{"title":"Preparation of Flame-Retardant Reinforced Recycled PBT Building Materials Suitable for Hygrothermal Environments: Flame Retardancy and Hygrothermal Resistance Improvement via Aluminum Phosphite/Paragonite Synergy","authors":"Xiang Li, Guirong Xie, Xiaoxue Zhu, Xiaozhong Liu","doi":"10.1002/app.71392","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/app.71392","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Glass fiber-reinforced flame-retardant PBT (FR-GF/PBT) is widely used in various insulating, structural, and flame-retardant components for building electrical applications. Many of these components are used in hygrothermal environments. To reduce the performance degradation of FR-GF/PBT under hygrothermal conditions, a series of GF-PBT composites were prepared by melt extrusion using recycled poly(butylene terephthalate) (R-PBT) as the matrix, glass fiber (GF) as the reinforcement, aluminum phosphite (Al-P) as the flame retardant, and Paragonite (Pgt) as the functional additive. The effects of Pgt and Al-P on the flame retardancy, thermal properties, and mechanical properties of the GF-PBT composites were investigated. The results showed that Al-P could effectively improve the flame retardancy of GF-PBT but caused significant reductions in the strength, toughness, and thermal stability of the composite. Al-P and Pgt exhibited a synergistic flame-retardant effect in GF-PBT, and Pgt improved the mechanical and thermal properties of the composites. Pgt could effectively reduce the degradation of flame retardancy and mechanical properties of GF-PBT/Al-P/Pgt composites under hygrothermal environments. This work provides a novel strategy for preparing flame-retardant reinforced PBT building materials with excellent comprehensive properties for applications in hygrothermal environments.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":183,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Polymer Science","volume":"143 42","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149100612","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zhuobin Sun, Xinge Zhang, Wenquan Wang, Hongen Wang, Yang Yang, Xueshan Zhao, Gang Deng, Zhihui Zhang
{"title":"Effects of Flat Energy Director Thickness and Welding Time on Interface Formation for Ultrasonic Welding of GF/PPS Composites","authors":"Zhuobin Sun, Xinge Zhang, Wenquan Wang, Hongen Wang, Yang Yang, Xueshan Zhao, Gang Deng, Zhihui Zhang","doi":"10.1002/app.71396","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/app.71396","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In this paper, the resin films were selected as energy directors, and the influence of flat energy director thickness and welding time on the ultrasonic welding joints of GF-PPS composites was investigated. The ultrasonic welding termination condition was set to time-control mode in order to analyze the influence of energy director thickness on the interface formation. The viscoelastic heat generation and interfacial temperature distribution of energy directors with different thicknesses during the welding process were analyzed using COMSOL software and a thermocouple. The interface and defect formation mechanisms were analyzed by examining the macro and microstructural characterization of the joint cross-section. The lap shear strength of joints under different welding parameters was evaluated through single lap shear tests, while the fracture mechanisms were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope. Furthermore, these findings can be extended to other types of composites, which provide valuable insights for improving the ultrasonic welding process of thermoplastic composites.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":183,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Polymer Science","volume":"143 42","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149100664","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Tuning Free Volume via Diamine Structure in 6FDA-Based Polyimide Membranes for He/Ne Separation","authors":"Jiayou Liao, Yi Sun, Ruojia Lin, Chengyun Gao, Zhichao Zhai, Xianjie Meng, Jiwei Ma, Duo Jia, Yuxuan Li, Xingzhong Cao, Xu Wu","doi":"10.1002/app.71292","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/app.71292","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Helium and neon are strategically important noble gases in semiconductor manufacturing and cryogenic technologies, yet their similar molecular sizes and inertness make separation challenging. Although membrane-based separation offers an energy-efficient alternative to cryogenic processes, polymer membranes and theoretical designs for He/Ne separation remain limited. In this study, the free volume of polyimides based on 6FDA was tailored by incorporating different diamine structures, and the resulting effects on He/Ne separation performance were systematically investigated. Two classes of diamines were selected: monoaromatic diamines affecting chain symmetry and stacking, and diaromatic bridged diamines introducing varying degrees of chain rigidity. Structure-dependent differences in chain packing and free volume were analyzed using PALS and MD simulations. A quantitative correlation between free volume parameters and gas transport properties established a clear structure–property relationship. Among the studied membranes, 6FDA-ODA polyimide membrane prepared from 6FDA and ODA exhibited a favorable permeability–selectivity balance with helium permeability of 134.78 barrer and an ideal He/Ne selectivity of 6.18. The membrane maintained stable permeation at 200 psi and exhibited increased selectivity after physical aging. These results demonstrate that tuning diamine structures effectively regulates chain packing and free volume, enabling the development of high performance 6FDA-based polyimide membranes for He/Ne separation.