TY - JOUR A1 - Frasca, Daniele A1 - Schulze, Dietmar A1 - Wachtendorf, Volker A1 - Huth, Christian A1 - Schartel, Bernhard T1 - Multifunctional multilayer graphene/elastomer nanocomposites N2 - Elastomers are usually reinforced and employed in different applications. Various different nanoparticles, including layered silicates, carbon nanotubes, and expanded graphite, are currently being used as nanofiller. Multilayer Graphene (MLG) is proposed as promising nanofiller to improve the functional properties of Chlorine-Isobutylene-Isoprene Rubber (CIIR), Nitrile-Butadiene Rubber (NBR), Natural Rubber (NR) and Styrene–Butadiene Rubber (SBR) at low concentrations. MLG is constituted by only approximately 10 graphene sheets. Nanocomposites with extremely low MLG content (3 phr) showed evident improvement in rheological, mechanical and curing properties. The Young's modulus of the nanocomposites increased more than twice in comparison with the unfilled rubbers. MLG also improved the weathering resistance of the different rubbers. The nanocomposites conserved their initial mechanical properties against weathering exposure. KW - Elastomer KW - Nanocomposite KW - Multilayer graphene PY - 2015 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2015.07.050 SN - 0014-3057 SN - 1873-1945 VL - 71 SP - 99 EP - 113 PB - Elsevier Ltd. CY - Oxford AN - OPUS4-33843 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Tan, Yi A1 - Wachtendorf, Volker A1 - Kukofka, Tobias A1 - Klack, Patrick A1 - Ruder, J. A1 - Lin, Xuebao A1 - Schartel, Bernhard T1 - Degradation of flame retardance: A comparison of ethylene‐vinyl acetate and low‐density polyethylene cables with two different metal hydroxides N2 - The durability of flame retardancy is a challenge for cables over long lifetimes. The degradation of flame retardance is investigated in two kinds of exposures, artificial weathering and humidity. In this basic study, typical mineral flame retardants in two polymers frequently used in cable jackets are investigated to get the fundamental picture. Aluminum hydroxide (ATH) and magnesium hydroxide (MDH) are compared in ethylene‐vinyl acetate (EVA), and further in EVA and linear low‐density polyethylene (LLDPE) cables containing the same ATH. The changes in chemical structure at the surface are studied through attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR‐FTIR), the formation of cracks, and changes in color are investigated. The cone calorimeter and a bench scale fire testing cable module are utilized to evaluate the fire behavior of the cables. Although the flame retardancy deteriorated slightly, it survived harsh exposure conditions for 2000 h. Compared to EVA/MDH and LLDPE/ATH, the fire behavior of EVA/ATH is the least sensitive. Taken together, all of the results converge to estimate that there will be no problem with flame retardancy performance, for materials subjected to natural exposure for several years; the durability of fire retardancy is questionable for longer periods, and thus requires further investigation. KW - Durability KW - Flame retardant KW - Aluminum hydroxide (ATH) KW - Magnesium hydroxide KW - Ethylene-vinyl acetate KW - Cables KW - Weathering PY - 2021 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-519573 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/app.50149 VL - 138 IS - 14 SP - 50149 PB - Wiley AN - OPUS4-51957 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Daus, Lars-Hendrik A1 - Schartel, Bernhard A1 - Wachtendorf, Volker A1 - Mangelsdorf, R. A1 - Korzen, Manfred T1 - A chain is no stronger than its weakest link: Weathering resistance of water-based intumescent coatings for steel applications N2 - A systematic approach was used to investigate the weathering-induced degradation of a common water–based intumescent coating. In this study, the coatings are intended for humid indoor applications on steel substrates. The coating contains ammonium polyphosphate, pentaerythritol, melamine, and polyvinyl acetate. By replacing each ingredient with a less water-soluble substance, the most vulnerable substances, polyvinyl acetate and pentaerythritol, were identified. Furthermore, the weathering resistance of the system was improved by exchanging the ingredients. The coatings were stressed by artificial weathering tests and