ABSTRACT
Calcium sulfate whiskers (CSWs) were hydroxylated with a sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution and isolated for subsequent treatment with an ethanolic 3-(methacryloxy)propyltrimethoxysilane (KH570) solution to introduce C=C double bonds on the CSWs' surfaces. Then, CSW-g-PMMA was prepared by grafting polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) onto the surface of modified CSW using in situ dispersion polymerization. The CSW-g-PMMA was used as a filler and melt-blended with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) to prepare PVC-based composites. The surface chemical structure, PMMA grafting rate, and hydrophobic properties of CSW-g-PMMA were analyzed using X-ray diffraction, diffuse reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and water contact angle measurements, respectively. The effects of the CSW-g-PMMA filler on the mechanical properties of the CSW-PMMA/PVC composites were also investigated. The results showed that NaOH treatment significantly increased the number of hydroxyl groups on the surface of the CSWs, which facilitated the introduction of KH570. PMMA was successfully grafted onto the KH570 with a grafting rate of 14.48% onto the surface of the CSWs. The CSW-g-PMMA had good interfacial compatibility and adhesion properties with the PVC matrix. The tensile, flexural, and impact strengths of the CSW-g-PMMA/PVC composite reached 39.28 MPa, 45.69 MPa, and 7.05 kJ/m2, respectively, which were 38.55%, 30.99%, and 20.10% higher than those of the CSW/PVC composite and 54.52%, 40.80%, and 32.52% higher than those of pure PVC, respectively. This work provides a new method for surface modification of inorganic fillers, resource utilization, and high value-added application of CSWs from phosphogypsum.
ABSTRACT
Polyacrylic acid (PAA) has high water absorbency but poor salt resistance. Humic acid (HA) extracted from lignite was introduced into the cross-linked copolymer systems of AA to improve the water absorbency and salt-tolerance. A polyacrylic acid-potassium humate (PAA-KHA) coated ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (ADP) fertilizer with water-preserving, salt-resistant and slow-release properties was prepared. The main properties of HA extracted from lignite oxidized by H2O2 were studied. Furthermore, the synthesis process, water absorbency of PAA-KHA in deionized water and in NaCl solution, morphologies of PAA-KHA, and the slow-release performance of the fertilizer (ADP@PAA-KHA) were investigated. The results showed PAA-KHA had a layered interpenetrating network, which can provide sufficient storage space for water and nutrients. The salty water absorbency of PAA-KHA increased by about 3 times compared to PAA. Both the PO43- and NH4+ cumulative release of ADP@PAA-KHA with a coating rate of 10% in deionized water, were less than 20% within 24 h, and were 55.71% and 28.04% after the 15th day, respectively. The weight change of ADP@PAA-KHA before and after absorbing water was about 53 times in deionized water and about 4 times in 1 wt% of NaCl salty water. The results show that ADP@PAA-KHA has excellent properties of water retention, salt resistance and slow-release. This will efficiently improve the utilization of fertilizer and reduce the irrigation water consumption at the same time.
ABSTRACT
Vinylidene chloride copolymer microspheres were synthesized by in situ suspension copolymerization of vinylidene chloride (VDC), methyl methacrylate (MMA), and/or acrylonitrile (AN) in the presence of a paraffin blowing agent. The effects of shell polymer properties including compositions, glass transition temperature (Tg), crosslinking degree, blowing agent type, and encapsulation ratio (Er) on the expansion properties of copolymer microspheres were investigated. Moreover, the diffusion properties of blowing agent in copolymer microspheres were studied. The results show that VDC-MMA-AN copolymer microspheres exhibited excellent expansion properties, and the volume expansion ratio (Ev) and the apparent density were decreased over 40 times, but it was difficult to expand for the VDC-MMA copolymer microspheres. In addition, the moderately crosslinked inside of the polymer shell enhanced the Ev more than 30 and the stable expansion temperature range (Tr) was about 30 °C by adding 0.2-0.4 wt% of divinyl benzene. The Tg of the shell polymer must be higher than the boiling point of the blowing agent as a prerequisite; the lower the boiling point of the blowing agent, the higher the internal gas pressure driven microsphere expansion, and the wider the Tr. By increasing the Er of blowing agent improved the Ev of the microspheres. The diffusion of pentane blowing agent in VDC-MMA-AN copolymer microspheres were divided into Fick diffusion and non-Fick diffusion.
