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ABSTRACT Biodegradable poly(propylene carbonate, PPC) is a typical noncrystalline polymer from the copolymerization of carbon dioxide (CO2) with propylene oxide (PO). But it is easy to be degraded to propylene carbonate (PC) via backbiting route during heat process (above 170°C), which limits its application. This work reports the introduction of biodegradable nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) which was exfoliated from microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) by acid hydrolysis into PPC, affording a biodegradable PPC/NCC nanocomposite with improved thermal decomposition temperatures (the initial decomposition temperature, T5wt% was up to 265°C). Impressively, the thermal decomposition of PPC to PC at 200°C within 4.0 h was dramatically inhibited by introducing NCC, which was evident by 1H NMR spectra. This could be attributed to the hydrogen bonding interaction between NCC and PPC. Moreover, the film of PPC/NCC nanocomposite had not deformed when it was heated at 110°C for 4 h. In application, such biodegradable nanocomposite is a promising disposable package material. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 39847. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A kind of polyacrylamide (PAM) latex product dispersed in an aqueous solution was successfully prepared through the aqueous two‐phase polymerization of acrylamide in an aqueous solution of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). The effects of various polymerization parameters on the size and morphology of droplets rich in PAM were systematically investigated. The droplet size and morphology was significantly influenced by the polymerization rate. The high polymerization rate caused the formation of stripe‐shaped droplets because of the aggregation of more droplets rapidly separated from the continuous phase. At the same time, the monomer partition behavior mainly relied on the temperature, and the PEG concentration also dramatically affected the droplet size and morphology. The increase in PEG concentration not only changed the monomer partition behavior and restrained droplet aggregation but also shortened the critical PAM radical chain length and accelerated the droplet formation. Furthermore, the stirring speed was also recognized as the correlative factor that affected the droplet stability and monomer diffusion rate from the continuous phase into the droplets. The addition of salt and alcohol altered the droplet stability and the final droplet size and morphology. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel phosphorus‐containing epoxy resin (EPN‐D) was prepared by addition reaction of 9,10‐dihydro‐9‐oxa‐10‐phosphaphenanthrene 10‐oxide (DOPO) and epoxy phenol‐ formaldehyde novolac resin (EPN). The reaction was monitored by epoxide equivalent weight (EEW) titration, and its structure was confirmed by FTIR and NMR spectra. Halogen‐free epoxy resins containing EPN‐D resin and a nitrogen‐containing epoxy resin (XT resin) were cured with dicyandiamide (DICY) to give new halogen‐free epoxy thermosets. Thermal properties of these thermosets were studied by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), thermal mechanical analyzer (TMA) and thermal‐gravimetric analysis (TGA). They exhibited very high glass transition temperatures (Tgs, 139–175°C from DSC, 138–155°C from TMA and 159–193°C from DMA), high thermal stability with Td,5 wt % over 300°C when the weight ratio of XT/EPN‐D is ≥1. The flame‐retardancy of these thermosets was evaluated by limiting oxygen index (LOI) and UL‐94 vertical test. The thermosets containing isocyanurate and DOPO moieties showed high LOI (32.7–43.7) and could achieve UL‐94 V‐0/V‐1 grade. Isocyanurate and DOPO moieties had an obvious synergistic effect on the improvement of the flame retardancy. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]