Temperature Controlled Mechanical Reinforcement of Polyacrylate Films Containing Nematic Liquid Crystals
This investigation reports on the thermomechanical properties of Poly-tripropyleneglycoldiacrylate (Poly-TPGDA)/liquid crystal (LC) blends, developed via free radical polymerization processes, which are induced by Electron Beam (EB) and Ultraviolet (UV) radiation. The EB-cured Poly-TPGDA network exh...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-11-01
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| Series: | Polymers |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/14/22/5024 |
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| author | Latifa Zair Abdelkader Berrayah Khadidja Arabeche Zohra Bouberka Andreas Best Kaloian Koynov Ulrich Maschke |
| author_facet | Latifa Zair Abdelkader Berrayah Khadidja Arabeche Zohra Bouberka Andreas Best Kaloian Koynov Ulrich Maschke |
| author_sort | Latifa Zair |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This investigation reports on the thermomechanical properties of Poly-tripropyleneglycoldiacrylate (Poly-TPGDA)/liquid crystal (LC) blends, developed via free radical polymerization processes, which are induced by Electron Beam (EB) and Ultraviolet (UV) radiation. The EB-cured Poly-TPGDA network exhibits a higher glass transition temperature (<i>T</i><sub>g</sub>), a higher tensile storage, and Young moduli than the corresponding UV-cured sample, indicating a lower elasticity and a shorter distance between the two adjacent crosslinking points. Above <i>T</i><sub>g</sub> of Poly-TPGDA/LC blends, the LC behaves as a plasticizing agent, whereas, for EB-cured networks, at temperatures below <i>T</i><sub>g</sub>, the LC shows a strong temperature dependence on the storage tensile modulus: the LC reinforces the polymer due to the presence of nano-sized phase separated glassy LC domains, confirmed by electron microscopy observations. In the case of the UV-cured TPGDA/LC system, the plasticizing effect of the LC remains dominant in both the whole composition and the temperature ranges explored. The rubber elasticity and <i>T</i><sub>g</sub> of Poly-TPGDA/LC films were investigated using mechanical measurements. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T18:03:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-abc87418a5e54b4388670a23dff95820 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4360 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T18:03:14Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Polymers |
| spelling | doaj.art-abc87418a5e54b4388670a23dff958202023-11-24T09:44:54ZengMDPI AGPolymers2073-43602022-11-011422502410.3390/polym14225024Temperature Controlled Mechanical Reinforcement of Polyacrylate Films Containing Nematic Liquid CrystalsLatifa Zair0Abdelkader Berrayah1Khadidja Arabeche2Zohra Bouberka3Andreas Best4Kaloian Koynov5Ulrich Maschke6Laboratoire de Recherche sur les Macromolécules (LRM), Faculté des Sciences, Université AbouBekr Belkaïd de Tlemcen (UABB), BP 119, Tlemcen 13000, AlgeriaLaboratoire de Recherche sur les Macromolécules (LRM), Faculté des Sciences, Université AbouBekr Belkaïd de Tlemcen (UABB), BP 119, Tlemcen 13000, AlgeriaLaboratoire de Recherche sur les Macromolécules (LRM), Faculté des Sciences, Université AbouBekr Belkaïd de Tlemcen (UABB), BP 119, Tlemcen 13000, AlgeriaUnité Matériaux et Transformations (UMET), UMR 8207, University Lille, CNRS, INRAE, Centrale Lille, 59000 Lille, FranceMax-Planck Institut für Polymerforschung, Postfach 3148, 55121 Mainz, GermanyMax-Planck Institut für Polymerforschung, Postfach 3148, 55121 Mainz, GermanyUnité Matériaux et Transformations (UMET), UMR 8207, University Lille, CNRS, INRAE, Centrale Lille, 59000 Lille, FranceThis investigation reports on the thermomechanical properties of Poly-tripropyleneglycoldiacrylate (Poly-TPGDA)/liquid crystal (LC) blends, developed via free radical polymerization processes, which are induced by Electron Beam (EB) and Ultraviolet (UV) radiation. The EB-cured Poly-TPGDA network exhibits a higher glass transition temperature (<i>T</i><sub>g</sub>), a higher tensile storage, and Young moduli than the corresponding UV-cured sample, indicating a lower elasticity and a shorter distance between the two adjacent crosslinking points. Above <i>T</i><sub>g</sub> of Poly-TPGDA/LC blends, the LC behaves as a plasticizing agent, whereas, for EB-cured networks, at temperatures below <i>T</i><sub>g</sub>, the LC shows a strong temperature dependence on the storage tensile modulus: the LC reinforces the polymer due to the presence of nano-sized phase separated glassy LC domains, confirmed by electron microscopy observations. In the case of the UV-cured TPGDA/LC system, the plasticizing effect of the LC remains dominant in both the whole composition and the temperature ranges explored. The rubber elasticity and <i>T</i><sub>g</sub> of Poly-TPGDA/LC films were investigated using mechanical measurements.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/14/22/5024polyacrylatesliquid crystalselectron beam curingUV-visible irradiationdynamical mechanical analysiselastic modulus |
| spellingShingle | Latifa Zair Abdelkader Berrayah Khadidja Arabeche Zohra Bouberka Andreas Best Kaloian Koynov Ulrich Maschke Temperature Controlled Mechanical Reinforcement of Polyacrylate Films Containing Nematic Liquid Crystals Polymers polyacrylates liquid crystals electron beam curing UV-visible irradiation dynamical mechanical analysis elastic modulus |
| title | Temperature Controlled Mechanical Reinforcement of Polyacrylate Films Containing Nematic Liquid Crystals |
| title_full | Temperature Controlled Mechanical Reinforcement of Polyacrylate Films Containing Nematic Liquid Crystals |
| title_fullStr | Temperature Controlled Mechanical Reinforcement of Polyacrylate Films Containing Nematic Liquid Crystals |
| title_full_unstemmed | Temperature Controlled Mechanical Reinforcement of Polyacrylate Films Containing Nematic Liquid Crystals |
| title_short | Temperature Controlled Mechanical Reinforcement of Polyacrylate Films Containing Nematic Liquid Crystals |
| title_sort | temperature controlled mechanical reinforcement of polyacrylate films containing nematic liquid crystals |
| topic | polyacrylates liquid crystals electron beam curing UV-visible irradiation dynamical mechanical analysis elastic modulus |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/14/22/5024 |
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