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":183,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Polymer Science","volume":"143 42","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149100342","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effect of Directionally Aligned Channels in Composite Hydrogels on Solar Steam Generation and Adsorption of Perfluorooctanoic Acid","authors":"Jingjing Wang, Xin Liu, Huanghui Yao, Aichao Liu, Jianmin Wang, Kai Zhang","doi":"10.1002/app.71406","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/app.71406","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Solar-powered steam generation is acknowledged as a highly efficient method for seawater desalination and wastewater purification. However, simultaneous generation of fresh water and removal of pollutants is still challenging for the treatment of saline wastewater containing organic pollutants. Herein, composite hydrogels with vertically aligned channels were prepared by directional freezing technology. The formation of vertical channels could greatly reduce mass transfer resistance and improve both interfacial evaporation rate and adsorption rate of pollutants. Compared to the non-vertically aligned composite hydrogel, this uniquely structured hydrogel exhibited superior desalination performance, attaining an evaporation rate of 1.99 kg·m<sup>−2</sup>·h<sup>−1</sup> and an energy conversion efficiency of 94.36% when exposed to one sun's illumination. Meanwhile, the hydrogel evaporator showed outstanding salt resistance even in the evaporation of brine with high salinity and stable desalination performance over successive evaporation for 10 cycles. In addition, the composite hydrogel was used as an adsorbent for the removal of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). Due to the presence of directional channels, the composite hydrogel achieved higher adsorption capacity and faster adsorption rate than the non-vertically aligned composite hydrogel. This work realized integration of solar desalination and PFOA removal in a single evaporator, offering a facile strategy for treating saline wastewater containing organic pollutants.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":183,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Polymer Science","volume":"143 42","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149100357","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effect of Directionally Aligned Channels in Composite Hydrogels on Solar Steam Generation and Adsorption of Perfluorooctanoic Acid","authors":"Jingjing Wang, Xin Liu, Huanghui Yao, Aichao Liu, Jianmin Wang, Kai Zhang","doi":"10.1002/app.71406","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/app.71406","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Solar-powered steam generation is acknowledged as a highly efficient method for seawater desalination and wastewater purification. However, simultaneous generation of fresh water and removal of pollutants is still challenging for the treatment of saline wastewater containing organic pollutants. Herein, composite hydrogels with vertically aligned channels were prepared by directional freezing technology. The formation of vertical channels could greatly reduce mass transfer resistance and improve both interfacial evaporation rate and adsorption rate of pollutants. Compared to the non-vertically aligned composite hydrogel, this uniquely structured hydrogel exhibited superior desalination performance, attaining an evaporation rate of 1.99 kg·m<sup>−2</sup>·h<sup>−1</sup> and an energy conversion efficiency of 94.36% when exposed to one sun's illumination. Meanwhile, the hydrogel evaporator showed outstanding salt resistance even in the evaporation of brine with high salinity and stable desalination performance over successive evaporation for 10 cycles. In addition, the composite hydrogel was used as an adsorbent for the removal of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). Due to the presence of directional channels, the composite hydrogel achieved higher adsorption capacity and faster adsorption rate than the non-vertically aligned composite hydrogel. This work realized integration of solar desalination and PFOA removal in a single evaporator, offering a facile strategy for treating saline wastewater containing organic pollutants.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":183,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Polymer Science","volume":"143 42","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149100358","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sofia de Oliveira Pires, Cristian Berto da Silveira, Aline Fernandes de Oliveira
