Discipline: Technology and Engineering
Subcategory: Materials Science
Rasidah Ali - Texas Southern University
Co-Author(s): Silvio Soares, The Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil Witold Brostow and Nathalie Hnatchuk, University of North Texas
Two-layer insulation coating contains inner layer made of poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC) and outer layer nylon. A plasticizer is added to PVC to improve mechanical properties. Exudation of the plasticizer leads to deterioration of the coating due to the PVC is a rigid polymer. Moreover, plasticizers currently used are typically phthalate based, which can be harmful to the environment and toxic to human. Based on the earlier knowledge and experience accumulated at LAPOM (Laboratory of Advanced Polymers and Optimized Materials), the preliminary action was to pursue cross-linking of the PVC. The idea is to link the plasticizer with the PVC coating layer which creates a network.
CPE was used as a compatibilizer for PVC/HDPE composites. It was added to PVC/XLPE composites in order to investigate its properties. Due to high interface tension and chemical incompatibility, PVC and XLPE do no mix well. Therefore, a composite of HDPE and XLPE was added to PVC to improve its composition. The fly ash, wollastonite and silica are three ceramic fillers that were used as mechanical property enhancers. The control sample consisted of a polypropylene composite. The use of fly ash slightly improved the mechanical properties of the samples. The silica was performed the worst in comparison to the polypropylene composite. It is thought that decreasing the amount of PVC increases the stiffness of the composite. CPE decreases the young?s modulus, which is the measure of stiffness of material; however, it enhances the material toughness which is desirable to add more filler and make it more durable. Wollastonite performed the best in comparison with the control sample resulting in 600 MPa < E < 700 MPa from the young's modulus and a change in elongation break from 1.2 mm < < 1.4 mm.
References: C. Antoinette, W.T. Bigbee, W. Brostow, G. Granowski, H.E. Hagg Lobland, N. Hnatchuk, R. Pahler, A. Richards, A. Spagnolo, J. Wahrmund & W. Xie, External wire coatings: Extant and modified, Mater. Res. Innovat. 2013, 17, 537.
K.P. Menard, Thermal transitions and their measurement, Ch. 8 in Performance of Plastics, editor W. Brostow, Hanser, Munich - Cincinnati 2000.
Funder Acknowledgement(s): I thank N. Hnatchuk for expertise in field at LAPOM (Laboratory of Advanced Polymers and Optimized Materials. Funding was provided by an NSF REU grant to Samir Auoadi (Principal Investigator) and Marcus Young (Co-Principal Investigator). As well as Witold Brostow, Director of LAPOM. I also thank Encore Wire, McKinney, Texas for the control and recycled samples provided.
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor: Bobby Wilson Ph.D., Wilson_bl@tsu.edu
Funder Acknowledgement(s): I thank N. Hnatchuk for expertise in field at LAPOM (Laboratory of Advanced Polymers and Optimized Materials. Funding was provided by an NSF REU grant to Samir Auoadi (Principal Investigator) and Marcus Young (Co-Principal Investigator). As well as Witold Brostow, Director of LAPOM. I also thank Encore Wire, McKinney, Texas for the control and recycled samples provided.
Faculty Advisor: Bobby Wilson, Wilson_bl@tsu.edu
Role: The part of the research I did was running the samples and creating the samples.