Polymer Engineering and Science最新文献

Effects of a Novel Ternary Deep Eutectic Solvent on the Overall Performance of Natural Sepiolite/Natural Rubber Composites 新型三元深共熔溶剂对天然海泡石/天然橡胶复合材料综合性能的影响

4区工程技术

Polymer Engineering and Science Pub Date : 2026-08-16 DOI: 10.1002/pen.70829

Shaoming Li, Yaqi Ge, Yukun Zhou, Chuansheng Wang, Yao Xiao

{"title":"Effects of a Novel Ternary Deep Eutectic Solvent on the Overall Performance of Natural Sepiolite/Natural Rubber Composites","authors":"Shaoming Li, Yaqi Ge, Yukun Zhou, Chuansheng Wang, Yao Xiao","doi":"10.1002/pen.70829","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/pen.70829","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Due to its high surface polarity and tendency to agglomerate, sepiolite exhibits weak interfacial bonding with the nonpolar natural rubber (NR) matrix, leading to poor mechanical and dynamic properties. This limits the high‐value application of natural minerals in high‐performance NR composites. In this paper, a hydrogen bond network‐enhanced ternary deep eutectic solvent (CGA–DES) was prepared using glycerol and aspartic acid as dual hydrogen bond donors and choline chloride as the hydrogen bond acceptor. The effects of CGA–DES dosage on filler dispersion, vulcanization characteristics, mechanical properties, aging resistance, and dynamic mechanical properties of sepiolite/NR composites were investigated. SEM showed that CGA–DES promoted the dispersion of sepiolite and its interfacial bonding with NR. When 2 phr of CGA–DES were added, the processing flowability of the compound was improved, the vulcanization time was shortened, the mechanical properties and aging resistance were enhanced, and the rolling resistance decreased, resulting in the best overall performance. Compared with the unmodified Sep/NR, the tensile strength, tensile product coefficient, aging coefficient, and DIN abrasion volume of 2 CGA/Sep/NR reached 20.15 MPa, 11801.98, 0.32, and 0.198 cm 3 , which improved by 67%, 82%, 78%, and 21%, respectively. Meanwhile, the rolling resistance decreased by 54%, and better dynamic mechanical properties were achieved. Aspartic acid contains both carboxyl and amino functional groups, enabling the formation of an enhanced hydrogen‐bonding network with sepiolite and facilitating more effective crosslinking reactions during the vulcanization process. This paper provides a new approach for regulating filler–rubber interfacial interactions by using a bio‐based deep eutectic solvent, which is expected to promote the development of high‐performance green tires and rubber products.","PeriodicalId":20281,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Engineering and Science","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148861086","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Fabrication and Characterization of High Performance Polysulfate Hollow Fiber Membranes Achieved With Spongy‐Structure Adjusting of Ionic Liquid 用海绵状离子液体调节结构制备高性能聚硫酸盐中空纤维膜及其表征

4区工程技术

Polymer Engineering and Science Pub Date : 2026-05-14 DOI: 10.1002/pen.70538

Xixian Zhang, Yizhi Wu, Yi-Xiang Wang, Wei Wang, Guodong Li

{"title":"Fabrication and Characterization of High Performance Polysulfate Hollow Fiber Membranes Achieved With Spongy‐Structure Adjusting of Ionic Liquid","authors":"Xixian Zhang, Yizhi Wu, Yi-Xiang Wang, Wei Wang, Guodong Li","doi":"10.1002/pen.70538","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/pen.70538","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Polysulfate (PSE) hollow fiber membranes were fabricated by non‐solvent induced phase separation (NIPS), with ionic liquids (IL) integrated to adjust the microstructure for improved membrane permeability and selective performance. The solubility parameters and thermodynamic characterization of the PSE casting solution were determined by turbid point titration, while its kinetic behavior was observed by a rotational rheometer. Ultrafiltration experiments were conducted to investigate the separation performance of the prepared membranes. The morphology and composition of PSE membranes were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), capillary flow pore size distribution, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Results indicated that increasing IL concentration in the casting solution initially accelerated the phase separation rate, followed by reduction at higher concentrations. Remarkably, at an optimal IL concentration of 12 wt%, the prepared membrane exhibited a water flux of 134.62 LMH, a BSA retention of 98.52%, a tensile strength of 4.83 MPa, and a surface roughness of 7.93 nm, outperforming membranes prepared with other IL loadings. The proposed PSE hollow fiber membranes highlight the intrinsic mechanisms linking phase separation to the membrane's microstructure manipulation, providing valuable insights for membrane preparation.","PeriodicalId":20281,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Engineering and Science","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148305656","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Enhancement of Elasticity of PET Fiber via Grafting Helical Carbon Nanotubes 螺旋碳纳米管接枝增强PET纤维弹性

