The conducted studies have proven the possibility of the directed control of operational properties of epoxy composites, due to the addition of finely-ground ocher into their composition, and the use of microwave modification of the epoxy composition. The rational content of ocher as a modifying additive (0.5 parts by mass) and a filler (75 parts by mass) of the epoxy composition has been selected, which ensures the improvement of the studied complex of physical-mechanical properties. It has been proven that ocher affects the structure formation processes and the structure of the epoxy composite, thus increasing its thermal, heat and fire resistance. During the research, the application efficiency has been proven, and the optimal parameters of the microwave modification (power—350 W; duration—30 s) of epoxy compositions filled with ocher, which increase physical-mechanical characteristics of composites, have been selected.

The research we conducted shows the possibility of the directed adjustment of epoxy composite performance characteristics through the application of small additives of potassium polytitanate whiskers, the introduction of polyfunctional plasticizers with chemical and mechanical methods of activation of the whole composition and its components; this ensured the creation of a new generation of epoxy composites with high‐performance properties (breaking tension = 116 MPa and modulus of elasticity at bending = 3150 MPa, destructive tension under compression = 95 MPa, impact strength = 18 kJ/m2 that meets the requirements of most industries. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 46651.

The aim of this paper is to study the effect of a polyfunctional modifier oligo (resorcinol phenyl phosphate) with terminal phenyl groups and a dispersed mineral filler, diorite, on the physicochemical and deformation-strength properties of epoxy-based composites. The efficiency of using diorite as an active filler of an epoxy polymer, ensuring an increase in strength and a change in the physicochemical properties of epoxy composites, has been proven. We selected the optimal content of diorite both as a structuring additive and as a filler in the composition of the epoxy composite (0.1 and 50 parts by mass), at which diorite reinforces the epoxy composite. It has been found that the addition of diorite into the epoxy composite results in an increase in the Vicat heat resistance from 132 to 140–188 °C and increases the thermal stability of the epoxy composite, which is observed in a shift of the initial destruction temperature to higher temperatures. Furthermore, during the thermal destruction of the composite, the yield of carbonized structures increases (from 54 to 70–77% of the mass), preventing the release of volatile pyrolysis products into the gas phase, which leads to a decrease in the flammability of the epoxy composite. The efficiency of the functionalization of the diorite surface with APTES has been proven, which ensures chemical interaction at the polymer matrix/filler interface and also prevents the aggregation of diorite particles, which, in general, provides an increase in the strength characteristics of epoxy-based composite materials by 10–48%.

Textile industry production processes generate one of the most highly polluted wastewaters in the world. Unfortunately, the field is also challenged by the availability of relatively cheap and highly effective technologies for wastewater purification. The application of natural zeolite as a depth filter offers an alternative and potential approach for textile wastewater treatment. The performance of a depth filter treatment system can be deeply affected by the column depth and the characteristics of the wastewater to be treated. Regrettably, the information on the potential of these filter materials for the purification of textile wastewater is still scarce. Therefore, this study investigated the potential applicability of natural zeolite in terms of column depth for the treatment of textile wastewater. From the analysis results, it was observed that the filtration efficiencies were relatively low (6.1 to 13.7%) for some parameters such as total dissolved solids, electrical conductivity, chemical oxygen demand, and sodium chloride when the wastewater samples were subjected to the 0.5 m column depth. Relatively high efficiency of 82 and 93.8% was observed from color and total suspended solids, respectively, when the wastewater samples were subjected to the 0.5 m column depth. Generally, the 0.75 m column depth achieved removal efficiencies ranging from 52.3% to 97.5%, whereas the 1 m column depth achieved removal efficiencies ranging from 86.9% to 99.4%. The highest removal efficiency was achieved with a combination of total suspended solids and 1 m column depth (99.4%). In summary, the treatment approach was observed to be highly effective for the removal of total suspended solids, with a 93.8% removal efficiency when the wastewater was subjected to the 0.5 m column depth, 97.5% for 0.75 m column depth, and 99.4% for 1 m column depth. Moreover, up to 218.233 mg of color per g of the filter material was captured. The results derived in this study provide useful information towards the potential applicability of natural zeolite in the textile wastewater treatment field.

The influence of basalt filler on mechanical properties of polyethylene (PE)- and polypropylene (PP)-based composites, and the effect of basalt on heat resistance and inflammability of polymer composite materials were studied. The introduction of basalt into the composite increases its elasticity modulus. The best mechanical properties are observed when 40 parts by weight of basalt per 100 parts of low-density PE and high-density PE are introduced. At the same time, a slight decrease in the deformation at failure is observed in basalt-filled PE composites. Deformation before failure is reduced from 380% for original PE to 250% for the composite containing 40 mass of basalt per 100 parts of PE. In the case of PP, this tendency is not observed. Other mechanical characteristics of polymer composites slightly change with the introduction of basalt particles as a filler. Incorporating basalt into PE and PP influences the combustibility of composites: oxygen index increases 1.3 times compared with the unfilled polymers, self-burning time decreases more than 2 times, and the loss of mass during ignition in the air decreases 2.15 times for PE-based composite and 1.75 times for PP-based composite. All indicators of flammability vary additively to the content of basalt, which is a noncombustible material.