This diploma thesis deals with the study of isothermal crystallization of nanocomposite materials based on isotactic polypropylene (iPP) and nanosilica, depending on the volume fraction (0, 2, 4 and 6 %) and type of silica and the crystallization temperature. Fumed silica and four types of silica with different surface treatment were used as filler. The crystallization performed at temperatures 136, 138, 140 and 142 °C has been studied in-situ using polarized optical microscope and the crystallization rate was evaluated from the growing radius of spherulites. It can be stated that particles of silica have been inbuilt into the spherulites due to the linear growth of spherulites of all composite materials. The most significant increase of the crystallization rate of iPP was caused by fumed silica, the most significant decrease was caused by silica TS-720 at volume fraction 4 %. The crystallization rate (G) has been slightly increased with the increasing volume fraction of filler at 136 °C, the G slightly decreased at 138 °C and there was no trend of G for two higher temperatures. Also, it was not possible to exactly evaluate the influence of the surface treatments. The reason is the most probably uneven (non-homogenous) distribution of nanosilica as revealed thermogravimetric analysis. The crystallization kinetics was evaluated according to the Lauritzen-Hoffmann theory. The morphological part of the study showed that iPP was in ? and ß-structure and spherulites of ? phase were of the type I, II and mixed.

The diploma thesis deals with study of system of polypropylene and inorganic filler. As filler was used commercially available particulate filler CaCO3 termed NPCC 201. The objective of the study was a surface plasma treatment of filler in order to obtain composite based on polypropylene. Mechanical properties of this composite will show significantly greater value than basic matrix. The filler was treated in dielectric barrier plasma discharge by atmospheric pressure. The characterization of filler was performed before and after plasma treatment by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), electron microscope (SEM) and sedimentation analysis. The distribution of particle size was measured by laser diffraction and by dynamic light scattering. The composite materials with various weight concentration of filler were prepared in POLYMER INSTITUTE BRNO by using the twin-screw extruder and the test specimens were prepared by the injection molding technology. Their mechanical properties was studied by using of short and long-term tests. The uniaxial creep testing in tension was used for study of long-term behavior of composites.

This Master´s thesis deals with heterogeneous photochlorination of polyolefins and especially with the photochlorination of polypropylene itself. In the theoretical part the available information about properties, manufactory and application of chlorinated polyolefins, specifically polyethylene and polypropylene, is provided. The basic principles of the photochemistry are described, which are further applied to the issue of photochemistry chain reactions and photochemical halogenations, mainly photochlorinations. The practical part includes design and realization of few types of equipment for the heterogeneous photochlorination of polypropylene done at low temperatures (to 50° C) by gaseous chlorine in bulk or chlorine suspended in suspension of PP in CCl4. Series of chlorination was accomplished, which was varied in the type of PP, in the way of dosage Cl2 and in the period of high pressure mercury lamp irradiation (1–90 minutes). The chlorine content in prepared samples was determined by the gravimetry with ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, as well as by the Shöniger combustion method. Their accuracies were than compared. The chlorine content dependence on the period of chlorination and on the porosity of initial PP was established.

This thesis is dealing with the issue of residual stress present in the wall of a polymer pipe and the influence on its lifetime. Experimental data obtained by the ring slitting method are evaluated and the tangential residual stress in the wall of polypropylene pipe is determined. The evaluation is carried out using a new methodology based on the curved beam theory. The method is verified using numerical simulation. 3D numerical model is used to verify the behavior of the pipe, when there are both tangential and axial residual stresses present in the pipe wall, because the presence of axial stress causes a rise in the magnitude of tangential residual stress. A correction of the tangential stress values corresponding to the pipe length is then proposed. It is shown, that the distribution of the tangential residual stress does not depend significantly on the dimensions or ma-terial of the extruded pipe and a general equation is proposed to describe the distribution. This general distribution is then involved in the calculations of the pipe lifetime that are carried out using a method based on the linear elastic fracture mechanics. A significantly lower lifetimes are obtained when taking the residual stress into account.

Die Arbeit behandelt am Beispiel von flachsfaserverstärktem Polypropylen die Verarbeitung von naturfaserverstärkten Thermoplasten im Spritzgießverfahren und die resultierenden Verbundeigenschaften. Im Grundlagenteil der Arbeit werden die Flachsfasern mit ihren besonderen chemischen und physikalischen Eigenschaften vorgestellt, die theoretischen Grundlagen zur Suspensionsrheologie, der Beschreibung von räumlichen Orientierungszuständen, zur Faser-Makrostruktur-Ausbildung und zum Spannungs-Verformungsverhalten von kurzfaserverstärkten Thermoplasten dargelegt. Phänomenologisch wird das rheologische Verhalten der flachsfasergefüllten thermoplastischen Schmelze charakterisiert. Weiterhin wird der Formfüllvorgang simuliert. Für die Bewegung der in der Schmelze mitgeschleppten Fasern werden die für konventionelle Kurzfasern gebräuchlichen Berechnungsansätze benutzt und deren Vorhersagegenauigkeit für flachsfaserverstärktes Polypropylen anhand experimenteller Ergebnisse beurteilt. Die resultierende Verbundsteifigkeit wird mit einem analytischen Modell unter Berücksichtigung der Orientierungssituation und Zuhilfenahme von mikromechanisch berechneten Faserkennwerten bestimmt. Abschließend wird der Einfluss technologischer und konstruktiver Parameter dargelegt.