4区工程技术

Polymer Engineering and Science Pub Date : 2026-04-29 DOI: 10.1002/pen.70554

Y. Chang, Zhichao Zhou, Jun Sun, Yì Wáng, Chuanxiang Qin, Lixing Dai

{"title":"Enhancement of Elasticity of <scp>PET</scp> Fiber via Grafting Helical Carbon Nanotubes","authors":"Y. Chang, Zhichao Zhou, Jun Sun, Yì Wáng, Chuanxiang Qin, Lixing Dai","doi":"10.1002/pen.70554","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/pen.70554","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Elastic polyester fibers play an important role in daily textiles, but to raise the elasticity of regular polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers is still a challenge. Herein, inspired by springs, carboxylic helical carbon nanotubes (HCNTs‐COOH) are used as nanosprings to graft onto PET backbone to produce PET@HCNTs fibers (PETHf). Under single‐cycle loading tests, PETHf‐0.5 (containing 0.5% HCNTs‐COOH) achieves complete recovery at 5% elongation, with elastic recovery rate increased by 16.3% relative to neat PET fiber (PETf), and by 13.4% relative to the blend fiber of PET containing the same amount of HCNTs. After 10‐cycle loading tests with increasing elongation to 10%, the elastic recovery rate still reaches 62.6%, 21.3% higher than that of PETf, and 19.2% higher than that of the PET blend fiber. Furthermore, the fabric cylinder folding test indicates that PETHf‐0.5 has much better shape recovery than PETf. Application of PETHf in badminton strings shows a 16% increase in the bounce height of shuttlecock compared with nylon‐based commercial badminton strings, further confirming its excellent elasticity. Overall, this work provides a practical and effective strategy for enhancing the elasticity of regular PET fibers.","PeriodicalId":20281,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Engineering and Science","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147879417","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

KH ‐560 Silane Modification for Enhancing Adhesion of UV ‐Curable Acrylic Pressure‐Sensitive Adhesives on Low‐Surface‐Energy Substrates KH‐560硅烷改性增强UV固化丙烯酸压敏胶在低表面能基材上的附着力

4区工程技术

Polymer Engineering and Science Pub Date : 2026-04-16 DOI: 10.1002/pen.70521

Jiajia Han, Lifang Cai, Guiyou Zhu, Zhiyuan Li, Peilong Jiang, Kunkang Yin, Jianwei Guo

{"title":"<scp>KH</scp> ‐560 Silane Modification for Enhancing Adhesion of <scp>UV</scp> ‐Curable Acrylic Pressure‐Sensitive Adhesives on Low‐Surface‐Energy Substrates","authors":"Jiajia Han, Lifang Cai, Guiyou Zhu, Zhiyuan Li, Peilong Jiang, Kunkang Yin, Jianwei Guo","doi":"10.1002/pen.70521","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/pen.70521","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT UV‐curable acrylic pressure‐sensitive adhesives (PSAs) have attracted considerable attention for their high curing efficiency and strong adhesion to diverse substrates. However, their broader application is hindered by poor adhesion to low‐surface‐energy substrates, elevated‐temperature creep, and an intrinsic trade‐off between cohesive strength and adhesion. To address these limitations and improve adhesion to low‐surface‐energy substrates, the dual reactivity of the silane coupling agent KH‐560 was investigated in UV‐curable acrylic PSAs. Covalent grafting was achieved through epoxy–carboxyl coupling agent via ring‐opening esterification, while a Si–O–Si crosslinked network was formed through in situ hydrolysis and condensation of alkoxysilane moieties, enabling optimization of surface and bulk properties. When appropriate amounts of KH‐560 were incorporated into PSAs coated on an as‐received (untreated) polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate (surface free energy≈45–49 mN m −1 , as estimated by the OWRK method), the 180° peel strength of the modified PSAs increased by about 150%, the shear holding time increased by more than 100%, and the initial tack was improved, while the retention after aging and water immersion remained above 90%. Incorporation of KH‐560 reduced the surface energy of the PSAs from 35.2 to 27.7 mN m −1 , thereby significantly enhancing wetting on low‐surface‐energy substrates. From microstructural characterization, these improvements were attributed to optimized wettability due to siloxane migration, combined with energy dissipation of the Si–O–Si network caused by restricted chain mobility.","PeriodicalId":20281,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Engineering and Science","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147877806","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Synthesis of Eugenol‐Derived Alkynyl Benzoxazine and Properties of Its Copolymer With Epoxy Resin 丁香酚衍生炔基苯并恶嗪的合成及其与环氧树脂共聚物的性能

