Wiley

A method for measuring the surface energy of solids and for resolving the surface energy into contributions from dispersion and dipole‐hydrogen bonding forces has been developed. It is based on the measurement of contact angles with water and methylene iodide. Good agreement has been obtained with the more laborious γ_c method. Evidence for a finite value of liquid‐solid interfacial tension at zero contact angle is presented. The method is especially applicable to the surface characterization of polymers.

Nanotechnology is the study and development of materials at nano levels. It is one of the rapidly growing scientific disciplines due to its enormous potential in creating novel materials that have advanced applications. This technology has tremendously impacted many different science and engineering disciplines, such as electronics, materials science, and polymer engineering. Nanofibers, due to their high surface area and porosity, find applications as filter medium, adsorption layers in protective clothing, etc. Electrospinning has been found to be a viable technique to produce nanofibers. An in‐depth review of research activities on the development of nanofibers, fundamental understanding of the electrospinning process, and properties of nanostructured fibrous materials and their applications is provided in this article. A detailed account on the type of fibers that have been electrospun and their characteristics is also elaborated. It is hoped that the overview article will serve as a good reference tool for nanoscience researchers in fibers, textiles, and polymer fields. Furthermore, this article will help with the planning of future research activities and better understanding of nanofiber characteristics and their applications. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 96: 557–569, 2005

Plant fibers are rich in cellulose and they are a cheap, easily renewable source of fibers with the potential for polymer reinforcement. The presence of surface impurities and the large amount of hydroxyl groups make plant fibers less attractive for reinforcement of polymeric materials. Hemp, sisal, jute, and kapok fibers were subjected to alkalization by using sodium hydroxide. The thermal characteristics, crystallinity index, reactivity, and surface morphology of untreated and chemically modified fibers have been studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X‐ray diffraction (WAXRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. Following alkalization the DSC showed a rapid degradation of the cellulose between 0.8 and 8% NaOH, beyond which degradation was found to be marginal. There was a marginal drop in the crystallinity index of hemp fiber while sisal, jute, and kapok fibers showed a slight increase in crystallinity at caustic soda concentration of 0.8–30%. FTIR showed that kapok fiber was found to be the most reactive followed by jute, sisal, and then hemp fiber. SEM showed a relatively smooth surface for all the untreated fibers; however, after alkalization, all the fibers showed uneven surfaces. These results show that alkalization modifies plant fibers promoting the development of fiber–resin adhesion, which then will result in increased interfacial energy and, hence, improvement in the mechanical and thermal stability of the composites. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 84: 2222–2234, 2002

Equations are given for estimating equivalent isothermal life from thermogravimetric data and for estimating the apparent activation energy for volatilization even though the nature of the kinetic process is unknown. Illustrative data for polytetrafluoroethylene are presented. The importance of using sample temperatures, rather than furnace temperatures, is noted.

The growth in the application of electronic devices across a broad spectrum of military, industrial, commercial and consumer sectors has created a new form of pollution known as noise or radio frequency interference (RFI) or electromagnetic radiation or electromagnetic interference (EMI) that can cause interference or malfunctioning of equipment. Therefore, there is a greater need for the effective shielding of components from its adverse effects. This review surveys the shielding materials like metals, conducting plastics and conducting polymers for the control of electromagnetic radiations. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009

The dynamic properties of a natural vulcanized rubber containing carbon black were studied for dynamic tensions of amplitude varying greatly. It was shown that both the elastic responses and viscosity change with amplitude of oscillation and with concentration and type of carbon black. The effects of thermal treatment on the dynamic modulus were also studied. Beginning with conditions of equilibrium between the hard and soft regions of the vulcanizate for very weak stresses, the values for the formation of hard regions from soft regions were determined by means of the Van't hoff isochore.

Samples containing the three crystalline phases of poly(vinylidene fluoride), α, β, and γ, have been obtained under distinct crystallization conditions. Samples containing exclusively unoriented β phase have been obtained by crystallization from dimethylformamide (DMF) solution at 60°C. Oriented β phase has been obtained by uniaxial drawing, at 80°C, of an originally α phase sample. Samples containing exclusively α phase have been obtained by melting and posterior cooling at room temperature. Samples containing both α and γ phases have been obtained by melt crystallization at 164 °C for 16 and 36 h. Presence of the crystalline phases in each sample were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), wide‐angle X‐ray scattering (WAXD), polarized light optical microscopy (PLOM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Infrared absorption bands identifying unequivocally the presence of β and γ phases in a sample are presented. It is shown that solution crystallization at T < 70°C always results in the β phase, regardless of the solvent used. Melt temperatures of the respective phases have also been determined. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 100: 3272–3279, 2006

Biodegradable composites were prepared using microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) as the reinforcement and polylactic acid (PLA) as a matrix. PLA is polyester of lactic acid and MCC is cellulose derived from high quality wood pulp by acid hydrolysis to remove the amorphous regions. The composites were prepared with different MCC contents, up to 25 wt %, and wood flour (WF) and wood pulp (WP) were used as reference materials. Generally, the MCC/PLA composites showed lower mechanical properties compared to the reference materials. The dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) showed that the storage modulus was increased with the addition of MCC. The X‐ray diffraction (XRD) studies on the materials showed that the composites were less crystalline than the pure components. However, the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) study of materials showed that the MCC was remaining as aggregates of crystalline cellulose fibrils, which explains the poor mechanical properties. Furthermore, the fracture surfaces of MCC composites were indicative of poor adhesion between MCC and the PLA matrix. Biodegradation studies in compost soil at 58°C showed that WF composites have better biodegradability compared to WP and MCC composites. The composite performances are expected to improve by separation of the cellulose aggregates to microfibrils and with improved adhesion. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 97: 2014–2025, 2005

The dependence of the viscosities of highly concentrated suspensions on solids concentrations and particle size distributions is investigated by using an orifice viscometer. Based on the extensive amount of data on pertinent systems, an empirical equation which correlates the relative viscosities of suspensions (or relative moduli of filled polymeric materials) as a function of solids concentrations and particle size distributions is proposed. The equation has a constant which characterizes size distributions of spherical particles and can be determined experimentally without measuring viscosities. For uniform‐size spherical particles, it reduces to the well‐known Einstein equation at dilute solids concentrations.