{"title":"Barium Crosslinking in Bio-Based Sodium Alginate Films: Improved Barrier and Thermal Performance Toward Biodegradable Packaging Applications","authors":"Sofia de Oliveira Pires, Cristian Berto da Silveira, Aline Fernandes de Oliveira","doi":"10.1002/app.71390","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/app.71390","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Growing environmental concerns associated with petroleum-based plastics have intensified the demand for sustainable, biodegradable materials for packaging applications. Sodium alginate is a natural polysaccharide with excellent biodegradability, biocompatibility, and film-forming ability; however, its high moisture sensitivity and moderate thermal stability limit its application. In this study, sodium alginate films were produced by solvent casting and ionically cross-linked with BaCl<sub>2</sub> solutions at concentrations of 1%, 2%, and 5% (w/v) to evaluate the influence of Ba<sup>2+</sup> on their structural, barrier, and thermal properties. The films were characterized by SEM/EDS, FTIR-ATR, TGA, and measurements of water vapor absorption, swelling, and mass loss. Cross-linking promoted denser polymer networks, reducing water vapor absorption from 20% ± 0.55% to 10.5% ± 0.56% at 75% relative humidity, while swelling decreased from 40% ± 2.5% to 29% ± 0.9% after 400 min. TGA indicated improved thermal stability, and mass loss after 24 h in water ranged from 11% to 13%. SEM revealed a more compact morphology with crystalline deposits, while FTIR confirmed ionic interactions between alginate carboxylate groups and Ba<sup>2+</sup> ions. Overall, Ba<sup>2+</sup> cross-linking significantly improved the physicochemical, barrier, and thermal properties of sodium alginate films, highlighting their potential as biodegradable packaging materials.</p>","PeriodicalId":183,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Polymer Science","volume":"143 42","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/app.71390","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149100435","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Gaixuan Zhou, Nan Wu, Xiping Sun, Xiaoji Liu, Zhijia Zhang, Songsong Zhang, Teng Ma, Hao Wei, Qiang Wang, Lin Wang, Guojun Wang
{"title":"Lightweight Electromagnetic Absorption Performance and Size Effect of Ni@PPy Composites Based on Hollow Glass Microspheres","authors":"Gaixuan Zhou, Nan Wu, Xiping Sun, Xiaoji Liu, Zhijia Zhang, Songsong Zhang, Teng Ma, Hao Wei, Qiang Wang, Lin Wang, Guojun Wang","doi":"10.1002/app.71408","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/app.71408","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Lightweight and broadband microwave absorbers are highly desirable for practical electromagnetic protection, yet achieving strong absorption at low density and reduced thickness remains challenging due to the trade-off between impedance matching and attenuation capability. Herein, a lightweight multilayer core–shell absorber (HNP) was constructed using hollow glass microspheres as the core, combined with a nickel-based intermediate shell and an outer polypyrrole layer to enhance conductive networks and interfacial polarization. By tuning the cavity size, systematic structure–property–performance relationships were established. With increasing cavity size, the permittivity is significantly enhanced, leading to improved dielectric and conductive losses. Notably, the absorber maintains an ultralow density of ~0.32 g·cm<sup>−3</sup>. As a representative system, HNP-110 exhibits loading-dependent absorption behavior. At 10 wt%, a minimum reflection loss (RL<sub>min</sub>) of −51.39 dB is achieved at 10.88 GHz with a thickness of 2.7 mm, along with an effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 5.28 GHz. At 15 wt%, the EAB further expands to 5.44 GHz while maintaining strong absorption. Excessive loading (20 wt%) leads to impedance mismatch and performance deterioration. Mechanistic analysis reveals a transition from polarization-dominated to conduction-dominated loss, with optimal impedance matching (|<i>Z</i><sub>in</sub>/<i>Z</i><sub>0</sub>| ≈ 1) achieved at 10–15 wt%, enabling efficient broadband absorption.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":183,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Polymer Science","volume":"143 42","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149100418","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yinshi Lu, Handai Liu, Ke gong, Clem Higginbotham, Zhi Cao
{"title":"Effects of Material Extrusion Printing Parameters on the Foaming Behavior and Properties of Foaming Agent Modified Polypropylene: A Taguchi Based Investigation","authors":"Yinshi Lu, Handai Liu, Ke gong, Clem Higginbotham, Zhi Cao","doi":"10.1002/app.71403","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/app.71403","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Foam 3D printing offers a promising route for producing lightweight structures, although the cell morphology and mechanical performance of printed polypropylene remain highly sensitive to processing conditions. This study investigates the effects of printing temperature, printing speed, and nozzle diameter on the foaming behavior and property retention of polypropylene containing a chemical foaming agent using a Taguchi L9 design. Printing temperatures of 220°C–240°C, speeds of 40– 80 mm/s, and nozzle diameters of 0.4–0.8 mm were evaluated through density, hardness, tensile, and flexural testing, scanning electron microscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry. Printing temperature had the greatest influence on density, contributing 34% of the observed variation, and affected hardness and cell morphology. Nozzle diameter was the dominant factor affecting mechanical performance and contributed 59.1% to flexural strength variation. The 0.8 mm nozzle was associated with a more stable cellular structure at high temperatures, while printing speed showed a smaller overall contribution. The preferred conditions identified from the main effect analysis provide practical guidance for selecting printing parameters within the ranges investigated. These findings provide a quantitative basis for balancing lightweight design and mechanical performance.