scholarly journals Optimization of manufacturing processes for biodegradable polymeric stents regarding improved mechanical properties

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 583-585 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga Sahmel ◽  
Daniela Arbeiter ◽  
Kerstin Schümann ◽  
Niels Grabow ◽  
Stefan Siewert ◽  
...  

AbstractAlthough current drug eluting stents show low risks of in-stent restenosis and stent thrombosis, the presence of a permanent foreign body inside the vessel represents a major limitation. In order to overcome this limitation, stents made of biodegradable polymeric materials are currently being developed. The present work describes an optimized fabrication process for tubular semi-finished products for manufacturing of stents made of poly-L-lactide (PLLA). The impact of the haul-off speed as a major parameter during extrusion processing on the cross-sectional area of tubular specimens was analyzed. It could be shown that the crosssection of the extrudate, in particular the tubing diameter and wall thickness, can be adjusted by varying haul-off speed. In a subsequent blow molding process the influence of the holding time on polymer cold crystallization was analyzed. Thermal properties of the polymeric material after processing were examined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results showed that there is almost no cold crystallization using a holding time of at least 20 minutes. The investigations showed that semi-finished products with variable geometry and improved mechanical properties can be produced with the described extrusion and blow molding process.

Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. 2367
Author(s):  
Junhyuk Son ◽  
Dong-Yurl Yu ◽  
Yun-Chan Kim ◽  
Shin-Il Kim ◽  
Min-Su Kim ◽  
...  

In this study, the interfacial reactions and mechanical properties of solder joints after multiple reflows were observed to evaluate the applicability of the developed materials for high-temperature soldering for automotive electronic components. The microstructural changes and mechanical properties of Sn-Cu solders regarding Al(Si) addition and the number of reflows were investigated to determine their reliability under high heat and strong vibrations. Using differential scanning calorimetry, the melting points were measured to be approximately 227, 230, and 231 °C for the SC07 solder, SC-0.01Al(Si), and SC-0.03Al(Si), respectively. The cross-sectional analysis results showed that the total intermetallic compounds (IMCs) of the SC-0.03Al(Si) solder grew the least after the as-reflow, as well as after 10 reflows. Electron probe microanalysis and transmission electron microscopy revealed that the Al-Cu and Cu-Al-Sn IMCs were present inside the solders, and their amounts increased with increasing Al(Si) content. In addition, the Cu6Sn5 IMCs inside the solder became more finely distributed with increasing Al(Si) content. The Sn-0.5Cu-0.03Al(Si) solder exhibited the highest shear strength at the beginning and after 10 reflows, and ductile fracturing was observed in all three solders. This study will facilitate the future application of lead-free solders, such as an Sn-Cu-Al(Si) solder, in automotive electrical components.


2021 ◽  
pp. 002199832199945
Author(s):  
Jong H Eun ◽  
Bo K Choi ◽  
Sun M Sung ◽  
Min S Kim ◽  
Joon S Lee

In this study, carbon/epoxy composites were manufactured by coating with a polyamide at different weight percentages (5 wt.%, 10 wt.%, 15 wt.%, and 20 wt.%) to improve their impact resistance and fracture toughness. The chemical reaction between the polyamide and epoxy resin were examined by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The mechanical properties and fracture toughness of the carbon/epoxy composites were analyzed. The mechanical properties of the carbon/epoxy composites, such as transverse flexural tests, longitudinal flexural tests, and impact tests, were investigated. After the impact tests, an ultrasonic C-scan was performed to reveal the internal damage area. The interlaminar fracture toughness of the carbon/epoxy composites was measured using a mode I test. The critical energy release rates were increased by 77% compared to the virgin carbon/epoxy composites. The surface morphology of the fractured surface was observed. The toughening mechanism of the carbon/epoxy composites was suggested based on the confirmed experimental data.


