Effect of compatibilisers on the cure characteristics and mechanical properties of ternary rubber blend composites

Purpose This paper aims to study the effects of various compatibilisers (maleic anhydride (MAH), methyl methacrylate/butyl acrylate emulsion lattice, and adhesion system (HRH)) on properties of carbon black (CB) filled with natural rubber (NR)/styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR)/ nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) blends). A series of NR/SBR/NBR blends at a 30/30/40 blend ratio reinforced with 45 phr of CB was prepared using the master-batch method. Design/methodology/approach The tensile properties such as the tensile strength, stress at 100, 200 and 300% elongations, and elongation at break (EB)% were studied. Additionally, the morphological properties of compatibilised and uncompatibilised composites were compared to determine the optimal compatibiliser content. Findings The influence of compatibilisers appeared on all the properties studied. The properties of the blends compatibilised with prepared emulsion are very distinct from those of blends compatibilised with MAH and adhesion systems. Research limitations/implications Interactions among the different components of blends at the interfaces have a high impact on the interfacial properties of the rubber blend. Practical implications Compatibilisers significantly improve the physicomechanical properties of the resulting composites with the loading of investigated compatibilisers because of the uniform dispersion of CB in the rubber matrix. Social implications Using blends in the rubber industry leads to high-efficiency production of low-cost products. Originality/value The rubber blending has a significant positive effect on a wide range of applications such as structural applications, aerospace, military, packaging, tires and biomedical. Hence, improving the compatibility of blends will make new materials suitable for new applications.

Analysis of the color properties of papers subjected to different recycling numbers in electrophotographic (toner) printing

Purpose In this present study, electrophotographic printing is made on papers which are subjected to different recycling numbers, and this paper aims to examine the colour changes of this printing type. Design/methodology/approach Four-colour electrophotographic printing is carried out on adhering to the INGEDE 11p standard recycled papers four times under the same conditions. Colour measurements are made by means of electrophotographic printed colour scales printed on these recycled papers. Colour measurements are made with the X-Rite eXact spectrophotometer according to the ISO 13655:2017 standard. As a result of colour measurements, colour differences (ΔL′, ΔH′, ΔC′, ΔE00) of recycled papers are determined using some formulas. Findings According to the values obtained after four recycling, the highest ΔL′ value is found to be 4.80 yellow and the lowest 1.92 black. Again, according to the measurement results, it is determined that the highest ΔE00 is yellow colour with a value of 5.66, and lowest ΔE00 is black colour with a value of 1.98. In ΔH′, black colour is the highest value of 12.61, the lowest value with −2.05 is obtained in magenta colour. It was observed that the highest ΔC′ value is 2.98 in yellow, and the lowest value is −0.28 in black. Originality/value In the printing industry, sometimes customers want to monitor the colour differences in the printing by taking the L′a′b′ obtained values as a result of printing from the printing houses. If the colour differences exceed the tolerance values, then they can interfere with the printing. As a result of the calculations, colour changes in electrophotographic printing are observed with many parameters. This study can be a pioneer for the studies that can be done on this subject.

Evaluation of optical properties of fluorescent nanofiber using image-processing technique

Purpose The purpose of this study is evaluate the optical properties of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers containing fluorescent agents such as fluorescent dye and carbon quantum dots (CQDs) by using image-processing technique of Fluorescence microscope image. Design/methodology/approach The fluorescence microscope image of the pure PAN, PAN/CQDs and PAN/fluorescent dye nanofibers composite was analyzed using several image-processing techniques such as color histogram, lookup table (LUT), Fourier transform, RGB profile and surface plot analysis. Findings The fluorescence microscope image indicates that the fluorescence emission of nanocomposites depends on the type of fluorescent agent. The fluorescence intensity of nanofiber containing CQDs is more than nanofiber containing fluorescent dye. Various image-processing methods provide similar results for optical property of nanocomposites. Analyzing the LUT, the blue value of CQDs/PAN nanocomposite image was significantly higher than other nanocomposites. This was confirmed by other methods such as Fourier transform, color histogram and 3D topography of the electrospun nanofibers. According to analysis of colorimetric parameters, higher negative value of b* indicates bluer color for CQDs/PAN nanofibers than other nanocomposites. The obtained results indicate that the image-processing technique can be used to evaluate the optical property of fluorescent nanocomposite. Originality/value This study evaluates the optical properties of fluorescent nanocomposites by using image-processing techniques such as Fourier transform, color histogram, RGB profiles, LUT, surface plot and histogram analysis.

