• Composites Research
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.127-133
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• 2022

Polypropylene (PP) has been received great attention as a next-generation high-voltage power cable insulation material that can replace cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE). However, the PP cannot be used alone as an insulation material because of its high elastic modulus and vulnerability to impact, and thus is mainly utilized as a form of a copolymer with rubber phases included in the polymerization step. In this paper, a soft PP-based blend was prepared through melt-mixing of impact PP, polyolefin elastomer, and propylene-ethylene random copolymer. The elastic modulus and impact strength of the blend could properly be decreased or increased, respectively, by introducing elastomeric phases. Furthermore, the blends showed a high storage modulus even at a temperature of 100℃ or higher at which the XLPE loses its mechanical properties. In addition, the blend was found to be effective in suppressing the space charge compared to the pristine PP as well as XLPE.

• Composites Research
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.192-198
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• 2021

Due to enormous market growing of electric vehicles without combustion engine, reducing unwanted BSR (buzz, squeak, and rattle) noise is highly demanded for vehicle quality and performance. Particularly, innerbelt weatherstrips which not only block wind noise, rain, and dust from outside, but also reduce noise and vibration of door glass and vehicle are required to exhibit high damping properties for improved BSR performance of the vehicle. Thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs), which can be recycled and have lighter weight than thermoset elastomers, are receiving much attention for weatherstrip material, but TPEs exhibit low material damping and compression set causing frictional noise and vibration between the door glass and the weatherstrip. In this study, high damping EPDM (ethylene-propylene-diene monomer)/PP (polypropylene) thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPV) were investigated by varying EPDM/PP ratio and ENB (ethylidene norbornene) fraction in EPDM. Viscoelastic properties of TPV materials were characterized by assuming that the material damping is directly related to the viscoelasticity. The optimum material damping factor (tanδ peak 0.611) was achieved with low PP ratio (14 wt%) and high ENB fraction (8.9 wt%), which was increased by 140% compared to the reference (tanδ 0.254). The improved damping is believed due to high fraction of flexible EPDM chains and higher interfacial slippage area of EPDM particles generated by increasing ENB fraction in EPDM. The stick-slip test was conducted to characterize frictional noise and vibration of the TPV weatherstrip. With improved TPV material damping, the acceleration peak of frictional vibration decreased by about 57.9%. This finding can not only improve BSR performance of electric vehicles by designing material damping of weatherstrips but also contribute to various structural applications such as urban air mobility or aircrafts, which require lightweight and high damping properties.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.204-212
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• 1987

The purpose of this study is to investigate the reinforced effect between MGF treated silane coupling agents and rubber matrix under the configuration chemical bonds, also the effect of triazine thiol compounds. For this study, vulcanizates were prepared with fifteen different compounding formulas. Their vulcanization characteristics, physical properties were examined by means of the ODR(Oscillating Dist Rheometer), the tensile tester, the benzene swelling test. The results of this study obtained are as follows: 1. In the ODR test, the MA vulcanizate was the fastest one in terms of having reached to optimum cure time($t_{90}$) and, with the same formula, when MGF vulcanizates, the shortest optimum cure times has appeared. 2. The SA, SC vulcanizates were the best the other in the physical properties such as 100%modulus, 200%modulus, 300%modulus, tensile strength. The SB vulcanizate, with higher density of crosslinking than other vulcanizates. The vulcanizates, which were filled with MGF treated with silane coupling agents we were the higher density of crosslinking than vulcanizates filled with MGF only. 3. In aging properties, the silica vulcanizates appeared to be better than the other vulcanizates. The aging Properties of treated MGF vulcanizates were similar to the silica vulcanizates. The(CR+APS+silica) and(CR+APS+MCF) were easily crosslinked by exposure to the air, and the physical properties have been improved.