Denka G. Hristova-Bogaerds

Dutch Polymer Institute, The Netherlands

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Silica formation in a rubber matrix is studied. The hypothesis that the formation proceeds via inverse micelles where the hexylamine present, being a catalyst, also behaves as a surfactant, is made highly plausible. As well-known, the conversion of TEOS into a solid silica particles proceeds via hydrolysis and condensation reactions. These transfor...

In situ silica was synthesized in three non-vulcanized rubber matrices, namely natural rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, and EPDM (ethylene-propylene diene ter-polymer), using the sol–gel method with tetra-ethoxysilane (TEOS) as silica precursor and hexylamine as catalyst. The effect of the reaction parameters such as the amount of TEOS, the reacti...

Poly(β-hydroxybutyrate), PHB, is a bio-based and biodegradable material. However processing and application of the PHB are disturbed by its low crystallization rate. In this manuscript the crystallization behavior of the PHB was improved via incorporation of another biodegradable polymer, i.e. poly(butylene succinate), PBS. The two polymers show ph...

The dispersion of starch as a filler in hydrophobic ethylene-co-vinyl acetate (EVA) rubber is an issue. To obtain a fine dispersion of starch in EVA rubber, EVA/starch blends were prepared by reactive extrusion in the presence of maleic anhydride (MA), benzoyl peroxide (BPO), and glycerol. MA, BPO, and glycerol play the role of coupling agent, free...

Poly(lactic acid)/poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate)/starch (PLA/EVA/starch) ternary blends were prepared by multi-step melt processing (reactive extrusion) in the presence of maleic anhydride (MA), benzoyl peroxide and glycerol. The effects of MA and glycerol concentration on the morphology and properties of the PLA/EVA/starch blends were studied usi...

PHB/PBS and PHBV/PBS blends are prepared via in situ compatibilization using DCP as a free-radical grafting initiator. A considerable reduction in PBS particle size and a significant increase in the interfacial adhesion between the PHB(V) and PBS phases are observed after the compatibilization. The elongation at break of the PHBV/PBS blends was con...

The well-known bio-based and biocompostable poly(lactic acid), PLA, suffers from brittleness and a low heat distortion temperature. In this paper, we address a possible route to make PLA tough(er) by blending with ethylene-co-vinyl acetate (EVA) with different vinyl acetate contents. The compatibility and phase morphology of the PLA/EVA blends was...

A non-destructive analysis is performed of thermally unstable sulfur–styrene reaction products, combining preparative size exclusion chromatography (P-SEC), ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The crystallizing compounds are identified as be 2,4-diphenylthiophanes with short sulfur bridge (x ∼ 2) contrary to earlier s...

We investigated the effect of flow in combination with molecular architecture on crystallization for linear and branched polypropylenes by means of dynamical mechanical spectroscopy. Compared to the linear polymer, the branched one exhibits much slower relaxation after deformation, causing higher levels of molecular orientation and molecular stretc...

Poly(lactic acid) is at present the most promising and commercially available bio-based and biocompostable (bio)plastic. The properties of PLA, however, are rather poor, notably its low glass transition temperature Tg of ∼55 °C, its intrinsic low crystallization rate and the limited barrier properties with respect to water, oxygen and carbon dioxid...