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Adhesion improvement in glass fiber reinforced polyethylene composite via admicellar polymerization
Author(s) -
Somnuk Usa,
Yanumet Nantaya,
Ellis John W.,
Grady Brian P.,
O'Rear Edgar A.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
polymer composites
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.577
H-Index - 82
eISSN - 1548-0569
pISSN - 0272-8397
DOI - 10.1002/pc.10017
Subject(s) - materials science , composite material , polymerization , polyethylene , pulmonary surfactant , fiber , glass fiber , ultimate tensile strength , polymer , composite number , chemical engineering , engineering
Admicellar polymerization (polymerization of monomer solubilized in adsorbed surfactant bilayers) has been used to form a thin film of polyethylene onto the surface of milled glass fibers using sodium dodecyl sulfate as the surfactant. The decrease in ethylene pressure was used to follow the solubilization and adsolubilization processes as well as the reaction processes. An increase in initiator (Na 2 S 2 O 8 ) to surfactant ratio gave thicker and more uniform coatings of polymer onto the glass fiber surface according to SEM micrographs. Although a substantial amount of ethylene polymerized in solution according to the pressure drop, the decrease in pressure attributed to admicelle polymerization corresponded to the amount of polymer formed on the glass fiber, indicating little, if any, solution polymer deposited on the fibers. The admicellar‐treated glass fiber was used to make composites with high‐density polyethylene. The composites showed an increase in tensile and flexural strength over composites made from as‐received glass fiber, indicating an improvement in the fiber‐matrix adhesion of the admicellar‐treated glass fiber.