Materials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 1242
Author(s):  
Olga Mysiukiewicz ◽  
Paulina Kosmela ◽  
Mateusz Barczewski ◽  
Aleksander Hejna

Investigations related to polymer/metal composites are often limited to the analysis of the electrical and thermal conductivity of the materials. The presented study aims to analyze the impact of aluminum (Al) filler content (from 1 to 20 wt%) on the rarely investigated properties of composites based on the high-density polyethylene (HDPE) matrix. The crystalline structure, rheological (melt flow index and oscillatory rheometry), thermal (differential scanning calorimetry), as well as static (tensile tests, hardness, rebound resilience) and dynamic (dynamical mechanical analysis) mechanical properties of composites were investigated. The incorporation of 1 and 2 wt% of aluminum filler resulted in small enhancements of mechanical properties, while loadings of 5 and 10 wt% provided materials with a similar performance to neat HDPE. Such results were supported by the lack of disturbances in the rheological behavior of composites. The presented results indicate that a significant content of aluminum filler may be introduced into the HDPE matrix without additional pre-treatment and does not cause the deterioration of composites’ performance, which should be considered beneficial when engineering PE/metal composites.


2017 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 414-419
Author(s):  
Mimi Azlina Abu Bakar ◽  
Siti Norazlini Abd Aziz ◽  
Muhammad Hussain Ismail

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the vital characteristic of an innovative ceramic injection molding (CIM) process for orthopedic application with controlled porosity and improved tribological and mechanical properties which were affected by complex tribological interactions, whether lubricated like hip implants and other artificial prostheses. The main objective is to maximize the usage of palm stearin as a single based binder as the function of flow properties during injection molding process. Design/methodology/approach The binder used in this present study consists of 100 per cent palm stearin manufactured by Kempas Oil Sdn Bhd and supplied by Vistec Technology Sdn Bhd. The feedstock was prepared by using a Z-blade mixer (Thermo Haake Rheomix OS) and Brabender mixer model R2400. The feedstock prepared was injection molded using a manually operated vertical benchtop machine with an average pressure of about 5-7 bars. The firing step included the temporary holds at intermediate temperatures to burn out organic binders. At this stage, the green molded specimen was de-bound using a single-step wick-debinding method. Findings The maximum content of ceramic material is applied to investigate the efficiencies of net formulation that can be achieved by ceramic materials. The longer the viscosity will change with shear rate, the higher the value of n obtained instead. From the slope of the curves obtained in Figure 3, the value of n for the feedstock was determined to be less than 1, which indicates a pseudoplastic behavior and suitability for the molding process. Moreover, high shear sensitivity is important in producing complex and intrinsic specimens which are leading products in the CIM industry. Originality/value The feedstock containing HAp powder and palm stearin binder was successfully prepared at very low temperature of 70°C, which promoting a required pseudo-plastic behavior during rheological test. The single binder palm stearin should be optimized in other research works carried out, as palm stearin is most preferred compared to other polymeric materials that provided high energy consumption when subjected to the sintering process. Besides the binder is widely available in Malaysia, low cost and harmless effect during debinding process.


2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 61
Author(s):  
Siti Fatma Abd Karim ◽  
Junaidah Binti Jai ◽  
Ku Halim Ku Hamid ◽  
Abdul Wafi Abdul Jalil

Non-degradable properties of polyethylene (PE) films due to long-chain structure cause increment of solid waste plastic. Many researchers, with different purposes, have studied the incorporation of functional materials to PE. Studying the impact of incorporation of aloe vera (AV) into PE films in terms of its characteristic and mechanical properties is the main objective of this paper. The films were prepared using melt-blending and hot press technique. The characterization assessed for the PE and PE-AV films were spectroscopy, crystalline phase, thermal analysis and performance of mechanical properties of the sample.  The functional group detected in spectroscopy studied did not show any changes for PE film or PE with the presence of AV. Lower thermal degradation temperature (Td) obtained for PE-AV3 while others film found no significant changes of Td value and only one peak of thermal degradation occurred for all film. The same goes to the analysis obtained from differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) data. However, the crystalline structure displayed momentous peak changes for PE with AV. The highest tensile strength (TS) obtained by PE-AV3, at once developing highest value of Young’s modulus (YM), modulus of resilience (UE) and modulus of toughness (UT). A certain amount of AV has substantial effect on changing the polymeric structure especially improving the mechanical properties of PE film. Therefore, AV has potential to become an additive for developing a new partially degradable PE film.