4区工程技术

Polymer Engineering and Science Pub Date : 2026-01-18 DOI: 10.1002/pen.70354

Jinhe Gao, Shuangle Xue, Caizhao Liu, Mehdi Derradji, Mianyuan Wu, Yize Wu, Zhigang Yuan, Mingming Sun, X. Y. Zhang, Jianhui Li, B. Zhang

{"title":"Synthesis of Eugenol‐Derived Alkynyl Benzoxazine and Properties of Its Copolymer With Epoxy Resin","authors":"Jinhe Gao, Shuangle Xue, Caizhao Liu, Mehdi Derradji, Mianyuan Wu, Yize Wu, Zhigang Yuan, Mingming Sun, X. Y. Zhang, Jianhui Li, B. Zhang","doi":"10.1002/pen.70354","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/pen.70354","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT This study reports the synthesis of a eugenol‐derived benzoxazine resin (AEM) from 3‐ethynylaniline and bio‐based eugenol, and its structural characterization using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 HNMR). Subsequently, the AEM resin was copolymerized with bisphenol‐type epoxy resin (E51) in varying proportions to form an EP‐AEM modified resin system, whose processability, dynamic thermomechanical properties, thermal stability, dielectric properties, mechanical properties, and adhesion performance were investigated. The flexural strength, tensile strength, and elongation at break of EP‐2AEM resins were 7.6%, 53.7%, and 41.2% higher than EP resins, respectively. In particular, AEM markedly increases the residual carbon yield ( Y c ) after high‐temperature combustion in a nitrogen atmosphere, and this improvement becomes more pronounced as the AEM concentration increases. Compared with neat EP resin (14.92%), EP‐4AEM resin exhibits a significantly higher value (21.59%). The high‐temperature adhesion strength of EP‐2AEM increases by 51.5%. Moreover, EP‐4AEM shows the lowest dielectric constant (2.49) and dielectric loss tangent (0.022).","PeriodicalId":20281,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Engineering and Science","volume":"66 3","pages":"2287-2299"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1002/pen.70354","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147895292","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Construction of Reinforcing and Toughening Silicon Hybrid Polyurethane Elastomers With Thermo‐Optic Response via the Strategy of Combining Toughness With Softness 采用韧软结合策略构建具有热光学响应的补韧硅杂化聚氨酯弹性体

4区工程技术

Polymer Engineering and Science Pub Date : 2026-01-18 DOI: 10.1002/pen.70356

Ya‐Qin Liu, Yu Fang, Peng Zhang

{"title":"Construction of Reinforcing and Toughening Silicon Hybrid Polyurethane Elastomers With Thermo‐Optic Response via the Strategy of Combining Toughness With Softness","authors":"Ya‐Qin Liu, Yu Fang, Peng Zhang","doi":"10.1002/pen.70356","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/pen.70356","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT In this work, the reinforcing and toughening silicon hybrid polyurethanes (SPUs‐diol) were achieved by strategically incorporating rigid silicon groups and flexible diol molecules into the polyurethane skeleton. As a result, introducing the types or proportions of diols in PU segments effectively regulated the segment characteristics and hydrogen bonds, resulting in unusual microstructural evolution. Furthermore, a synergistic enhancement in mechanical properties was found, where the maximum tensile strength and elongation at break reached 20.28 ± 1.99 MPa and 225.15% ± 35.57%, respectively, several times greater than those of SPUs with low contents or short chains of diols. Simultaneously, SPUs‐diol showed different thermo‐optic responses due to the dissociation and recombination of hydrogen bonding. In particular, the higher contents or longer chains of the diols were, the more significant thermo‐optic response SPUs‐diol showed. In sum, this study was a new view for the innovation and development of PU‐based materials.","PeriodicalId":20281,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Engineering and Science","volume":"66 3","pages":"2311-2323"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1002/pen.70356","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147911378","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Multifunctional Lightweight Segregated CNT ‐Reinforced EVA / LDPE Foams With Superior Piezoresistive Characteristic and EMI Shielding Performance 具有优异压阻特性和电磁干扰屏蔽性能的多功能轻质分离碳纳米管增强EVA / LDPE泡沫