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":183,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Polymer Science","volume":"143 42","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149100477","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Fuyun Wang, Quan Cao, Yao Wang, Simeng Liu, Jun Zhao, Zhifan Yang, Shuran Duan, Ming Li
{"title":"Preparation and High-Temperature Stabilization Mechanism of Quaternary Copolymer Suspension Stabilizer for Cementing Spacer Fluid","authors":"Fuyun Wang, Quan Cao, Yao Wang, Simeng Liu, Jun Zhao, Zhifan Yang, Shuran Duan, Ming Li","doi":"10.1002/app.71401","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/app.71401","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Conventional spacer fluids fail at high temperatures in deep wells, causing sedimentation and poor cementing quality. In this study, a quaternary copolymer suspension stabilizer was synthesized via aqueous free-radical polymerization. Orthogonal tests revealed that the influence of synthesis parameters on sedimentation stability followed the order: pH > reaction temperature > initiator dosage > monomer molar ratio. The optimal conditions were determined as a monomer molar ratio of 1:1.5:0.5:0.2, a reaction temperature of 65°C, an initiator dosage of 0.1 mol%, and a pH of 5.5. The structure was verified by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (<sup>1</sup>H-NMR). Performance evaluation shows that the stabilizer enables the spacer fluid to maintain excellent sedimentation stability at 200°C. It presents good rheological and thickening compatibility with drilling fluid and cement slurry. Mechanism analysis indicates that the stabilizer provides high-temperature stability through chemical adsorption and steric hindrance. Viscosity measurements conducted at a shear rate of 170 s<sup>−1</sup> over a temperature range of 30°C ~200°C show that the polymer solution retains 45% of its initial viscosity at 200°C, indicating that the main chain remains intact and meets the demands of deep and ultra-deep well cementing.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":183,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Polymer Science","volume":"143 42","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149100491","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Multi-Model Lifetime Prediction of Silicone Rubber Under Coupled Environmental Stressors Based on Accelerated Testing in Simulated Marine Atmospheric Conditions","authors":"Rui-Yuan Wang, Mo-Nan Han, Qian Chen, Ning Li, Xue-Rong Liu, Wei-Fang Zhang","doi":"10.1002/app.71391","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/app.71391","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Marine equipment operating in atmospheric marine environments is subjected to multiple interacting stressors, making the durability of silicone-rubber sealing components and their lifetime prediction both critical and difficult to assess. This study investigates the degradation behavior of silicone rubber under representative marine conditions and establishes a multi-model framework for accelerated lifetime prediction. Compression set was used as the primary degradation indicator and failure criterion because it reflects long-term stress relaxation and the functional retention of sealing materials. Accelerated aging tests were carried out under ultraviolet (UV), hygrothermal, salt-spray, and two coupled conditions: UV–thermal–humidity and UV–hygrothermal–salt-spray. Corresponding statistical degradation models, a piecewise power-law model, a drifted Wiener process model, and a saturation-type model were developed based on the observed degradation patterns. The results indicate that different aging conditions produce distinct degradation modes: UV and salt-spray aging show marked fluctuations, whereas hygrothermal aging exhibits a more stable and continuous degradation trend. Coupled environments further modify the degradation pathway, revealing nonlinear interactions among stressors rather than a simple additive response. The proposed multi-model framework demonstrates good adaptability across different degradation mechanisms and provides a practical basis for the lifetime assessment of silicone-rubber components used in marine equipment.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":183,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Applied Polymer Science","volume":"143 42","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149100538","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}