Super Engineering Plastic Research Articles

Reduced platelets and bacteria adhesion on poly(ether ether ketone) by photoinduced and self‐initiated graft polymerization of 2‐methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine

Aromatic poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) is a super engineering plastic, which has good mechanical properties and is resistant to physical and chemical stimuli. We have, therefore, attempted to use PEEK in cardiovascular devices. Synthetic cardiovascular devices require both high hemocompatibility and anti-inflammatory activity in addition to the mechanical properties. We modified the PEEK surface by photoinduced and self-initiated graft polymerization with 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC; PMPC-grafted PEEK) for obtaining good antithrombogenicity. Polymerization was carried out on the surface of PEEK under radiation of ultraviolet (UV) light during which we controlled monomer concentrations, temperatures, and UV intensities. The biological performance of the PMPC-grafted PEEK was examined and compared with that of unmodified PEEK. With increase in the thickness of the PMPC layer, the amount of fibrinogen adsorption decreased significantly in comparison to that in the case of unmodified PEEK. When placed in contact with human platelet-rich plasma, surface of the PMPC-grafted PEEK clearly showed inhibition of platelet adhesion and activation. Also, bacterial adhesion was reduced dramatically on the PMPC-grafted PEEK. Thus, the PMPC grafting on PEEK improved the antithrombogenicity.

Dielectric properties of poly(phenylene sulfide) as a function of temperature and frequency

AbstractDielectric properties of poly(phenylene sulfide) (PPS), a kind of super engineering plastic, were investigated over a wide temperature range by measuring its frequency spectra of complex permittivity and thermally stimulated polarization and depolarization currents (TSPC and TSDC). Experimental results indicate that its permittivity and dielectric loss factor remain stable and maintain low values up to around 140 °C, despite the fact that its glass transition appears at a much lower temperature of 88 °C. As for TSPC and TSDC, a very small peak associated with the glass transition appears at about 110 °C. Furthermore, a much clearer TSPC peak due to orientation of dipole moments associated with the ether linkage induced by the cross‐linking reaction appears at about 150–170 °C. The corresponding TSDC peak due to randomization of these dipoles is very small compared to the TSPC peak, since PPS was cross‐linked during the high‐temperature process in the TSPC measurement, which made rotation of the dipoles difficult. At temperatures higher than 150 °C, both the real and imaginary parts of the complex permittivity show significant increases with increase in temperature and decrease in frequency. This is attributable to the transport of the charge carriers. © 2011 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Preparation of poly(ether ether ketone)-based polymer electrolytes for fuel cell membranes using grafting technique

Poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK)-based polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs) was successfully prepared by radiation grafting of a styrene monomer into PEEK films and the consequent selective sulfonation of the grafting chains in the film state. Using milder sulfonation, the sulfonation reactions proceeded at the grafted chains in preference to the phenylene rings of PEEK main chains; as a result, the grafted films could successfully transform to a PEM with conductivity of more than 0.1 S/cm. The ion exchange capacity (IEC) and conductivity of the grafted PEEK electrolyte membranes were controlled to the ranges of 1.2–2.9 mmol/g and 0.03–0.18 S/cm by changing the grafting degree. It should be noted that this is the first example of directly transforming super-engineering plastic films into a PEM using radiation grafting.

253 スーパーエンジニアリングプラスチック板材への小径深穴加工の実施(OS6-1 加工技術の進展)

253 スーパーエンジニアリングプラスチック板材への小径深穴加工の実施(OS6-1 加工技術の進展)

Operating Characteristics of Super Engineering Plastic Gears. 1st Report. Polyimide Gears.

Recently, for the purpose of enhancing mechanical performance utilizing the functions of plastics, many kinds of super engineering plastics have been developed. Their fundamental characteristics have been reported, but the data are insufficient for carrying out design based on them. In particular, there are hardly any data which can be used for the design of gears. For this reason, in this research, gears were made of several kinds of super engineering plastics which seemed capable of being put to practical use, and their various characteristics, such as the load-carrying capability and the wear of the teeth, were elucidated. In this report, among the results of these operation tests, first, those for polyimide gears are reported.