Insight into the Structure of MOF-Containing Hybrid Polymeric Microspheres.

Polymer science exploited metal organic frameworks (MOFs) for various purposes, which is due to the fact that these materials are ideal platforms for identifying design features for advanced functional materials. The mechanism of polymerization using MOFs, is still largely unexplored and the detailed characterization of both materials in essential to understand the important interactions between the components. In this work modern advanced research methods were used to investigate the properties of MOF-containing hybrid polymeric microspheres. Hydrothermal conversion of CFA-derived iron particles was used to obtain MOF nanostructures, which were then introduced to the structure of hybrid polymer microspheres based on ethylene glycol dimethylacrylate (EGDMA) and triethoxyvinylsilane (TEVS). Chemical structures were confirmed by ATR-FTIR method. To provide information about the elemental composition of the tested materials and for the determination of chemical bonds present in the tested samples XPS method was applied. Morphology was studied using SEM microscopy, whereas porosity was investigated using ASAP technique. Swellability coefficients were determined using typical organic solvents and distilled water. Moreover, the ecological aspect concerning the use of fly ashes deserves to be emphasized.

Investigation of accelerated aging of lignin-containing polymer materials.

This paper presents the results of an accelerated aging test of biocomposites containing kraft lignin, where the resistance of the materials against humidity and light exposure was investigated. Low molecular weight lignin, modified with methacrylic anhydride (LWL-Met), was copolymerized with two commercial monomers: styrene (St) and methyl methacrylate (MMA). The biocomposites were obtained by a bulk polymerization method using α,α'-azoiso-bis-butyronitrile (AIBN) as a free radical polymerization initiator. The Shore D hardness of the obtained materials was determined before and after aging test. The changes in the chemical structures of polymers, as the result of aging were analyzed by using the attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR/FT-IR) spectroscopy method. The thermal behavior and stability of the obtained materials were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The surface topography was determined using the optical topography method to evaluate the changes on the surface of synthesized materials resulted from accelerated aging. Application of modified lignin as a biocomponent in the polymerization process and its influence on the properties of the obtained materials before and after the accelerated aging test are discussed.