Journal of Elastomers & Plastics

To further evaluate the compatibility of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) with the biofuels included ethanol–gasoline E30 and biodiesel B30, especially the change of mechanical properties of HDPE over soaking time, soaking tests were performed in E30 and B30 fuels at 45°C for 1608 h. Volume/mass change, yield stress, yield elongation, and impact strength of HDPE were measured at different soaking times. In all fuel soaking tests, more fuel absorption occurred between HDPE and fuels than oxidative damage. Due to higher polarity of bioethanol, E30 is less easily absorbed by HDPE than gasoline and causes less volume and mass change of HDPE. Compared with gasoline and E30, diesel and B30 were less likely to be absorbed by HDPE and there was no significant different of HDPE volume and mass change soaked in them. As fuel could be more easily stored in the amorphous phase of the HDPE than in the crystalline phase, the significant increase of yield elongation and little change of yield stress and the absorbed fuel may act as a plasticizer in HDPE. The increase of impact strength was due to the HDPE became more ductile after fuel soaking rather than strength increase. The compatibility research between HDPE and biofuel can help design engineers to evaluate the performance changes of plastic fuel tank products made of HDPE after long-term fuel soaking.

The goal of the present study is to investigate and predict the mechanical properties, including impact strength, elastic modulus, and elongation-at-break of quaternary nanocomposites based on polypropylene (PP)/ethylene–propylene–diene monomer (EPDM)/glass fiber (GL)/graphene nanosheets (GPn) by fuzzy logic. Three parameters in different levels, including EPDM, GL, and GPn, were chosen for combination with a PP matrix. The fuzzy logic surfaces showed that the EPDM rubber and GPn had the main role in the elastic modulus of nanocomposites. The high levels of EPDM content resulted in a considerable increase in impact strength and, generally, the presence of EPDM had no effect on elongation-at-break.

Mechanical properties and morphology of the deproteinized natural rubber (NR) films reinforced with modified silica (SiO₂) nanoparticles were studied in this research. In the step of deproteinization, a chemical method followed by centrifugation was used to reduce the amount of protein from 0.42 wt% to 0.11 wt%. Structure-modified nanosilica with Silane A174 was used as an additive to reinforce the deproteinized films. The addition of 1 phr of the modified nanosilica exhibited better tensile strength, tensile force at break, modulus at 500% and elongation at break which were improved significantly compared to those of bare films. The modified nanosilica dispersed uniformly in the rubber matrix with the nanoparticle size less than 100 nm observed from the scanning electron microscope. The prepared rubber films containing the modified SiO₂ nanoparticles have great potential to produce the NR gloves having very tiny amounts of protein for medical use which still provide the good mechanical strength compared to the standard ones.

Nanofibrous composite mat was prepared using polyacrylonitrile hard yarn waste and hydroxyl group functionalized multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs-OH) by electrospinning technique and exploit for methylene blue dye adsorption from aqueous solution. The nanofibrous composite mat was characterized by Fourier transform (FT) infrared spectroscopy, FT-Raman, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometer and thermogravimetric analyser. The adsorption experiments were studied to investigate the effect of MWCNT-OH weight percentage, initial solution pH, contact time and initial dye concentration on the adsorption. The higher percentage of methylene blue adsorption was found to be 80.05% under optimal condition. The adsorption equilibrium data were studied with Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. The R ² value was found to be higher in the Freundlich isotherm model which was clearly indicated that the Freundlich isotherm model is most suitable for the adsorption of methylene blue on nanofibrous composite mat. The kinetic study was carried out to explain the adsorption rate of methylene blue on nanofibrous composite. The kinetic study of methylene blue adsorption was favourable to the pseudo second-order equation.

In this study, ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer-based blend foams with polyolefin elastomers (POEs), low-density polyethylene, or styrenic thermoplastic elastomers were prepared as a potential resilient material for reducing inter-floor noise. Various properties of EVA blend foams were measured in order to reveal the effects of EVA content and types of pair polymers consisting of EVA blend foams on dynamic stiffness, which is one of the key factors of resilient materials, in relation to hardness, specific gravity, and resilience. These properties had not been introduced by the construction industry until now. When the EVA/POE ratio was 20/80 and the foaming ratio was 210%, dynamic stiffness presented the lowest value at 5.97 MN m^{− 3}. However, when the resilience was <20%, dynamic stiffness was as high as 37.66 MN m^{− 3} at an expansion ratio of 210% even when the specific gravity was low.