Papers by Author: Shu Jun Liang

Abstract: This study deals with the fabrication and characterization of polymer matrix thin films containing high content titanium dioxide (TiO₂). Poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC) membrane incorporated with different percentages of TiO₂ nanoparticles were prepared by solvent casting. The morphologies of the films were characterised by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and its thermal behavior were characterised by thermogravimetry(TG). The results indicated that dense TiO₂/polymer thin films can been fabricated conveniently by solvent casting from aqueous solutions of TiO₂/PDADMAC when the concentrations of TiO₂ were lower than 40 wt%, and the thermal stability of the TiO₂/PDADMAC composites were greatly improved by the addition of TiO₂ moieties.

Abstract: In this study the vapour phase surface graft polymerization of acrylonitrile (AN) onto poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) film was conducted with benzoyl peroxide (BPO) as an initiator. Effects of reaction time and quantity of BPO on the polymerization were investigated. With the prolongation of reaction time, the graft polymerization took place rapidly at first, then slowed down, and leveled off. With the increase of BPO, the graft yield increased, then remained unchanged, and lastly began to decrease. The surface topography structure of the grafted PET film was observed by SEM. Grafted PET film was characterised by FTIR spectra, SEM photographs and contact angle measurement.

Abstract: A novel approach to functionalize polypropylene (PP) is presented. This method consists of two steps. Firstly, oligomers of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) were synthesized via UV photo-polymerization using benzophenone (BP) as initiator. Secondly, the GMA oligomers were grafted onto PP, which was initiated by the free radicals generated through the reactivation of semipinacol dormant groups in the oligomers. By this method, the functionalization of PP could be facilely achieved in a simple system without either organic peroxide initiator or monomer; additionally, degradation of the substrate PP was not observed. This presentation is mainly focused on the characterization of the grafted PP products by XRD, DSC and TGA measurements. It is demonstrated that the melting temperature, crystallinity and the initial decomposition temperature of the grafted PP were all increased, compared with those of the origin PP; the functionalization of PP led to the change of the crystal form from the mixed form of α and β into only α form.