Transition from crazing to shear deformation in ABS/PVC blends

ABS/PVC blends were prepared over a range of compositions by mixing PVC, SAN, and PB-g-SAN. All samples were designed to have a constant rubber level of 12 wt % and the ratio of total-SAN to PVC in the matrix of the blends varied from 70.5/17.5 to 18/80. Transmission electron microscope and scanning electron microscope have been used to study deformation mechanisms in the ABS/PVC blends. Several different types of microscopic deformation mechanisms, depending on the composition of blends, were observed for the ABS/PVC blends. When the blend is a SAN-rich system, the main deformation mechanisms were crazing of the matrix. When the blend is a PVC-rich system, crazing could no longer be detected, while shear yielding of the matrix and cavitation of the rubber particles were the main mechanisms of deformation. When the composition of blend is in the intermediate state, both crazing and shear yielding of matrix were observed. This suggests that there is a transition of deformation mechanism in ABS/PVC blends with the change in composition, which is from crazing to shear deformation.

Independence of the brittle-ductile transition from the rubber particle size for impact-modified poly(vinyl chloride)

A series of acrylic impact modifiers (AIMS) with different particle sizes ranging from 55.2 to 927.0 nm were synthesized by seeded emulsion polymerization, and the effect of the particle size on the brittle-ductile transition of impact-modified poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) was investigated. For each AIM, a series of PVC/AIM blends with compositions of 6, 8, 10, 12, and 15 phr AIM in 100 phr PVC were prepared, and the Izod impact strengths of these blends were tested at 23 degrees C. For AIMs with particle sizes of 55.2, 59.8, 125.2, 243.2, and 341.1 nm, the blends fractured in the brittle mode when the concentration of AIM was lower than 10 phr, whereas the blends showed ductile fracture when the AIM concentration reached 10 phr. It was concluded that the brittle-ductile transition of the PVC/AIM blends was independent of the particle size in the range of 55.2-341.1 nm. When the particle size was greater than 341.1 nm, however, the brittle-ductile transition shifted to a higher AIM concentration with an increase in the particle size. Furthermore, the critical interparticle distance was found not to be the criterion of the brittle-ductile transition for the PVC/AIM blends.

Phase transition of BaNd2Mn2O7

Phase transition of BaNd2Mn2O7 from orthorhombic (space group Fmmm) to tetragonal phase (I4/mmm) was studied by high temperature powder X-ray diffractometry and Rietveld analysis. The transition temperature was identified at 523 K, which is almost the same transition temperature as the compounds with other rare earth ions in this BaLn(2)Mn(2)O(7) family (Ln=Sm and Eu) with Fmmm space group. During the transition an oxygen octahedron of each phase changes a little its form, in which four oxygen atoms perpendicular to C-axis make a rectangle and a square for orthorhombic and tetragonal phases, respectively. Manganese ion is not on the center of the quadrilateral consisting of these four oxygen ions, but a little apart from the center along c-axis in both phases.

Phase transition behavior and structure of the thermotropic liquid crystal 6-{[(4 '-{[(undecyl)carbonyl]oxy}biphenyl-4yl)carbonyl]oxy}-1-hexyne

The phase transition behaviors and corresponding structures of 6-{[(4'-([(undecyl)carbonyl]oxy)biphenyl-4yl)carbonyl]oxyl-l-hexyne (A4EE11) were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarizing optical microscopy (POM) and wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD). In comparison with the published homologues, 5- [(4'-heptoxy-biphenyl-4-yl)carbonyl]oxyl-1-pentyne (A3EO7) which shows a monotropic smectic A (SmA) phase and a metastable monotropic smectic C (SmC) phase; 5-{ [(4'-heptoxybiphenyl-4-yl)oxy]carbonyl)- I-pentyne (A3E'O7) that exhibits three enantiotropic stable liquid crystalline (LC) phases, SmA phase, SmC phase and smectic X (SmX) phase; 5-{[(4'-heptoxy-biphenyl-4-yl)carbonyl]oxy}-1-undecyne (A9EO7) which has a monotropic SmA phase and a metastable crystal phase, A4EE11 integrates the enantiotropy, monotropy and metastability of the LC phases of those three compounds. Upon cooling from isotropic state to room temperature, in the temperature range of 62.0 to 58.5 degrees C, A4EE11 shows an enantiotropic smectic A (SmA) phase with a layer spacing d=32.69 angstrom.