Materials ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 1811 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mitja Linec ◽  
Branka Mušič

Global design and manufacturing of the materials with superb properties remain one of the greatest challenges on the market. The future progress is orientated towards researches into the material development for the production of composites of better mechanical properties to the existing materials. In the field of advanced composites, epoxy molding compounds (EMCs) have attained dominance among the common materials due to their excellent properties that can be altered by adding different fillers. One of the main fillers is often based on silicon dioxide (SiO2). The concept of this study was to evaluate the effects of the selected silica-based fillers on the thermal, rheological, and mechanical properties of EMCs. Various types of fillers with SiO2, including crystalline silica and fused silica, were experimentally studied to clarify the impact of filler on final product. Fillers with different shape (scanning electron microscope, SEM), along with different specific surface area (specific surface area analyzer, BET method) and different chemical structure, were tested to explore their modifications on the EMCs. The influence of the fillers on the compound materials was determined with the spiral flow length (spiral flow test, EMMI), glass transition temperature (differential scanning calorimetry, DSC), and the viscosity (Torque Rheometer) of the composites.


Materials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (24) ◽  
pp. 5719
Author(s):  
Olga Olejnik ◽  
Anna Masek

The aim of the research was to obtain intelligent and eco-friendly packaging materials by incorporating innovative additives of plant origin. For this purpose, natural substances, including green tea extract (polyphenon 60) and caffeic acid, were added to two types of biodegradable thermoplastics (Ingeo™ Biopolymer PLA 4043D and Bioplast GS 2189). The main techniques used to assess the impact of phytocompounds on materials’ thermal properties were differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetry (TGA), which confirmed the improved resistance to thermo-oxidation. Moreover, in order to assess the activity of applied antioxidants, the samples were aged using a UV aging chamber and a weathering device, then retested in terms of dynamic mechanical properties (DMA), colour changing, Vicat softening temperature, and chemical structure, as studied using FT-IR spectra analysis. The results revealed that different types of aging did not cause significant differences in thermo-mechanical properties and chemical structure of the samples with natural antioxidants but induced colour changing. The obtained results indicate that polylactide (PLA) and Bioplast GS 2189, the plasticizer free thermoplastic biomaterial containing polylactide and starch (referred to as sPLA in the present article), both with added caffeic acid and green tea extract, can be applied as smart and eco-friendly packaging materials. The composites reveal better thermo-oxidative stability with reference to pure materials and are able to change colour as a result of the oxidation process, especially after UV exposure, providing information about the degree of material degradation.


Nanomaterials ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriana Nicoleta Frone ◽  
Dan Batalu ◽  
Ioana Chiulan ◽  
Madalina Oprea ◽  
Augusta Raluca Gabor ◽  
...  

Biodegradable blends and nanocomposites were produced from polylactic acid (PLA), poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and cellulose nanocrystals (NC) by a single step reactive blending process using dicumyl peroxide (DCP) as a cross-linking agent. With the aim of gaining more insight into the impact of processing methods upon the morphological, thermal and mechanical properties of these nanocomposites, three different processing techniques were employed: compression molding, extrusion, and 3D printing. The addition of DCP improved interfacial adhesion and the dispersion of NC in nanocomposites as observed by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The carbonyl index calculated from Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed increased crystallinity after DCP addition in PLA/PHB and PLA/PHB/NC, also confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry analyses. NC and DCP showed nucleating activity and favored the crystallization of PLA, increasing its crystallinity from 16% in PLA/PHB to 38% in DCP crosslinked blend and to 43% in crosslinked PLA/PHB/NC nanocomposite. The addition of DCP also influenced the melting-recrystallization processes due to the generation of lower molecular weight products with increased mobility. The thermo-mechanical characterization of uncross-linked and cross-linked PLA/PHB blends and nanocomposites showed the influence of the processing technique. Higher storage modulus values were obtained for filaments obtained by extrusion and 3D printed meshes compared to compression molded films. Similarly, the thermogravimetric analysis showed an increase of the onset degradation temperature, even with more than 10 °C for PLA/PHB blends and nanocomposites after extrusion and 3D-printing, compared with compression molding. This study shows that PLA/PHB products with enhanced interfacial adhesion, improved thermal stability, and mechanical properties can be obtained by the right choice of the processing method and conditions using NC and DCP for balancing the properties.


