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    Comparison of the molecular properties and morphology of polypropylenes irradiated under different atmospheres and after annealing
    (Hoboken, NJ [u.a.] : Wiley InterScience, 2006) Krause, Beate; Häußler, Liane; Voigt, Dieter
    Electron-beam irradiation, a well-known way of generating long-chain branching, was used to modify polypropylene. Samples were investigated with differential scanning calorimetry, polarized light microscopy, and size exclusion chromatography. Independently of the atmosphere, postannealing led to the deactivation of residual radicals and to the reduction of the nucleus density. In comparison with the initial polypropylene, the crystallization temperatures increased for nonannealed samples but decreased for annealed samples. Stable products were obtained only by irradiation in nitrogen followed by annealing. A reaction including free radicals with oxygen in the ambient atmosphere led to increasing molar mass degradation and the formation of long-chain branching after Storage. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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    Oberflächenmorphologie von Arzneistoffpartikeln - Ein optisch evaluierbares Kriterium für die Auflösungsgeschwindigkeit
    (München : Elsevier, Urban & Fischer , 2002) Diebold, Steffen M.
    Für die Auflösungsgeschwindigkeit von schwer wasserlöslichen Arzneistoffpartikeln spielt die Hydrodynamik an den Partikel-Oberflächen eine große Rolle. Diese ist ihrerseits beeinflußt von der Geometrie und der Oberflächenmorphologie der Partikel. In dieser Arbeit wurde gezeigt, dass sich zur Charakterisierung dieser Parameter die Rasterelektronenmikroskopie (SEM) auch für die Untersuchung von Arzneistoffen gut eignet. Am Beispiel von Felodipin-Kristallen wurde nachgewiesen, dass reale Arzneistoffpulver auch an scheinbar „glatten“ Oberflächen Protrusionen, Kanten und Kavitäten aufweisen. Deren Größenordnungen lassen sich mit Hilfe der Elektronenmikroskopie abschätzen. Die Oberflächenmorphologie von Arzneistoffpartikeln ist ein Kriterium für die Auflösungsgeschwindigkeit oral verabreichter Arzneistoffe. Die Rasterelektronenmikroskopie leistet dabei wertvolle Dienste zur Charakterisierung der Oberflächen von Arzneistoffpartikeln.
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    A successful approach to disperse MWCNTs in polyethylene by melt mixing using polyethylene glycol as additive
    (Oxford : Elsevier Science, 2012) Müller, Michael Thomas; Krause, Beate; Pötschke, Petra
    An additive-assisted one-step melt mixing approach was developed to produce nanocomposites based on linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) with multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT). The polymer granules, nanotube powder (2 wt% Nanocyl™ NC7000) and 1-10 wt% of the non-ionic additives poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) or poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) with molar masses between 100 g/mol and 100,000 g/mol were simply fed together in the hopper of a small-scale DSM Xplore 15 twin-screw microcompounder. The produced MWCNT/LLDPE composites showed excellent MWCNT dispersion and highly improved electrical properties as compared to samples without the additive, whereas the effects depend on the amount and molar mass of the additive. When 7 wt% PEG (2000 g/mol) were used, a reduction of the electrical percolation threshold from 2.5 wt% to 1.5 wt% was achieved. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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    Hybrid conductive filler/polycarbonate composites with enhanced electrical and thermal conductivities for bipolar plate applications
    (Manchester, NH : Wiley, 2019) Naji, Ahmed; Krause, Beate; Pötschke, Petra; Ameli, Amir
    Conductive polymer composites (CPCs) with high electrical and thermal conductivities are demanded for bipolar plates of fuel cells. In this work, CPCs of polycarbonate (PC) filled with carbon nanotube (CNT), carbon fiber (CF), graphite (G), and their double and triple hybrids were prepared using solution casting method followed by compression molding. The results showed that the electrical percolation thresholds for the PC-CNT and PC-CF were ~1 wt% and ~10 wt%, respectively, while no clear threshold was found for PC-G composites. Addition of 3–5 wt% CNT improved the electrical conductivity of PC-CF and PC-G systems up to 6 orders of magnitude and enhanced the thermal conductivity as much as 65%. The results of triple hybrid CPCs (with constant loading of 63 wt%) indicated that the combination of highest electrical and thermal conductivities is achieved when the CF and CNT loadings were near their percolation thresholds. Therefore, a triple filler system of 3 wt% CNT, 10 wt% CF, and 50 wt% G resulted in a composite with the through-plane and in-plane electrical conductivity, and thermal conductivity values of 12.8 S/cm, 8.3 S/cm, and 1.7 W/m•K, respectively. The results offer a combination of properties surpassing the existing values and suitable for high-conductivity applications such as bipolar plates. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:3189–3198, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers.