evaluated by fire tests. Thermogravimetry and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy were used to study the thermal decomposition. This study lays the foundation for the development of a new generation of water-based intumescent coatings. KW - Intumescence KW - Fire resistance KW - Fire protective coatings KW - Weathering KW - Thermogravimetric analyses PY - 2021 DO - https://doi.org/10.1177/0734904120961064 SN - 0734-9041 SN - 1530-8049 VL - 39 IS - 1 SP - 72 EP - 102 PB - SAGE AN - OPUS4-52015 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Qiu, Y. A1 - Wachtendorf, Volker A1 - Klack, Patrick A1 - Qian, L. A1 - Liu, Z. A1 - Schartel, Bernhard T1 - Improved flame retardancy by synergy between cyclotetrasiloxane and phosphaphenanthrene/triazine compounds in epoxy thermoset N2 - A siloxane compound (MVC) and a bi-group phosphaphenanthrene/triazine compound (TGD) were employed in epoxy thermosets to explore high-efficiency flame retardant systems. With only 1wt% MVC and 3wt% TGD, an epoxy thermoset passed UL 94 V-0 rating test and achieved a limiting oxygen index value of 34.0%, exhibiting an excellent flame retardant effect. The MVC/TGD system not only decreased the peak value of heat release rate and effective heat of combustion but also imparted an improved charring ability to thermosets, thereby outstandingly reducing the flammability of 1%MVC/3%TGD/EP. Compared with the fire performance of 4%TGD/EP and 4%MVC/EP, the MVC/TGD system showed an obvious flame retardant synergistic effect, mainly depending on the general improvement of flame inhibition, charring and barrier effects of the thermoset during combustion. Evolved gas analysis combinedwith condensed-phase pyrolysis product Analysis jointly revealed the details of the changed pyrolysis mode. KW - Flame retardant KW - Epoxy resin KW - Synergy KW - Siloxane KW - DOPO KW - Triazine PY - 2017 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/pi.5466 SN - 0959-8103 SN - 1097-0126 VL - 66 IS - 12 SP - 1883 EP - 1890 PB - Wiley AN - OPUS4-42950 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bandow, Nicole A1 - Will, Verena A1 - Wachtendorf, Volker A1 - Simon, Franz-Georg T1 - Contaminant release from aged microplastic N2 - Recycled plastic granules of high-density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride and polystyrene the size of microplastics were exposed to artificial aging conditions (2000 h; photooxidative and thermo-oxidative) to simulate their fate outdoors. Their potential to leach into water during the aging process was investigated using column percolation tests. Aging-related changes on the surface of the material were characterised by IR measurements indicating oxidation reactions with the formation of new adsorption bands (C=O, C–O and OH), especially in the case of photooxidative aging. These findings were confirmed by the identification of leachable organic compounds. Leaching of total organic carbon, Cl, Ca, Cu and Zn is clearly affected by changes due to aging, and their release is increased after photooxidative aging. In general, exposure to photooxidative conditions shows a greater influence on aging and thus on leaching and seems to be the more important mechanism for the aging of microplastic in the environment. Comparison with the total content of inorganic species revealed that, for most elements, less than 3% of the total content is released after 2000 h of photooxidative aging. KW - Column percolation tests KW - Heavy metals KW - Photo-oxidation KW - Thermo-oxidation PY - 2017 DO - https://doi.org/10.1071/EN17064 SN - 1448-2517 SN - 1449-8979 VL - 14 IS - 6 SP - 394 EP - 405 AN - OPUS4-43222 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Geburtig, Anja A1 - Wachtendorf, Volker A1 - Falkenhagen, Jana T1 - Combined impact of UV radiation and nitric acid on high‐density polyethylene containers as a laboratory test N2 - In a laboratory test, transparent high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) jerrycans have been exposed to both UV radiation and 55 wt‐% nitric acid solution at (41 ± 2)°C, for up to 20 days. For comparison, UV radiant exposure (21 days) and nitric acid exposure (up to 6 weeks) were performed separately, at nearly equal temperatures. The damages are compared with FTIR spectroscopy in ATR and HT‐gel