4区工程技术

Polymer Engineering and Science Pub Date : 2026-01-16 DOI: 10.1002/pen.70364

Haohao Hou, Linqi Lu, Hui Ma, Hongfu Zhou, Xiangdong Wang, Munan Qiu, Xiaoling Zang

{"title":"Multifunctional Lightweight Segregated <scp>CNT</scp> ‐Reinforced <scp>EVA</scp> / <scp>LDPE</scp> Foams With Superior Piezoresistive Characteristic and <scp>EMI</scp> Shielding Performance","authors":"Haohao Hou, Linqi Lu, Hui Ma, Hongfu Zhou, Xiangdong Wang, Munan Qiu, Xiaoling Zang","doi":"10.1002/pen.70364","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/pen.70364","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The rapid development of 5th generation communication and wearable electronic devices has increased the demand for lightweight and flexible materials with excellent electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performance and piezoresistive sensing characteristics. Herein, cold/hot pressing was combined with supercritical CO 2 foaming to prepare segregated carbon nanotube (CNT)/ethylene‐vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA)/low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) sheets and related foams, exhibiting superior sensitivity and EMI shielding effectiveness (SE). Benefiting from the segregated distribution of CNT, CNT/EVA/LDPE sheets exhibited excellent conductivity of 0.38 S cm −1 . The composite foam with 6 phr CNT achieved a maximum absolute EMI SE of 113 dB (g/cm 2 ) −1 in the X‐band (8.2–12.4 GHz) while maintaining high sensitivity (GF = 4.4), perfectly balancing piezoresistive sensing and EMI shielding performance. Apart from pure EVA/LDPE, the mechanism for EMI shielding in CNT/EVA/LDPE sheets was primarily based on reflection, while that of segregated CNT/EVA/LDPE foam was chiefly ascribed to absorption. Moreover, the segregated CNT/EVA/LDPE foam could accurately detect human motion, further demonstrating their practical application potential. This study provides new insights into the development of lightweight, multifunctional materials for EMI shielding and advances next‐generation functional materials for flexible electronics and wearable devices.","PeriodicalId":20281,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Engineering and Science","volume":"66 3","pages":"2377-2390"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147883190","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Synergistic Catechol Adhesion and Hydrophobic Barriers for Enhanced Corrosion Resistance of Urushiol‐Modified Epoxy Resin 漆酚改性环氧树脂的协同儿茶酚粘附和疏水屏障增强耐蚀性

4区工程技术

Polymer Engineering and Science Pub Date : 2026-01-08 DOI: 10.1002/pen.70332

Jiangfan Chang, JiangFeng Lan, Mingchao Zheng, Yun Li, Tong Lou, Zongcheng Yang, Bo Wu, Xianhui Zhang, Xiaoyan He, Xiuqin Bai

{"title":"Synergistic Catechol Adhesion and Hydrophobic Barriers for Enhanced Corrosion Resistance of Urushiol‐Modified Epoxy Resin","authors":"Jiangfan Chang, JiangFeng Lan, Mingchao Zheng, Yun Li, Tong Lou, Zongcheng Yang, Bo Wu, Xianhui Zhang, Xiaoyan He, Xiuqin Bai","doi":"10.1002/pen.70332","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/pen.70332","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Metal corrosion severely reduces the service life of marine equipment. Herein, a dual‐functional urushiol modification strategy is proposed, where natural urushiol is physically incorporated into epoxy resin to simultaneously utilize its catechol adhesion groups and hydrophobic long alkyl chains for synergistic corrosion resistance enhancement. The FTIR spectra and contact angle measurements confirmed successful urushiol incorporation. Cross‐sectional analysis revealed the absence of nano‐cracks in the resin matrix, attributable to H‐bonding, π–π stacking interactions, and reduced Young's modulus. Adhesion strength testing confirmed the interfacial bonding was enhanced by the incorporation of urushiol, resulting from the catechol‐metal coordination and improved mechanical interlocking at the resin/substrate interface. EIS test demonstrated the optimized anti‐corrosion performance of UE‐10. After 50 days immersion in 3.5% NaCl solution, UE‐10 exhibited a |Z| 0.01 Hz value of 5.68 × 10 9 Ω·cm 2 , 40.59% higher than the control sample ER. This corrosion resistance enhancement is attributed to the combined effects of an interfacial hydrophobic barrier, strengthened adhesion, and eliminated nano‐cracks within the urushiol‐modified epoxy matrix. This study provides novel design strategies for developing high‐performance urushiol‐based anti‐corrosion coatings.","PeriodicalId":20281,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Engineering and Science","volume":"66 3","pages":"2102-2112"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147895384","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Simultaneous Enhancement of Ductility and Impact Toughness in Biodegradable PLA / PCL Blends via a Plasticizer Strategy 通过增塑剂策略同时增强可生物降解PLA / PCL共混物的延展性和冲击韧性