Phase structure and transition behavior of a liquid crystal 5-{[(4 '-heptoxy-4-biphenylyl)oxy]carbonyl}-1-pentyne

The phase structures and transition behaviors of a novel liquid crystal compound containing biphenylyl mesogen, 5-{[(4'-heptoxy-4-biphenytyl) oxy]carbonyl}-1-pentyne (A3E'O7), have been investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarizing optical microscopy (POM) and wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD). In contrast to the published compound 5- {[(4'-heptoxy-4-biphenyl-yl)carbonyl]oxy}-1-pentyne (A3EO7), in which the ester bridge between the mesogenic core and the flexible spacer has different linkage order, A3E'O7 shows strikingly different phase structure and transition behaviors. Overall, A3E'O7 has better packing order and higher transition temperatures. It undergoes three enantiotropic stable liquid crystalline phases which are associated to smectic A (S-A) phase (100.2-98.2 degrees C), smectic C (S-C) phase (98.2-87.2 degrees C) and highly ordered smectic X (S-X) phase (87.2-63.3 degrees C), respectively, till eventual crystallization takes place upon cooling from isotropic state to room temperature. However, A3EO7 only shows monotropic SA (72.4-53.6 degrees C) phase and the metastable monotropic S-C phase provided that the same thermal treatment is applied.

Phase transition in polyamide-66/montmorillonite nanocomposites on annealing

The crystalline-phase transition in polyamide-66/montmorillonite nanocomposites before melting was investigated by in situ X-ray diffraction and is reported for the first time in this work. The phase-transition temperature in the nanocomposites was 170 degreesC, 20 degreesC lower than that in polyamide-66. The lower phase-transition temperature of the nanocomposites could be attributed to the gamma-phase-favorable environment caused by silicate layers. Meanwhile, the addition of silicate layers changed the crystal structure of the polyamide-66 matrix and influenced the phase-transition behavior.

A novel 2D arsenic vanadate network grafted with a transition metal complex: [Cu(phen)][(VV4As2O19)-V-IV-As-V]center dot 0.5H(2)O

A novel organic-inorganic hybrid compound [Cu(phen)](2)[(VV4As2O19)-V-IV-As-V-O-V].0.5H(2)O 1 has been hydrothermally synthesized. Its structure, determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction, exhibits an unusual two-dimensional arsenic vanadate layered network grafted with the [Cu(phen)](2+) complex. The chelating phen ligands project perpendicularly beyond the inorganic layer. Variable temperature magnetic susceptibility studies indicate that both ferro- and antiferro-magnetic interactions exist in 1.

Modified polyoxometalates: Hydrothermal syntheses and crystal structures of three novel reduced and capped Keggin derivatives decorated by transition metal complexes

Three novel polyoxometalate derivatives decorated by transition metal complexes have been hydrothermally synthesized. Compound 1 consists of [(PMo6Mo2V8O44)-Mo-VI-V-V-O-IV{CO (2,2'-bipy)(2)(H2O)}(4)](3+) polyoxocations and [(PMo4Mo4V8O44)-Mo-IV-V-V-O-IV{Co(2,2'-bipy)(2)(H2O)}(2)](3-) polyoxoanions, which are both built on mixed-metal tetracapped [PMo8V8O44] subunits covalently bonded to four or two {Co(2,2'-bpy)(2)(H2O)}(2+), clusters via terminal oxo groups of the capping V atoms. Compound 2 is built on [(PMo8V6O42)-V-VI-O-IV{Cu-I(phen)}(2)](5-) clusters constructed from mixed-metal bicapped [(PMo8V6O42)-V-VI-O-IV](7-) subunits covalently bonded to two {Cu(phen)}(+) fragments in the similar way to 1. The structure of 3 is composed of [(PMo9Mo3O40)-Mo-VI-O-V](6-) units capped by two divalent Ni atoms via four bridging oxo groups.

Investigation of the influence on conformational transition of DNA induced by cationic lipid vesicles

Recent studies have focused on the structural features of DNA-lipid assemblies. In this paper we take nile blue A (NBA) as a probe molecule to study the influence of the conformational transition of DNA induced by didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB) cationic vesicles to the interaction between DNA and the probe molecules. We find that upon binding to DNA, a secondary conformational transition of DNA induced by the cationic liposome from the native B-form to the C-form resulted in the change of binding modes of NBA to DNA and different complexes are formed between DNA, DDAB and NBA.

Brittle-ductile transition of polymers and its percolation model

The brittle-ductile transition (BDT) of particle toughened polymers was extensively studied in terms of morphology, strain rate, and temperature. The calculation results showed that both the critical interparticle distance (IDc) and the brittle-ductile transition temperature (T-BD) of polymers were a function of strain rate. The IDc reduced nonlinearly with increasing strain rate, whereas T-BD increased considerably with increasing strain rate. The effects of temperature and plasticizer concentration on BDT were discussed using a percolation model. The results were in agreement with the experiments.