permeation chromatography(GPC) on a molecular level and with hydraulic internal pressure testing as a component test. For the used jerrycans, relevant oxidation can only be found after the combined exposure. This is caused by the decomposition of nitric acid into nitrous gases by UV radiation, which is also observed at lower concentrations (28 wt‐%). After 6 days of laboratory exposure, this is rated as critical, which corresponds to about 1/10 year in Central Europe, according to the UV radiant exposure. The gradual increase in oxidative damage shows the reproducibility of the test. KW - Molecular mass distribution KW - High-density polyethylene KW - Nitric acid KW - UV radiation PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-550141 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/pts.2673 SN - 0894-3214 SP - 1 EP - 7 PB - John Wiley & Sons Ltd AN - OPUS4-55014 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Fornacon-Wood, C. A1 - Stühler, M. R. A1 - Gallizioli, C. A1 - Manjunatha, B. R. A1 - Wachtendorf, Volker A1 - Schartel, Bernhard A1 - Plajer, A. J. T1 - Precise construction of weather-sensitive poly(ester-alt-thioesters) from phthalic thioanhydride and oxetane N2 - We report the selective ring opening copolymerisation (ROCOP) of oxetane and phthalic thioanhydride by a heterobimetallic Cr(III)K catalyst precisely yielding semi-crystalline alternating poly(esteralt- thioesters) which show improved degradability due to the thioester links in the polymer backbone. KW - Sulfur containing polymers KW - Durability KW - Weathering KW - Synthesis PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-590762 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d3cc03315e SN - 1364-548X VL - 59 IS - 76 SP - 11353 EP - 11356 PB - RSC AN - OPUS4-59076 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Milks, A. A1 - Lehmann, J. A1 - Leder, D. A1 - Sietz, M. A1 - Koddenberg, T. A1 - Böhner, U. A1 - Wachtendorf, Volker A1 - Terberger, T. T1 - A double-pointed wooden throwing stick from Schöningen, Germany: Results and new insights from a multianalytical study N2 - The site of Schöningen (Germany), dated to ca. 300,000 years ago, yielded the earliest large-scale record of humanly-made wooden tools. These include wooden spears and shorter double-pointed sticks, discovered in association with herbivores that were hunted and butchered along a lakeshore. Wooden tools have not been systematically analysed to the same standard as other Palaeolithic technologies, such as lithic or bone tools. Our multianalytical study includes micro-CT scanning, 3-dimensional microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, supporting a systematic technological and taphonomic analysis, thus setting a new standard for wooden tool analysis. In illustrating the biography of one of Schöningen’s double-pointed sticks, we demonstrate new human behaviours for this time period, including sophisticated woodworking techniques. The hominins selected a spruce branch which they then debarked and shaped into an aerodynamic and ergonomic tool. They likely seasoned the wood to avoid cracking and warping. After a long period of use, it was probably lost while hunting, and was then rapidly buried in mud. Taphonomic alterations include damage from trampling, fungal attack, root damage and compression. Through our detailed analysis we show that Middle Pleistocene humans had a rich awareness of raw material properties, and possessed sophisticated woodworking skills. Alongside new detailed morphometrics of the object, an ethnographic review supports a primary function as a throwing stick for hunting, indicating potential hunting strategies and social contexts including for communal hunts involving children. The Schöningen throwing sticks may have been used to strategically disadvantage larger ungulates, potentially from distances of up to 30 metres. They also demonstrate that the hominins were technologically capable of capturing smaller fast prey and avian fauna, a behaviour evidenced at contemporaneous Middle Pleistocene archaeological sites. KW - FTIR KW - Stone Age KW - Middle Pleistocene KW - Throwing-stick KW - Wood KW - Micro-CT scanning KW - 3-dimensional microscopy PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-580012 DO - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287719 