Optimization and analysis of dry sliding wear process parameters on cellulose reinforced ABS polymer composite material

Purpose This study aims to the optimization using three factors and three-level parameters (sliding speed [rpm], sliding distance [m/s] and load [N]) of design matrix were adapted to Box–Behnken design using design expert v8.0 software. Based on the parameters, to develop the linear regression equation and to find the significant considerable wear process parameters based on output responses like wear loss (WL) and coefficient of friction (COF) value of polymer matrix composites (PMC) specimen of Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS)/cellulose composite (80 wt% of ABS and 20 wt% of cellulose). Design/methodology/approach The fabrication of the ABS/cellulose composite sample was carried out by the simple hands-on stir process method. As per the American Society for Testing and Materials G99 standard, the sample was made by the molding process. The wear analysis was made by multi tribotester TR25 machine and validated the developed model by using statistical software design expert v.8.0 and numerical tools like analysis of variance. The surface morphology [field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) analysis] of the sample was also observed using the Quanta FEG-250 FESEM instrument. Findings The parameters like sliding speed, sliding distance and load are independently affected the COF value and WL of the 80% of ABS matrix and 20% cellulose reinforced composite material. The regression equations were generated by the coefficient of friction value and WL, which predicted the minimum WL of 80% of ABS matrix and 20% of cellulose reinforced composite material. The worn surface analysis result exposes the worn path and equal distribution of reinforcement and matrix on the surface of composite material. Originality/value The literature survey revealed a small number of studies available regarding wear analysis of ABS matrix and cellulose reinforced composite materials. In the present work, to fabricate and evaluate the wear performance of PMC (80% of ABS and 20% of cellulose) depends on the WL and COF value. The maximum and minimum COF value (µ) of 80% of ABS and 20% of cellulose composite material is 4.71 and 0.28 with the optimized wear process parameter by 1,000 mm of sliding distance, 0.25 (m/s) of sliding speed and 9 N of load.

Investigation into the effect of resin finish on the functional characteristics of plain fabrics using different curing methods

Purpose Cellulosic fabric and plain weave are the most commonly used material in home textiles. The poor wrinkling, dimensional stability and pilling are some of the problems faced during usage. The textile industries apply resin finish to improve these characteristics. The purpose of this study is to improve pilling resistance, dimensional stability and smoothness appearance (SA) of rayon and rayon/cotton plain fabrics using different concentrations of dimethyloldihydroxyethylene urea (DMDHEU) and acrylic copolymer. The finish was fixed using two different fixation methods. Design/methodology/approach Three concentrations, 40, 100 and 150 g/l of Arkofix NF (DMDHE based) and Appretan N9211 (acrylic copolymer), were taken. The finish was applied at normal and shock cure. The effects of finish on pilling resistance, dimensional stability, smoothness, tear strength, light fastness, Berger whiteness and yellowness index of plain fabrics were investigated. Findings The changes in the characteristics of the finished fabrics were compared with unfinished fabrics. This study revealed that at 40 g/l of Arkofix NF and Appretan N9211 using a normal cure would improve the pilling resistance, dimensional stability and SA of the plain fabrics. Whereas, there was no adverse effect observed on tear strength, light fastness, Berger whiteness and yellowness index of plain fabrics at these conditions. Originality/value Unlike the previous studies, this paper proposed the single finish formulation where the functional characteristics of the plain rayon and rayon cotton fabrics meet the general requirement of a customer.

Physical and mechanical investigation for polyionic liquid/poly(vinyl alcohol) blends

Purpose This study aims to polymerize of 1-butyl-3-vinylimidazolium bromide (PIL). PIL was embedded into PVA with a different content ratio by casting method. This research also deals with the effect of adding PIL in different proportions to PVA on the electrical and mechanical properties properties in addition to the morphology of the prepared samples. Design/methodology/approach 1-Butyl-3-vinylimidazolium bromide was synthesized through quaternization and free radical polymerization. The resulting polymer was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. In addition to the morphology of PVA, PVA/PIL was investigated by polarizing microscope. Also, the effect of PIL content on the electrical and mechanical properties was evaluated. Findings The findings of this study might lead to new applications for PVA and PILs in electrical and dielectrics. The mechanical results revealed that the tensile strength increased slightly with increasing polyionic liquid (PIL) content and decreased above 10% PIL. While the elongation at break increased significantly with increasing PIL content and begin to decrease above 10% PIL. Also, the electrical property of the poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/PIL blends was improved because of the strong plasticizing effect of PIL. Also, the electrical conductivity of these polymer electrolytes is greatly increased. This indicates that the imidazolium-based PIL has an effective approach that leads to an increase in the conductivity of the polymer. The PILs/PVA design will not only enrich the chemical structure but also will contribute to green manufacturing techniques and a processing methodology that enables green membrane manufacture. Originality/value This study contributes to green manufacturing techniques and a processing methodology that enables “green” membrane manufacture.