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    Achieving electrical conductive tracks by laser treatment of non-conductive polypropylene/polycarbonate blends filled with MWCNTs
    (Weinheim : Wiley-VCH, 2014) Liebscher, Marco; Krause, Beate; Pötschke, Petra; Barz, Andrea; Bliedtner, Jens; Möhwald, Michael; Letzsch, Alexander
    Electrical non-conductive polymer blends consisting of a polypropylene (PP) matrix and dispersed particles of polycarbonate (PC) were melt compounded with 3 wt.% multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) loading and processed into plates by injection molding. The morphological analysis confirmed the selective localization of the MWCNTs in the PC component. By local irradiation with a CO2 laser beam, depending on the laser conditions, conductive tracks with dimensions of about 2 mm width, 80 to 370 μm depth and line resistances as low as 1.5 kΩ · cm-1 were created on the surface of the non-conductive plates. The factors affecting the line resistance are the PC content, the laser speed and laser power, as well as laser direction with respect to the melt flow direction. After the irradiation an enrichment of MWCNTs in the laser lines was detected indicating that conductive paths were generated by percolation of nanotubes selectively within these lines in otherwise non-conductive plates. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.
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    Comparative study of singlewalled, multiwalled, and branched carbon nanotubes melt mixed in different thermoplastic matrices
    (Oxford : Elsevier Science, 2018) Krause, Beate; Barbier, Carine; Kunz, Karina; Pötschke, Petra
    In this contribution, three different types of CNTs, namely single-walled (SWCNT), multi-walled (MWCNT) and branched MWCNTs were melt mixed in amounts of 0.1–10 wt.-% in polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate (PC) and poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) using a small-scale microcompounder. The filler dispersion of compression-moulded samples was characterized using light and electron microscopy, and the electrical and thermal properties were measured. The lowest electrical percolation thresholds were found for composites of PP/SWCNT, PP/branched MWCNT and PC/branched MWCNT, which percolated already at <0.1 wt.-% CNT loading. Low values of electrical volume resistivity of about 3 Ohm·cm (PVDF), 7 Ohm·cm (PP) and 2 Ohm·cm (PC) could be reached when loading with 2 wt.-% branched MWCNT. A homogeneous dispersion in the macro- and microlevel was observed especially for composites containing branched MWCNTs. For all CNT types, a matrix nucleation effect was found in PP and PVDF using differential scanning calorimetry.
