International Polymer Science and Technology

The authors established and studied the synergistic effect of an increase in the impact strength and in individual physicomechanical characteristics of an elasticised polypropylene (PP) composite by using a binary combination of ethylene-α-olefin elastomers with contrasting Mooney viscosity values during reactive melt modification by the action of an organic peroxide and a coagent – trimethylolpropane triacrylate (TMPTA).

Processes of imidisation, the kinetics of imidisation, and the modification of polyimide materials were investigated. Optimum imidisation regimes were determined, and the kinetics of imidisation of polyamide acid was studied. The effect of modifiers on the properties of polyimide films was analysed.

Heterophase polymerisation of styrene was carried out, and nanocomposite polystyrene microspheres with a controllable content of ZnO nanoparticles were synthesised. The colloid chemical properties of the obtained polymer suspensions were studied, and it was shown that the particles have a ‘core–shell’ structure with a ZnO content of up to 30%.

A method has been developed for producing fire-resistant phosphorus- and nitrogen-containing organosiloxane coatings on the surface of cellulose fibres. It has been shown that such a three-layer coating ensures an increase in the oxygen index of the fibres from 20 to 47%.

A scheme has been developed for calculating the flow temperature, T_f, of a system containing a polymer and nanoparticles. The chemical structure of the polymer and nanoparticles, the intermolecular interaction between polymer and nanoparticle when the latter is modified with polar groups, the van der Waals volume and the molecular weight of the polymer, and the concentration and shape of the nanoparticles were taken into account. The dependences of T_f on the radius of the nanoparticles, their concentration, and the number of polar groups grafted to their surface have been established. The calculation scheme has been computerised and is a separate option in the ‘Kaskad’ computer program developed by INEOS.

A theoretical analysis of the process of determining the impact strength under double-support impact bending (the Charpy notched impact strength), a_N, is carried out, on the basis of which analytical dependences of a_N on the elastic modulus, the parameters of the relaxation mobility of the polymer, the temperature, and the content of reinforcing fillers are proposed. The results of experiments confirm the correctness of the proposed methods for calculating a_N.

The rheological behaviour of prooxidants based on standard grades of polyethylene with an iron stearate content of 5.0, 10.0, and 15.0 wt% is examined. The technological principles for the production and processing of prooxidants in high-speed equipment are developed, taking into account their physicomechanical properties.

Features of the process of rotational moulding of thermoplastics have been examined. Heat transfer processes have been analysed. The influence of the particle size of the polymer on the distribution of the processed material within the rotational mould and on the duration of transition of the polymer from the solid to the viscous flow state has been studied. The dependence of the thickness uniformity of an article of linear polyethylene on the rotational speed of the mould has been examined.

The influence of the mass ratio of silicone and cationic surface-active substances of different nature on the colloid chemical properties and stability of artificial latexes of butyl rubber and styrene diene thermoplastic elastomer is shown.