10, and 30 wt.%). The blends were produced by extrusion and injection-molded processes. With the objective of improving the properties of the materials, a compatibilizer has been used, namely polyethylene grafted with maleic anhydride (PE-g-MA 2 phr). The effect of the compatibilizer in the blend with 5 wt.% has been compared with the same blend without compatibilization. Mechanical, thermal, morphological, colorimetric, and wettability properties have been analyzed for each blend. The results showed that the compatibilizer improved the filler–matrix interaction, increasing the ductile mechanical properties in terms of elongation and tensile strength. Regarding thermal properties, the compatibilizer increased thermal stability and improved the behavior of the materials against moisture. In general, the pinecone materials obtained exhibited reddish-brown colors, allowing their use as wood plastic composites with a wide range of properties depending on the filler content in the blend.

Influence of Tire Rubber Particles Addition in Different Branching Degrees Polyethylene Matrix Composites on Physical and Structural Behavior

Waste from pneumatic wheels is one of the major environmental problems, and the scientific community is looking for methods to recycle this type of waste. In this paper, ground tire rubber particles (GTR) from disused tires have been mixed with samples of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and morphological tests have been performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), as well as the dynamic electric analysis (DEA) dielectric characterization technique using impedance spectroscopy. From this experience, how GTR reinforcement influences polyethylene and what influence GTR particles have on the branched polyethylene has been detected. For pure LDPE samples, a Debye-type dielectric behavior is observed with an imperfect semicircle, which depends on the temperature, as it shows differences for the samples at 30 °C and 120 °C, unlike the HDPE samples, which do not show such a trend. The behavior in samples with Debye behavior is like an almost perfect dipole and is due to the crystalline behavior of polyethylene at high temperature and without any reinforcement. These have been obtained evidence that for branched PE (LPDE) the Maxwell Wagner Sillars (MWS) effect is highly remarkable and that this happens due to the intrachain polarization effect combined with MWS. This means that the permittivity and conductivity at LDPE/50%GTR are high than LDPE/70%GTR. However, it does not always occur that way with HDPE composites in which HDPE/70%GTR has the highest values of permittivity and conductivity, due to the presence of conductive fraction (Carbon Black-30%) in the GTR particles and their dielectric behavior.

The influence of the characteristics of polyethylene on thermoelectric properties of their composites with black carbon

The work is devoted to the study of the effect of characteristics (melt flow and density) of various grades of polyethylene on the electrical resistance of polyethylene composites with carbon black at normal and elevated temperatures. Such polyethylene composites are characterized by abnormally high values of the positive temperature coefficient of electrical resistance in the melting temperature range of the polyethylene matrix. This causes the effect of power self-regulation of such heaters (selfregulating polymer heaters). It has been established that the content of carbon black, which provides a stable and clear effect of self-regulation of such heaters, is located in a concentration region approaching the region of the second concentration-structural percolation transition, which for all investigated polyethylene composites was about 12 vol% of carbon black. The growth rate of electrical resistance at these carbon-black contents is influenced by crystallinity of the polyethylene matrix.

Ameliorated Dielectric Performances of UV-Initiated Auxiliary Crosslinking Polyethylene

In photon-initiated crosslinking reactions of polyethylene molecules, the auxiliary crosslinkers in form of either monomer or homopolymer will cause bridging connections between polymeric molecules by transforming the irradiated photon energy to chemical energy under the assistance of photon-initiators, which can improve photon-initiation quantum efficiency and crosslinking uniformity. In the present study, the auxiliary crosslinkers of TAIC, TAC and TMPTA combining the macromolecular photon-initiator of BPL are employed into the ultraviolet (UV)-initiation technology to develop high-level crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) insulation materials, whilst elucidating the structural and electrical mechanisms of the dielectric amelioration deriving from auxiliary crosslinking schemes. The specified photosensitive auxiliary crosslinkers can chemically bridge polyethylene molecules in the UV-initiated polyethylene crosslinking process, which can effectively promote polyethylene crosslinking degree but will slightly abate polyethylene crystallinity. Whereas, the orientation polarization and relaxation of molecular electric-dipoles on auxiliary crosslinkers cause additional dielectric permittivity and loss respectively, which will probably reduce insulation performances of XLPE. By contrast to XLPE benchmark, especially for grafting auxiliary crosslinker TAIC with the multiple-coupling carbonyl groups in a ring-conjugation, the preferable deep charge-traps can be introduced into polyethylene matrix to effectively improve electrical conductance and AC dielectric breakdown strength. This study provides experimental basis for developing the photon-initiated XLPE insulation materials with advanced dielectric performances required for manufacturing high-voltage grade cables.

