The combination of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), one of the most used polymers in the textile industry, with graphene, one of the most outstanding conductive materials in recent years, represents a promising strategy for the preparation of conductive textiles. This study focuses on the preparation of mechanically stable and conductive polymer textiles and describes the preparation of PET/graphene fibers by the dry-jet wet-spinning method from nanocomposite solutions in trifluoroacetic acid. Nanoindentation results show that the addition of a small amount of graphene (2 wt.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWith a view to the development of new sustainable and functional adhesives, two Diels-Alder (DA) adducts are incorporated as a third component into the curing process of solvent-based and solvent-free polyurethanes in this study. The influence of the nature and content of the DA molecules on the retro-DA (rDA) reaction and its reversibility and cyclability is investigated. It is demonstrated that the bonding/debonding properties of the adhesives are mainly controlled by the concentration of the DA adducts, with a minimum thermoreversible bond (TB) content required that depends on the system and the total ratio between all the diols in the formulation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPEEK appears as an excellent candidate to substitute epoxy resins in carbon fibre laminates for high-performance aeronautical applications. The optimization of the properties and, in particular, of the transition region between the fibres and the matrix appear as a major issue prior to serial production. Graphene, modified with two compatibilizers, has been incorporated in the polymer layer with the purpose of imparting additional functionalities and enhancing the matrix-fibre interaction.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe key to the preparation of polymer nanocomposites with new or improved properties resides in the homogeneous dispersion of the filler and in the efficient load transfer between components through strong filler/polymer interfacial interactions. This paper reports on the preparation of a series of nanocomposites of graphene and a polyolefin using different experimental approaches, with the final goal of obtaining multifunctional materials. A high-density polyethylene (HDPE) is employed as the matrix, while unmodified and chemically modified graphene fillers are used.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEfficient exfoliation of graphene and related materials (GRM) and fast and inexpensive integration/assembly are crucial to fulfil their full potential. A high degree of exfoliation in organic media can be achieved with high boiling point liquids that usually leave residues after drying, which is a handicap for many applications. Here, the effective exfoliation and dispersion of GRM in a vinyl monomer, which is subsequently converted to a functional polymer by photopolymerization, is reported.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe differences in the response of human Saos-2 osteoblasts to nanocomposites of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and 1.5wt.% graphene oxide (GO) prepared by covalent linking (PVA/GO-c) and simple blending (PVA/GO-m) have been evaluated through different biocompatibility parameters.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFComposite materials based on epoxy matrix and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are able to exhibit outstanding improvements in physical properties when using a tailored covalent functionalization with matrix-based moieties containing terminal amines or epoxide rings. The proper choice of grafted moiety and integration protocol makes it feasible to tune the composite physical properties. At 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDifferential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and time-resolved synchrotron X-ray diffraction have been used to investigate the dynamic crystallization behavior and crystalline structure of novel nanocomposites based on isotactic polypropylene (iPP) and molybdenum disulfide inorganic nanotubes (INT-MoS(2)). The influence of the INT-MoS(2) content and different cooling rates on the crystallization behavior has been studied. The crystallization exothermic peak shifted to higher temperature, and the overall crystallization time was reduced by increasing the INT-MoS(2).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInorganic nanotubes (INT) were used for the first time to prepare advanced polymer nanocomposites by means of the most simple, cost-effective and ecologically friendly way (i.e., melt-processing route).
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