In der Arbeit werden die Möglichkeiten der Abschirmung elektromagnetischer Wellen durch spritzgegossene Kunststoffgehäuse aus stahlfasergefüllten Thermoplasten untersucht. Beginnend mit einer Erläuterung der Abschirmprinzipien, werden die verschiedenen Verfahren zur Schirmdämpfung erläutert und ein Überblick der elektrisch leitfähigen Kunststoffcompounds gegeben. Weiterhin werden Verfahren zur Messung der Schirmdämpfung und Leitfähigkeit vorgestellt. Der experimentelle Teil befasst sich mit der Charakterisierung der Materialeigenschaften. Es wird der Einfluss von Faserfüllgrad und -länge experimentell untersucht und mit Modellansätzen zur Beschreibung der Schirmdämpfung und Leitfähigkeit verglichen. Die Untersuchung des Verarbeitungsverhaltens beim Spritzgießen beinhaltet die Beschreibung des rheologischen Verhaltens stahlfasergefüllter Thermoplaste sowie die Auswirkungen der Prozessbedingungen und der Bindenahtbildung auf die Schirmwirkung. Ausführungen zum konstruktiven Einfluss auf die Schirmdämpfung unter Betrachtung der Gestaltungsmöglichkeiten der Gehäuseverbindung und möglicher Aperturen schließen die Arbeiten ab.

Die Arbeit beschreibt die skalenübergreifende Modellierung und Simulation des Werkstoffverhaltens von Faser-Kunststoff-Verbunden mit textiler Verstärkungsstruktur, die ausgehend von den konstitutiven Eigenschaften der Verbundbestandteile (Mikroskala) und ihrer geometrischen Anordnung im Verbund (Mesoskala) die rechnerische Vorhersage des effektiven Materialverhaltens des Verbundes (Makroskala) ermöglicht. Neben Schädigungsprozessen beeinflusst insbesondere das dehnratenabhängige Materialverhalten der polymeren Matrix das mechanische Verhalten des Verbundes. Dieser Einfluss wird anhand verschiedener Glasfaser-Polypropylen-Verbunde numerisch untersucht. Ein viskoplastisches Materialmodell bildet dabei das nichtlineare Materialverhalten von Polypropylen ab. Die Modellierung der textilen Verstärkungsstruktur erfolgt durch Anwendung der erweiterten Finiten-Elemente-Methode (XFEM). Anhand des Vergleichs von rechnerisch und experimentell gewonnenen Ergebnissen erfolgt schließlich die Verifikation der vorgeschlagenen Modellierungsstrategie. / This contribution covers the trans-scale modelling and simulation of the mechanical behaviour of textile-reinforced polymers. Starting from the material properties of the individual constituents (micro-scale) and their geometrical arrangement (meso-scale), the effective material behaviour of the composite (macro-scale) is numerically predicted. In addition to damage processes, the inelastic deformation behaviour of the composite is influenced by the strain-rate dependent material behaviour of the polymeric matrix. This influence is numerically investigated for different glass-fibre-polypropylene composites. A viscoplastic material model accounts for the nonlinear mechanical behaviour of polypropylene. The complex textile reinforcement is modelled by the eXtended finite element method (XFEM). A comparison of computed and experimental results allows for the verification of the proposed modelling strategy.

Thermoplastic Vulcanizates (TPVs) are itself a commercially high valued group of polymer blend. They render technological properties of conventional vulcanized elastomers with the ease of thermoplastic melt (re)processability. With ever growing market, TPVs have got plenty of applications among various fields. Here, the technological properties of these TPVs were tailored according to the purpose by interplaying physical parameters of polymers and advanced high energy electron technology. Electron irradiation, though a well-known technique for cross-linking in polymer industry, is only restricted to final product treatment. We take it to the next level by coupling a conventional internal mixer and a high energy electron accelerator. Polypropylene (PP) and natural rubber (NR) based TPVs have been prepared using this new reactive processing technology, named Electron Induced Reactive Processing (EIReP). Various electron treatment parameters were explored to maximize technological properties of TPVs. Effects of various polyfunctional monomers (PFM) were also studied. In an endeavor to develop a potential method for customization, deep insights of macroscopic and microscopic structure of these TPVs were presented with the help of various advanced scientific characterization techniques. Commonly faced difficulties like viscosity mismatch, cure rate mismatch, and incompatibility due to different molecular structures were furnished along with plausible solutions. Investigation of phase inversion from co-continuous matrix to thermoplastic matrix was dealt with special care as it helps to understand structure property correlation for all TPVs. To make the whole effort relevant, at the end of this thesis a summary of various technological properties has been given for the newly processed and commercially available TPVs.

