Polymer Engineering and Science articles from May 2005

Polymer Engineering and Science archives from May 2005

Supercritical fluid process for the synthesis of maleated poly(vinylidene fluoride).
May 1, 2005... INTRODUCTION Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) fluoropolymer has applications as a coating material, such as in cable insulation and paints, and as a component of polymer blends because it has many desirable properties. These properties...

Modeling nanoporosity development in polymer films for low-k applications.
May 1, 2005... INTRODUCTION The drive for advanced integrated circuits with submicron feature size has created the need for new dielectric materials [1, 2]. The 1997 Semiconductor Industry Association National Technology Roadmap for semiconductors...

Study on squeezing flow during nonisothermal embossing of polymer microstructures.
May 1, 2005... INTRODUCTION Polymer microfabrication methods are becoming increasingly important as low-cost alternatives to silicon- or glass-based microfabrication technologies. The hot embossing technique [1] is a flexible, cost-effective...

Analysis of laser/IR-assisted microembossing.
May 1, 2005... INTRODUCTION Hot embossing is a relatively simple and low-cost process that is widely used for fabricating planar polymeric devices with micro-/nanofeatures [1-8]. However, in conventional hot embossing, both the mold and the substrate are...

Boron nitride and fluoropolymer combinations: interactions and their performance as processing aids.
May 1, 2005... INTRODUCTION In many commercial polymer processing operations, including profile extrusion, film casting, film blowing, and blow molding, flow instabilities occur [1, 2] that limit the rate of production to relatively low rates. For...

Thermal properties, rheology and sintering of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene and its composites with polyethylene terephthalate.
May 1, 2005... INTRODUCTION Ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) is a thermoplastic material possessing an excellent set of properties such as good wear resistance, the highest impact strength of any plastic at cryogenic temperatures, good...

Effect of compression and thickness on acetone transport in polycarbonate.
May 1, 2005... INTRODUCTION The difference in the chemical potential of an organic solvent in vacuum and the chemical potential of an organic solvent in polymer makes the solvent molecules diffuse into a polymeric matrix, and generates mechanical...

Optimal design and manufacture of thin-walled polystyrene structures.
May 1, 2005... INTRODUCTION This article stems from a collaboration between the Polymer Group in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, and the School of Mathematics at Leeds University. It describes the experimental work undertaken to enable the...

Experimental study on relationship between jet instability and formation of beaded fibers during electrospinning.
May 1, 2005... INTRODUCTION Electrospinning is a unique technology that produces polymer fibers with diameters in the range of nanometers to a few microns using an electrically driven jet of a polymer solution or melt [1, 2]. The small fiber diameters...

Effects of compatibilizer and testing speed on the mechanical and morphology behaviors of Co-continuous amorphous copolyester-polyoxymethylene blends.
May 1, 2005... INTRODUCTION Polymer blending is a very effective way of obtaining a material with a good combination of mechanical, chemical, thermal, and processibility properties. However, most polymer pairs are incompatible and result in poor...

Branching and gelation in atom transfer radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate.
May 1, 2005... INTRODUCTION Copolymerization of a vinyl monomer with a small amount of divinyl monomer is often used to synthesize branched polymers and polymer gels. The viscosity of a branched polymer is lower than that of linear counterpart of the...

Effects of using preheated pellets in corotating twin-screw extruders.
May 1, 2005... INTRODUCTION Corotating twin-screw extruders are frequently used in compounding operations that involve thermoplastics. In such a process, usually pellets (plus additives) are metered into the feed throat of the extruder. The pellets are...

Effect of gloss and texture on the color of injection-molded pigmented plastics.
May 1, 2005... INTRODUCTION The interior of a car has undergone significant changes in design during recent years as a consequence of customer demands. Today, the interior is thought of as a "living space," which should offer the highest level of...

Crystallinity and mechanical properties of optically pure polylactides and their blends.
May 1, 2005... INTRODUCTION Lactic acid-based polymers, commonly known as poly (lactic acid), polylactide, or PLA, have been receiving attention by the medical field in application areas such as sutures and antibiotic release systems. Another potential...