Theoretical study of the effect of thermal stress on transversal damage of hybrid biocomposite materials Flax-Hemp / Polyethylene

Background: The objective of sustainable development in the field of materials necessitates and demands the substitution of the basic constituents of a composite material (carbon, glass, etc.) by natural reinforcements, which have a very important role in the protection of the environment and to subsequently have new materials with good properties compared to so-called traditional materials. Objective: In this context, we have investigated, using genetic modeling based on probabilistic models, the effect of thermal stress on transversal damage of a bio-composite hybrid Flax-Hemp/PE material. Method: Our model genetic is based on probabilistic models of Weibull and the different values of the thermal stress was calculated by the Lebrun equation. We used the nonlinear parameter β in the Hoock law of the nonlinear acoustic technique to trace the curves of the damage under the mechanical and thermal stress to validate our theoretical calculations. Results: The results obtained with a genetic simulation are in good agreement with the results found by Clément GOURIER and Raphaël KUENY, who have shown that flax and hemp fibers (bark/Liberian fibers) are good reinforcements of the Polyethylene matrix, we found also found that our hybrid biocomposite material Flax-Hemp/PE is resistant in particular, a part of this material is of plant origin and gives us environmental benefit. Conclusion: It should be noted that the results obtained by the genetic simulation are in good agreement with the results obtained by the nonlinear acoustic technique mentioned by the green curve in all the figures. In perspective, it would be interesting to see, later, the effect of humidity on the damage of the matrix fiber interface of a hybrid biocomposite.

Bionanocomposite Blown Films: Insights on the Rheological and Mechanical Behavior

In this work, bionanocomposites based on two different types of biopolymers belonging to the MaterBi® family and containing two kinds of modified nanoclays were compounded in a twin-screw extruder and then subjected to a film blowing process, aiming at obtaining sustainable films potentially suitable for packaging applications. The preliminary characterization of the extruded bionanocomposites allowed establishing some correlations between the obtained morphology and the material rheological and mechanical behavior. More specifically, the morphological analysis showed that, regardless of the type of biopolymeric matrix, a homogeneous nanofiller dispersion was achieved; furthermore, the established biopolymer/nanofiller interactions caused a restrain of the dynamics of the biopolymer chains, thus inducing a significant modification of the material rheological response, which involves the appearance of an apparent yield stress and the amplification of the elastic feature of the viscoelastic behavior. Besides, the rheological characterization under non-isothermal elongational flow revealed a marginal effect of the embedded nanofillers on the biopolymers behavior, thus indicating their suitability for film blowing processing. Additionally, the processing behavior of the bionanocomposites was evaluated and compared to that of similar systems based on a low-density polyethylene matrix: this way, it was possible to identify the most suitable materials for film blowing operations. Finally, the assessment of the mechanical properties of the produced blown films documented the potential exploitation of the selected materials for packaging applications, also at an industrial level.

Upgrading Argan Shell Wastes in Wood Plastic Composites with Biobased Polyethylene Matrix and Different Compatibilizers

The present study reports on the development of wood plastic composites (WPC) based on micronized argan shell (MAS) as a filler and high-density polyethylene obtained from sugarcane (Bio-HDPE), following the principles proposed by the circular economy in which the aim is to achieve zero waste by the introduction of residues of argan as a filler. The blends were prepared by extrusion and injection molding processes. In order to improve compatibility between the argan particles and the green polyolefin, different compatibilizers and additional filler were used, namely polyethylene grafted maleic anhydride (PE-g-MA 3 wt.-%), maleinized linseed oil (MLO 7.5 phr), halloysite nanotubes (HNTs 7.5 phr), and a combination of MLO and HNTs (3.75 phr each). The mechanical, morphological, thermal, thermomechanical, colorimetric, and wettability properties of each blend were analyzed. The results show that MAS acts as a reinforcing filler, increasing the stiffness of the Bio-HDPE, and that HNTs further increases this reinforcing effect. MLO and PE-g-MA, altogether with HNTs, improve the compatibility between MAS and Bio-HDPE, particularly due to bonds formed between oxygen-based groups present in each compound. Thermal stability was also improved provided by the addition of MAS and HNTs. All in all, reddish-like brown wood plastic composites with improved stiffness, good thermal stability, enhanced compatibility, and good wettability properties were obtained.