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    Melt mixed PCL/MWCNT composites prepared at different rotation speeds: Characterization of rheological, thermal, and electrical properties, molecular weight, MWCNT macrodispersion, and MWCNT length distribution
    (Oxford : Elsevier Science, 2013) Pötschke, Petra; Villmow, Tobias; Krause, Beate
    Composites of poly(caprolactone) (PCL) and 0.5 wt.% multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) were prepared by melt-mixing in a conical twin-screw micro-compounder by varying the rotation speed between 25 and 400 rpm at constant mixing time and temperature. The state of dispersion analyzed by light microscopy was improved with increasing rotation speed but levels off starting at about 100 rpm. PCL molecular weight as well as crystallization and melting behavior did show only insignificant difference when varying the rotation speed. Concerning melt rheological properties, storage modulus G′ and complex viscosity η* at 0.1 rad/s increased up to a rotation speed of about 75 rpm illustrating improved dispersion. When further increasing the speed G′ and η* decreased which was attributed to more pronounced nanotube shortening as quantified by TEM measurements. Both effects - improved dispersion and nanotube shortening - are also reflected in the electrical resistivity values of compression molded samples which show a minimum of resistivity at the rotation speed of 75 rpm corresponding to a specific mechanical energy input of 0.47 kWh/kg. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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    Polypropylene-based melt mixed composites with singlewalled carbon nanotubes for thermoelectric applications: Switching from p-type to n-type by the addition of polyethylene glycol
    (Oxford : Elsevier Science, 2017) Luo, Jinji; Cerretti, Giacomo; Krause, Beate; Zhang, Long; Otto, Thomas; Jenschke, Wolfgang; Ullrich, Mathias; Tremel, Wolfgang; Voit, Brigitte; Pötschke, Petra
    The thermoelectric properties of melt processed conductive nanocomposites consisting of an insulating polypropylene (PP) matrix filled with singlewalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and copper oxide (CuO) were evaluated. An easy and cheap route to switch p-type composites into n-type was developed by adding polyethylene glycol (PEG) during melt mixing. At the investigated CNT concentrations of 0.8 wt% and 2 wt% (each above the electrical percolation threshold of ∼0.1 wt%), and a fixed CuO content of 5 wt%, the PEG addition converted p-type composites (positive Seebeck coefficient (S)) into n-type (negative S). PEG was also found to improve the filler dispersion inside the matrix. Two composites were prepared: P-type polymer/CNT composites with high S (up to 45 μV/K), and n-type composites (with S up to −56 μV/K) through the addition of PEG. Two prototypes with 4 and 49 thermocouples of these p- and n-type composites were fabricated, and delivered an output voltage of 21 mV and 110 mV, respectively, at a temperature gradient of 70 K.
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    The influence of matrix viscosity on MWCNT dispersion and electrical properties in different thermoplastic nanocomposites
    (Oxford : Elsevier Science, 2012) Socher, Robert; Krause, Beate; Müller, Michael T.; Boldt, Regine; Pötschke, Petra
    Composites of MWCNTs having each three different levels of matrix viscosity with five different polymers (polyamide 12, polybutylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, polyetheretherketone and low density polyethylene) were melt mixed to identify the general influence of matrix viscosity on the electrical properties and the state of MWCNT dispersion. Huge differences in the electrical percolation thresholds were found using the same polymer matrix with different viscosity grades. The lowest percolation thresholds were always found in the composites based on the low viscosity matrix. The state of primary MWCNT agglomerate dispersion increased with increasing matrix viscosity due to the higher input of mixing energy. TEM investigations showed nanoagglomerated structures in the low viscosity samples which are obviously needed to achieve low resistivity values. The effect of nanotube shortening was quantified using two different viscosity grades of polycarbonate. Due to the higher mixing energy input the nanotube shortening was more pronounced in the high viscosity matrix which partially explains the higher percolation threshold. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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    Long-chain branching of polypropylene by electron-beam irradiation in the molten state
    (Hoboken, NJ [u.a.] : Wiley InterScience, 2006) Krause, Beate; Stephan, M.; Volkland, S.; Voigt, D.; Häußler, L.; Dorschner, H.
    The electron-beam irradiation of polymers generates modification effects in the macromolecular structure and material properties. Therefore, irradiation processing is mostly realized in the polymer solid state. In this way, the modification of linear polypropylene may result in long-chain branching of polypropylene macromolecules. The objective of this article is to investigate the effect of a polymer in the molten state during electron-beam irradiation on the macromolecular structure and material properties of polypropylene. For this procedure, a special irradiation vessel (BG3) has been developed in which a rapid transfer of polymer films from the solid state to the molten state and a defined temperature during electron-beam irradiation are realizable. The irradiated samples have been analyzed by high-temperature size exclusion chromatography coupled with a multi-angle laser light scattering detector and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements. With an increasing irradiation dose, a high reduction of the molar mass and an increasing amount of long-chain branching are found. Compared with irradiation in the solid state, the modification in the molten state leads to a higher degree of branching. The Theological experiments in elongation flow clearly exhibit the existence of long-chain branching. Furthermore, DSC measurements show that the glass-transition temperature and peak temperatures of melting and crystallization decrease. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.