Evaluation of synergic methods for corrosion protection of reinforced steel

Purpose This study aims to evaluate the effect of pH on the reinforced concrete steel protection for rebars coated with paint formulations containing talc and free from it. As the presence of talc in paints can offer high pH which cordially affects the protection behavior of the coated rebars. Additionally, this study includes evaluating the durability of concrete mixes in presence of some replacements of ordinary cement such as meta-kaolin (MK) and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS). Design/methodology/approach Two paint formulations were prepared containing the same ingredients except that (P1) is free from talc and (P2) contains talc. The anticorrosive behavior of painted steel in the blended concrete mixes containing MK and GGBFS was studied by using different electrochemical techniques in chloride solution. The concrete durability was evaluated by the means of compressive and bond strength beside chloride permeability. Different concrete mixes containing mineral groups or pozzolanic materials were prepared by replacing (10, and 30%) GGBFS and (5, 10 and 15%) MK as binary from cement CEM I with (w/b) 0.45 with superplasticizer ratio (SP) 2% of the binder Findings It was found that the presence of talc, in spite of its ability to offer high pH, has affected positively the corrosion behavior of reinforced concrete steel by forming a complex with concrete even if it is present in paint formulation and not free in the medium. Originality/value The results revealed that concrete blended with (30% GGBFS and 10% MK) with coated rebars with P2 containing talc showed the highest corrosion protection performance in addition to modified permeability and compression resistance.

Research and application of K/S value in stain identification

Purpose The intelligent identification of stains can quickly and accurately identify stains. At present, stains are identified subjectively by appearance, color, taste, feel, location, etc. Color is an important factor in identifying stains. K/S value is used to analyze the color of textile fabric, and it has additivity. The purpose of the study is to explore its application in stain recognition is of great significance to intelligent washing. Design/methodology/approach A certain method used to stain the textile, then the K/S value of the textile before and after the stain was analyzed and tested by the color difference instrument. The K/S curve of the stain was calculated by the addition of K/S, and then the stain was identified and distinguished. Findings The K/S value of the textile stained with stains could be deducted by the K/S value of the color difference meter. After deducting the base cloth, the K/S curve of the same stain is basically the same. Then the stain can be identified and analyzed. Research limitations/implications The K/S value can be used for stain analysis, but it needs to be analyzed and tested in the laboratory. Practical implications This study provides a simple method for stains identification. Originality/value In addition to common methods of stain identification, such as appearance, color, feel, smell, location, stain removal materials, breaking the substrate, IR, etc., K/S value can be used for stain analysis. Identifying stains and washing them in a targeted way to achieve a better washing effect could provide certain technical support for the development of smart washing and smart home appliances.

Comparison of the usage of fines and PCC pigment in handsheets

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the influences of fines and precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) pigment and their contents on the fundamental properties of handsheets and also evaluate these results in terms of mechanical and chemical data. Design/methodology/approach A design research approach has been based on the production of various laboratory handmade papers. Any of the paper additives were not added to the paper web to compare the results of the effects of fines and PCC pigment in a literal way. For this purpose, the target grammages of handsheets and the production variables such as pulp consistency, temperature and other variables of formation, pressing and drying processes were kept constant and studied meticulously. Findings This study is confirmed that with the addition of fines to the pulp of the control handsheets, an increase of up to 125% has been observed in the tensile index values, while a decrease of up to 30% has been observed with the addition of PCC pigment as filler. The tensile results have been changed depending on the pulp content and hence chemical bonds formed in the paper web. These mechanical changes have been explained by correlating with the data of FT-IR spectrums. Especially, the variations have been seen at 950–1150 cm−1, which referring to C-OH and C-O-C stretching vibrations. Originality/value The originality of this work is based on understanding and comparing the effects of fines and the effect of PCC pigment as a paper filler on the structural and chemical characteristics of laboratory-made handsheets.

Preparation and selectivity evaluation of grafted temperature-responsive imprinted composite polyvinylidene fluoride resin membranes for selective adsorption of ReO4−

Purpose A novel grafted temperature-responsive ReO4− Imprinted composite membranes (Re-ICMs) was successfully prepared by using polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) resin membranes as substrates, this study aimed to separate and purify ReO effectively. Design/methodology/approach Re-ICMs were synthesized by PVDF resin membranes as the substrate, acrylic acid (AA), acrylamide (AM), ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) were functional monomers. The morphology and structure of Re-ICMs were characterized by scanning electron microscope and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Findings The maximum adsorption capacity toward ReO4− was 0.1,163 mmol/g and the separation decree had relation to MnO4− was 19.3. The optimal operation conditions were studied detailedly and the results as follows: the molar ratios of AA, AM, EGDMA, ascorbic acid, NH4ReO4, were 0.8, 0.96, 0.02, 0.003 and 0.006. The optimal time and temperature were 20 h and 40°C, respectively. The Langmuir and pseudo-second-order models were fit these adsorption characteristics well. Practical implications Rhenium (Re) is mainly used to chemical petroleum and make superalloys for jet engine parts. This study was representing a technology in separate and purify of Re, which provided a method for the development of the petroleum and aviation industry. Originality/value This contribution provided a novel method to separate ReO4− from MnO4−. The maximum adsorption capacity was 0.1163 mmol/g at 35°C and the adsorption equilibrium time was within 2 h. Meanwhile, the adsorption selectivity rate ReO4−/MnO4− was 19.3 and the desorption rate was 78.3%. Controlling the adsorption experiment at 35°C and desorption experiment at 25°C in aqueous solution, it could remain 61.3% of the initial adsorption capacity with the adsorption selectivity rate of 13.3 by 10 adsorption/desorption cycles, a slight decrease, varied from 78.3% to 65.3%, in desorption rate was observed.