SN - 1932-6203 VL - 18 IS - 7 SP - 1 EP - 32 PB - PLOS CY - San Francisco, California, US AN - OPUS4-58001 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Scholz, Philipp A1 - Falkenhagen, Jana A1 - Wachtendorf, Volker A1 - Brüll, Robert A1 - Simon, Franz-Georg T1 - Investigation on the Durability of a Polypropylene Geotextile under Artificial Aging Scenarios N2 - Geosynthetics are widely used in various civil engineering applications, such as geotextiles in coastal protection, and display a sustainable alternative to natural mineral materials. However, the full benefits of using geosynthetics can only be gained with a long service lifetime of the products. With the use of added stabilizers to the polymers, service lifetimes can be achieved in the range of 100 years. Therefore, accelerated aging methods are needed for the assessment of the long-term performance of geotextiles. In the present study, the behavior of geosynthetic materials made of polypropylene was investigated under artificial aging conditions involving elevated temperatures ranging from 30 to 80 °C, increased oxygen pressures ranging from 10 to 50 bar in water-filled autoclaves, and UV irradiation under atmospheric conditions. ATR-IR spectroscopy was employed to detect the increase in the carbonyl index over various aging durations, indicating the oxidative degradation of the geotextile. The most pronounced increase was observed in the case of aging through UV irradiation, followed by thermal aging. Elevated pressure, on the other hand, had a lower impact on oxidation. High-temperature size exclusion chromatography was utilized to follow the reduction in molar mass under different degradation conditions, and the results were consistent with those obtained from ATR-IR spectroscopy. In polyolefins such as polypropylene, Hindered Amine Stabilizers (HAS) are used to suppress oxidation caused by UV radiation. The quantitative analysis of HAS was carried out using a UV/Vis method and HPLC. The degradation of UV stabilizers during the aging of geotextiles is responsible for the oxidation and the reduction in the molar mass of polypropylene. From the results, it can be concluded that applications of PP geotextile without soil or sand cover might cause the risk of the formation of microplastic particles. Material selection, design, and maintenance of the construction must follow best practices, including the system’s removal or replacement at end-of-life. Otherwise, a sustainable use of geotextiles in civil engineering is not possible. KW - Geotextiles KW - Microplastic KW - Size exclusion chromatography KW - Accelerated aging PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-599739 DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/su16093559 SN - 2071-1050 VL - 16 IS - 9 SP - 1 EP - 15 PB - MDPI AG CY - Basel AN - OPUS4-59973 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Meyer, S. A1 - Timmel, S. A1 - Gläser, M. A1 - Braun, Ulrike A1 - Wachtendorf, Volker A1 - Hagendorf, C. T1 - Polymer foil additives trigger the formation of snail trails in photovoltaic modules N2 - After several months of operation, many photovoltaic (PV) modules develop a discolouration defect called snail trails which appear as irregular dark traces across the cells. These traces are caused by silver nanoparticles accumulating within the encapsulation foil directly above the grid finger. In this work we systematically investigate combinations of encapsulation and back-sheet foils with respect to their susceptibility for snail trails. We can show that certain additive compositions within the encapsulation and back sheet foils are critical for the formation of the discolouring silver nanoparticles. We suggest a reaction model explaining the formation of snail trails from a chemical point of view. This fundamental understanding allows the rapid testing of foils for their snail trail sensitivity as well as the special design of resistant foils. KW - Snail trails KW - Encapsulation foil KW - Back-sheet foil KW - Additives KW - Silver nanoparticles PY - 2014 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solmat.2014.06.028 SN - 0927-0248 VL - 130 SP - 64 EP - 70 PB - Elsevier B.V. CY - Amsterdam [u.a.] AN - OPUS4-31249 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -