Titanate nanotubes for reinforcement of a poly(ethylene oxide)/chitosan polymer matrix

Abstract

Soft polyethylene oxide/chitosan mixtures, reinforced with hard titanate nanotubes (TiNT) by co-precipitation from aqueous solution, have been used to produce compact coatings by the "drop-cast" method, using water soluble polyethylene oxide (PEO) polymer and stable, aqueous colloidal solutions of TiNT. The effects of the nanotube concentration and their length on the hardness and modulus of the prepared composite have been studied using nanoindentation and nanoscratch techniques. The uniformity of TiNT dispersion within the polymer matrix has been studied using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A remarkable increase in hardness and reduced Young's modulus of the composites, compared to pure polymer blends, has been observed at a TiNT concentration of 25 wt %. The short (up to 30 minutes) ultrasound treatment of aqueous solutions containing polymers and a colloidal TiNT mixture prior to drop casting has resulted in some improvements in both hardness and reduced Young's modulus of dry composite films, probably due to a better dispersion of ceramic nanotubes within the matrix. However, further (more than 1 hour) treatment of the mixture with ultrasound resulted in a deterioration of the mechanical properties of the composite accompanied by a shortening of the nanotubes, as observed by the TEM.

Inhibition of Polyimide Photodegradation by Incorporation of Titanate Nanotubes into a Composite

“…Inhibition of the PI photodegradation rate by addition of TiNT can reduce the rate of appearance of these microcracks. It is also possible that elongated ceramic nanostructures can hinder the propagation of the crack by alignment in the perpendicular direction to the crack inside stretched fibrils of the matrix [21], improving the general UV stability of the composite materials.…”

Structural deformation phenomenon of synthesized poly(isosorbide-1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylate) in hot water

“…Sixteen scans with 16 K data points each were acquired for each 1 H-NMR spectrum. The relaxation delay was 5 s. 13 C-NMR spectra were recorded at 150 MHz using the same NMR spectrometer and solvent. Each 13 C-NMR spectrum comprised 8192 scans with 64 K data points.…”

“…Research on utilizing biobased materials, such as lactic acid, [1][2][3][4][5] citric acid, [6][7][8][9] tartaric acid, [10][11][12] and chitosan, [13][14][15] in polymer synthesis has been conducted. These contributions are now being tested for utilization and industrialization.…”

“…Since the kinetics of these phenomena are similar to some aspects of solvent-induced crystallization, thermal analysis using DSC was carried out analogously to verify the plasticizing effect of water. Finally, solid state cross polarization-magic angle spinning (CP-MAS) 13 C-NMR was conducted to describe the function of each carbon during deformation, along with theoretical conrmation.…”

Nanotubes Reinforcement of Degradable Polymers for Orthopedic Applications

“…Further addition of nanotubes had a negative effect on the mechanical properties due to a poor distribution and nanotube aggregation. 39 Silanized…”