Brittle-ductile transition in PP/EPDM blends: effect of notch radius

The toughness of polypropylene (PP)/ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (EPDM) blends was studied over wide ranges of EPDM content and temperature. In order to study the effect of notch radius (R), the toughness of the samples with different notch radii was determined from Izod impact test. The results showed that both toughness and brittle-ductile transition (BDT) of the blends were a function of R, respectively. At test temperatures, the toughness tended to decrease with increasing 1/R for various PP/EPDM blends. Moreover, the brittle-ductile transition temperature (T-BT) increased with increasing 1/R, whereas the critical interparticle distance (IDc) reduced with increasing 1/R. Finally, it was found that the different curves of IDc versus test temperature (T) for different notches reduced down to a master curve if plotting IDc versus T-BT(m)-T, where T-BT(m) was the T-BT of PP itself for a given notch, indicating that T-BT(m)-T was a more universal parameter that determined the BDT of polymers. This conclusion was well in agreement with the theoretical prediction.

Pressure-dependent glass-transition temperatures of poly(methyl methacrylate)/poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile) blends

The pressure-dependent glass-transition temperatures (T-g's) of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile) (SAN) blends were determined by pressure-volume-temperature (PVT) dilatometry via an isobaric cooling procedure. The Gordon-Taylor and Fox equations were used to evaluate the relationships between the T-g's and compositions of the PMMA/SAN system at different pressures. The relationships were well fitted by the Gordon-Taylor equation, and the experimental data for T-g positively deviated from the values calculated with the Fox equation. Also, the influence of the cooling rate (during the PVT measurements) on T-g was examined.

Liposome-mediated conformation transition of DNA detected by molecular probe: methyl green

Recent studies have focused on the structural features of DNA-lipid assemblies. In this paper, we take methyl green (MG) as a probe molecule to detect the conformational change of DNA molecule induced by dimethyldioctadecylammonium bromide (DDAB) liposomes before the condensation process of DNA begins. DDAB-induced DNA topology changes were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), circular dichroism (CD) and UV-VIS spectrometry. We find that upon binding to DNA, positively charged liposomes induce a conformational transition of DNA molecules from the native B-form to the C motif. Conformational transition in DNA results in the binding modes of MG to DNA, changing and being isolated from DNA to the solution. More stable complexes are formed between DNA and DDAB. That is also proved by the melting study of DNA.

A two-dimensional molybdenum (V) phosphate with covalently bonded transition metal coordination complexes: hydrothermal synthesis and structure characterization of Na-2[{Mn(phen)(2)(H2O)}{Mn(phen)(2)}(3){Mn (Mo12O24)-O-V (HPO4)(6)(PO4)(2)(OH)(6)}] center dot 4H(2)O (phen=1,10-phenanthroline)

An organic-inorganic hybrid molybdenum phosphate, Na-2[{Mn(phen)(2)(H2O)} {Mn(phen)(2)}(3){(MnMo12O24)-O-v (HPO4)(6)(PO4)(2) (OH)(6)}] . 4H(2)O (phen=1,10-phenanthroline), involving molybdenum present in V oxidation state and covalently bonded transition metal coordination complexes, has been hydrothermally synthesized and structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Deep brown-red crystals are formed in the triclinic system, space group P (1) over bar, a=16.581(l)Angstrom, b=18.354(1)Angstrom, c=24.485(2)Angstrom, alpha=80.589(l)degrees, beta=71.279(1)degrees, gamma=67.084(1)degrees, V=6493.8(8)Angstrom(3), Z=2, lambda(MoKalpha)=0.71073Angstrom (R(F)=0.0686 for 29,053 reflections). Data were collected on a Bruker Smart Apex CCD diffractometer at 293 K in the range of 1.76 < theta < 28.06degrees using omega-2theta scans technique. The structure of the title compound may be considered to be based on {Mo6O12(HPO4)(3)(PO4)(OH)(3)} units bonded together with {Mn(phen)(2)} subunits into a two-dimensional network. Two types of tunnels are observed in the solid of the title compound.

Isothermal and nonisothermal transition kinetics of trans-1,4-polybutadiene

Analysis of the isothermal and nonisothermal transitions of hexagonal crystal formation from the melt (transition 1) and of monoclinic crystal formation from hexagonal crystals (transition 2) for trans-1,4-polybutadiene (TPBD) was carefully carried out by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Isothermal transitions I and 2 are described by Avrami exponents (n) of approximate to1, whereas nonisothermal transitions I and 2 are described by n approximate to 4. These different eta values indicate that different crystallization mechanisms took place for different crystallization driving forces under isothermal and nonisothermal crystallization. The Ozawa equation was also used to analyze the nonisothermal crystallization data. For transition I at lower temperature, the Ozawa equation fits the data well; however, at higher temperature, there is an inflection that shifts to lower crystallinity with increasing temperature. Inflections are also observed with the Ozawa analysis for transition 2. Furthermore, the crystallinities at the turning points are almost in the same range as those determined by Avrami analysis for nonisothermal transitions I and 2, which suggests that the Ozawa analysis inflections are due to secondary crystallization. However, TEM revealed no morphology discrepancy between the TPBD hexagonal crystals formed from melt by isothermal and nonisothermal crystallization.