4区工程技术

Polymer Engineering and Science Pub Date : 2025-12-30 DOI: 10.1002/pen.70345

Junrui Duan, Yuesheng Zhang, Zhiguo Hu, Hongtao Lu, Jianna Bao

{"title":"Simultaneous Enhancement of Ductility and Impact Toughness in Biodegradable <scp>PLA</scp> / <scp>PCL</scp> Blends via a Plasticizer Strategy","authors":"Junrui Duan, Yuesheng Zhang, Zhiguo Hu, Hongtao Lu, Jianna Bao","doi":"10.1002/pen.70345","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/pen.70345","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Although blending brittle polylactide (PLA) with flexible poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) holds promise for developing biodegradable materials with tunable mechanical properties, their poor compatibility poses a significant challenge to effective toughening. In this study, PLA/PCL blends with varying Dibutyl itaconate (DBI) content were prepared via melt blending, and the effects of DBI loading on the properties of the blends were systematically investigated. The results demonstrated that the incorporation of DBI enhanced the intermolecular interactions between PLA and PCL chains, thereby improving their compatibility. The phase interface between the PLA matrix and the PCL dispersed phase became so progressively blurred with increasing DBI content that it was nearly indistinguishable at a loading of 7 phr, demonstrating a significant improvement in compatibility. With the increase in DBI content, both the elongation at break and impact strength of the blends exhibited a trend of initial increase followed by a decrease. At the optimal loading, the maximum values reached 314.3% and 29.5 kJ/m 2 , representing enhancements of 3.4‐fold and 4.9‐fold, respectively, compared to those of the neat PLA/PCL blend. Simultaneously, the crystallization rate and enzymatic degradation rate of the blends increased continuously with higher DBI content. This study opens a new avenue for developing high‐toughness PLA‐based blend materials without compromising their biodegradability.","PeriodicalId":20281,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Engineering and Science","volume":"66 3","pages":"2191-2201"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147888480","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Mechanistic Investigation of Lecithin Enabled Efficient Vulcanization of Rubber With Reduced Zinc Oxide 卵磷脂促进橡胶还原性氧化锌高效硫化的机理研究

4区工程技术

Polymer Engineering and Science Pub Date : 2025-12-27 DOI: 10.1002/pen.70343

Lin Chen, Meng‐Zhen Zhou, Ning Wang, Zhikai Tu, Yan‐Chan Wei, Shuangquan Liao

{"title":"Mechanistic Investigation of Lecithin Enabled Efficient Vulcanization of Rubber With Reduced Zinc Oxide","authors":"Lin Chen, Meng‐Zhen Zhou, Ning Wang, Zhikai Tu, Yan‐Chan Wei, Shuangquan Liao","doi":"10.1002/pen.70343","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/pen.70343","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT In the conventional vulcanization of rubber, heavy reliance on zinc oxide (ZnO) results in resource waste and significant environmental pollution. Consequently, developing green and efficient strategies to reduce ZnO usage remains critical. In this study, lecithin, a bio‐based activator, is introduced into rubber to reduce ZnO usage during vulcanization. The addition of only 1.2 phr lecithin enables a 60% reduction in ZnO content while still maintaining the vulcanization efficiency and mechanical strength of natural rubber (NR). Notably, under reduced ZnO content, the NR sample with lecithin shows tensile strength increasing from 2.14 to 11.75 MPa compared to the sample without lecithin. Mechanistic investigations reveal that lecithin coordinates with Zn 2+ , which greatly improves dispersion of ZnO in the NR and enhances its utilization efficiency. Moreover, density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirm that lecithin‐Zn 2+ chelates increase the nucleophilicity of sulfur atoms in the accelerator toward elemental sulfur (S 8 ), lowering the Gibbs free energy for zinc polysulfide formation (Δ G is reduced from 71.59 to 55.68 kJ/mol) and accelerating vulcanization. In summary, lecithin acts as an effective bio‐based activator to enable a significant reduction in ZnO content without compromising the properties of NR. This approach provides a sustainable, efficient, and practical strategy for the development of low‐ZnO rubber composites.","PeriodicalId":20281,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Engineering and Science","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147334129","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0