Inom sjukvården används – precis som överallt där människor sover – sängkläder av hygienskäl. Problem med smittspridningar av typen multiresistenta bakterier (MRSA) och spridning av andra sjukdomar har drivit företag som Cellcomb i Karlstad AB till att utveckla engångssängkläder för att förhindra detta. Engångssängkläderna är skyddade av en biofilm som ska ge ökat skydd mot bakterier och fungerar som en barriär så att inte vätska tränger igenom. Problemet är att det inte finns mycket till underlag för hur engångssängkläderna står sig mot vanliga sängkläder ur miljösynpunkt. I dagsläget använder sjukhus traditionella sängkläder till sina patienter och sedan transporteras dessa till tvätteri och tvättas. Att tvätta och torka sängkläder är energikrävande och ett alternativ till detta skulle kunna vara att använda engångssängkläder. En förenklad LCA gjordes för att ta reda på om sängkläder tillverkade av bomull och polyester eller engångssängkläder tillverkade av polypropylen alternativt viskosmaterialet Tencel är det mest miljövänliga. För att ta reda på det gjordes studiebesök och data samlades in genom en litteraturstudie och från företag. Resultaten visade att i ett grundfall med Centralsjukhuset i Karlstad var energianvändningen för de tvättbara sängkläderna lägre än Tencel och försumbart lägre än polypropylen. Flera fall med känslighetsanalyser gjordes för att undersöka hur indata påverkade resultaten. Fallen visade att det kan variera vilket av alternativen som blir mest gynnsamt, framför allt när det gäller vilken typ av energi tvätteriet använder. Engångssängkläderna av Tencel visade sig vara bäst när det gällde andel förnybar energi följt av de tvättbara sängkläderna och sist polypropylen. Ur ett ekotoxicitets- och vattenanvändningsperspektiv blev båda engångssängkläderna mer gynnsamma än de tvättbara sängkläderna. Två slutsatser kan dras utifrån den här studien: de tre alternativen är likvärdiga energimässigt utifrån energianvändning, andel förnybar energi och de fallstudier som gjorts, men att engångssängkläderna står sig bättre när det gäller ekotoxicitet samt vattenanvändning. Den andra slutsatsen är att resultaten är fallberoende. En utökad studie skulle kunna göras med fler viktiga miljöparametrar och fler känslighetsanalyser. / In healthcare – as in any other place where people sleep – beddings are used for hygiene reasons. Problems with spreading of bacteria diseases such as multi resistant bacteria (MRSA) and various other diseases have pushed companies like Cellcomb i Karlstad AB to develop disposable beddings in order to prevent this. These disposable beddings are protected with a biofilm which serves as a barrier, preventing liquids to pass through. The problem is that there is not much information about how these beddings perform from an environmental perspective. At present, hospitals are using traditional beddings for their patients and are then transported to laundries for washing. This is an energy intensive process and as an alternative, disposable beddings could be used. A simplified LCA was used to find out if beddings made out of cotton and polyester or disposable beddings made out of polypropylene or a viscose material called Tencel was the most favourable from an environmental perspective. To achieve this, various study visits were performed along with a literature study and data collection from companies. The results showed that for a basic case performed with Centralsjukhuset i Karlstad the washable beddings used less energy than Tencel and negligibly less energy than polypropylene. Several case studies were performed in order to examine how different data could alter the results. The case studies showed that which of the alternatives became the most favourable varied depending on the case, especially regarding which kind of energy was being used in the laundry. The disposable beddings made out of Tencel proved to be the best alternative regarding the use of renewable energy, followed by the washable beddings and last polypropylene. From a perspective of eco toxicity and water use both of the disposable beddings turned out more favourable. Two conclusions could be drawn from this study: the alternatives are equally favourable regarding energy use, renewable energy use and the case studies that were performed, but the disposable beddings are more preferable concerning eco toxicity and water use. The second conclusion is that the results depend on which case is studied. An expanded study could be performed using more environmental parameters.

Polypropylene fibers are used in concrete mixtures to avoid early cracks during shrinkage. Low thickness of each fiber and low density are reasons, why these fibers are effective in small dosage. Their disadvantages are smooth surface and hydrophobic character of polypropylene, thus it is necessary to improve their surface for better spread during mixing and to reach needed adhesion between fibers and cement paste. In present time are using chemical solutions applied on surface of the fibers to provide better water absorption, but the trend is reducing of using chemicals in industry and this situation demands new technology. There is possible solution, polypropylene fibers treated by low-temperature plasma. This method was developer by cooperation Masaryk University in Brno with company KrampeHarex and Brno Universiry of Technology. The goal of this thesis is to bring comparison, of influence on rheology properties of fresh concrete, between admixed the fibers with applied chemical layer and low-temperature plasma treated polypropylene fibers.