This article reports the facile synthesis of copper sulfide (CuS)/polyaniline (PANI) nanocomposites by in situ polymerization. The composites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV–visible and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). SEM analysis showed that the metal sulfide nanoparticles were uniformly dispersed in the polymer matrix. The characteristic peaks in FTIR and UV–vis spectra of PANI were found to be shifted to higher wave numbers in PANI/CuS composite, which is attributed to the interaction of CuS nanoparticles with PANI chain. XRD pattern revealed the structurally ordered arrangement of polymer composite and this regularity increases with increase in concentration of nanoparticles. Glass transition temperature of the nanocomposite increased with increase in the concentration of nanoparticles and it indicated the ordered arrangement of the polymer composite than PANI. TGA studies indicated excellent thermal stability of polymer nanocomposite. The electrical properties of nanocomposites were studied from direct current and alternating current resistivity measurement. Conductivity, dielectric constant, and dissipation factor of the nanocomposite were significantly increased with the increase in CuS content in the nanocomposite. The enhancement of these properties suggests that the proposed PANI/CuS nanocomposites can be used as multifunctional materials for nanoelectronic devices. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 54:438–445, 2014. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers

Dichlorocarbene-modified styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) prepared by the alkaline hydrolysis of chloroform using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide as a phase-transfer agent resulted in a product that showed good mechanical properties, excellent flame resistance, solvent resistance, and good thermal stability. The activation energy for this chemical reaction calculated from the time-temperature data on the chemical reaction by the measurement of the percentage of chlorine indicated that the reaction proceeded according to first-order kinetics. The molecular weight of the polymers, determined by gel permeation chromatography, showed that chemical modification was accompanied by an increase in molecular weight. The chemical modification was characterized by proton NMR, FTIR studies, thermogravimetric analysis, and flammability measurement. Proton NMR and FTIR studies revealed the attachment of chlorine through cyclopropyl rings to the double bond of butadiene.

This work focuses on the use of peanut shell powder (PSP) as filler in natural rubber (NR). Peanut, one of the food crops in the world, generates large amounts of waste namely peanut shell. Modified and unmodified PSP‐NR composites with varying particle size and dosages were prepared by an open mill mixing technique. The processing characteristics and the curing behavior of the composites were determined by Monsanto Rheometer. The technological performance was done by analyzing the tensile strength, tear strength, and hardness of the vulcanizates. The swelling studies were carried out to observe the crosslink density, rubber‐filler interaction, and the reinforcing nature of the filler on NR. The observed variation in mechanical properties has been supported by the fractography of the composites obtained by Scanning Electron Microscopy. The result of the study shows that the PSP is most effective filler in NR at 10 parts per hundred (phr) loading. Filler reinforcement ability of modified PSP is more when compared with unmodified PSP; therefore, modified PSP‐NR composites shows better physicomechanical properties. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012

This work focuses on the use of coconut shell powder as filler in natural rubber. Coconut, one of the food crops in the world, generates large amounts of waste material namely coconut shell. Modified and unmodified coconut shell powdernatural rubber composites with varying particle size and dosages were prepared by an open mill-mixing technique. The processing characteristics and the curing behavior of the composites were determined by Monsanto Rheometer. The technological performance was done by analyzing the tensile strength, tear strength and hardness of the vulcanizates. The swelling studies were carried out to observe the crosslink density and the reinforcement ability of the filler on natural rubber. The observed variation in mechanical properties has been supported by the fractography of the composites obtained by scanning electron microscopy. The results of the study show that the coconut shell powder is most effective filler in natural rubber at 10 parts per hundred loading. Reinforcement ability of modified coconut shell powder is more when compared to unmodified coconut shell powder, therefore modified coconut shell powder-natural rubber composites show better physicomechanical properties. Incorporation of coconut shell powder into natural rubber matrix enhances the thermal properties of the natural rubber-coconut shell powder composites.

Magnetoelectric polymer nanocomposite is synthesized using conducting polyindole and nano‐sized magnetite (Fe3O4) particles through the in situ polymerization method. The effect of nanoparticles content on the polyindole matrix is studied by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and DC conductivity measurements. FTIR and UV spectra of the composite show the intermolecular interaction between the polymer and magnetite nanoparticles. Morphological observation and crystal structure studies reveal that nanoparticles are uniformly dispersed in the polymer with well‐shaped spheres, and their average sizes are in the nano region. DSC studies, showing an increase in glass‐transition temperature with an increase in the content of Fe3O4, reveal the ordered arrangement of the polymer chain in the nanocomposite than pure polyindole. DC conductivity of the nanocomposites increases with an increase in the content of nanoparticles, and the conductivity of the nanocomposite is higher than that of polyindole. The dependence of magnetization on the applied magnetic field for the nanocomposites is studied using the vibration sample magnetometer technique. It has been found that the saturated magnetism linearly increases with increasing the Fe3O4 content in the polymer composite. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Adv Polym Technol 2013, 32, 21362; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/adv.21362