Author(s):  
Jamileh Shojaeiarani ◽  
Dilpreet Bajwa

Biopolymers are emerging materials with numerous capabilities of minimizing the environmental hazards caused by synthetic materials. The competitive mechanical properties of bio-based poly(lactic acid) (PLA) reinforced with cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) have attracted a huge interest in improving the mechanical properties of the corresponding nanocomposites. To obtain optimal properties of PLA-CNC nanocomposites, the compatibility between PLA and CNCs needs to be improved through uniform dispersion of CNCs into PLA. The application of chemical surface functionalization technique is an essential step to improve the interaction between hydrophobic PLA and hydrophilic CNCs. In this study, a combination of a time-efficient esterification technique and masterbatch approach was used to improve the CNCs dispersibility in PLA. Nanocomposites reinforced by 1, 3, and 5 wt% functionalized CNCs were prepared using twin screw extrusion followed by injection molding process. The mechanical and dynamic mechanical properties of pure PLA and nanocomposites were studied through tensile, impact and dynamic mechanical analysis. The impact fractured surfaces were characterized using scanning electron microscopy. The mechanical test results exhibited that tensile strength and modulus of elasticity of nanocomposites improved by 70% and 11% upon addition of functionalized CNCs into pure PLA. The elongation at break and impact strength of nanocomposites exhibited 43% and 35% increase as compared to pure PLA. The rough and irregular fracture surface in nanocomposites confirmed the higher ductility in PLA nanocomposites as compared to pure PLA. The incorporation of functionalized CNCs into PLA resulted in an increase in storage modulus and a decrease in tan δ intensity which was more profound in nanocomposites reinforced with 3 wt% functionalized CNCs.


2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 323-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuai Li ◽  
Guoqun Zhao ◽  
Jiachang Wang

Abstract Gas counter pressure (GCP) technology can impose a reverse pressure to melt and thereby effectively increase the pressure acting on the melt at flow front. Theoretically, it has a potential to solve some defects often occurring in conventional injection molding (CIM) process. This paper designed and manufactured a GCP injection mold. GCP injection molding experiments were conducted. Effects of GCP process on melt flow and density, dimensional accuracy, and mechanical properties of molded samples were investigated. The results showed that GCP process can effectively inhibit the “fountain effect” in melt filling process, decrease the dimensional shrinkage of molded samples, increase dimensional accuracy of samples, and effectively improve impact property of samples. For the samples without weld line, tensile strength and flexural strength of GCP injection molded samples are slightly increased in comparison with those of CIM samples, but for the samples with weld line, GCP process can greatly improve the tensile strength and flexural strength of molded samples. When GCP is 9 MPa and GCP holding time is 10 s, the dimensional accuracy of molded samples without weld line, the tensile strength and flexural strength of the molded samples with weld line all increase up to maximum values. In comparison with CIM samples, the dimensional shrinkage of samples without weld line decreases by 17.2%, the tensile strength and flexural strength of samples with weld line increase by 30.51% and 23.69%, respectively. The impact value of the samples molded by process parameter combination of GCP 9 MPa and GCP holding time 20 s is the highest, and the impact value increases by 18.65%.


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