A Novel Hybrid Foaming Method for Low-Pressure Microcellular Foam Production of Unfilled and Talc-Filled Copolymer Polypropylenes

Unfilled and talc-filled Copolymer Polypropylene (PP) samples were produced through low-pressure foam-injection molding (FIM). The foaming stage of the process has been facilitated through a chemical blowing agent (C6H7NaO7 and CaC...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors:	Gethin Llewelyn, Andrew Rees, Christian A. Griffiths, Martin Jacobi
Format:	Article
Language:	English
Published:	MDPI AG 2019-11-01
Series:	Polymers
Subjects:	polypropylene foam-injection molding tecocell<sup>®</sup> mucell<sup>®</sup> talc calcium carbonate
Online Access:	https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/11/11/1896

id	doaj-360b1848c72f417883ddb7acd0d23fc7
record_format	Article
spelling	doaj-360b1848c72f417883ddb7acd0d23fc72020-11-25T02:21:51ZengMDPI AGPolymers2073-43602019-11-011111189610.3390/polym11111896polym11111896A Novel Hybrid Foaming Method for Low-Pressure Microcellular Foam Production of Unfilled and Talc-Filled Copolymer PolypropylenesGethin Llewelyn0Andrew Rees1Christian A. Griffiths2Martin Jacobi3College of Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea, Wales SA1 8EN, UKCollege of Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea, Wales SA1 8EN, UKCollege of Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea, Wales SA1 8EN, UKTrexel GmbH, Ahlefelderstr. 64, D-51645 Gummersbach, GermanyUnfilled and talc-filled Copolymer Polypropylene (PP) samples were produced through low-pressure foam-injection molding (FIM). The foaming stage of the process has been facilitated through a chemical blowing agent (C<sub>6</sub>H<sub>7</sub>NaO<sub>7</sub> and CaCO<sub>3</sub> mixture), a physical blowing agent (supercritical N<sub>2</sub>) and a novel hybrid foaming (combination of said chemical and physical foaming agents). Three weight-saving levels were produced with the varying foaming methods and compared to conventional injection molding. The unfilled PP foams produced through chemical blowing agent exhibited the strongest mechanical characteristics due to larger skin wall thicknesses, while the weakest were that of the talc-filled PP through the hybrid foaming technique. However, the hybrid foaming produced superior microcellular foams for both PPs due to calcium carbonate (CaCO<sub>3</sub>) enhancing the nucleation phase.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/11/11/1896polypropylenefoam-injection moldingtecocell<sup>®</sup>mucell<sup>®</sup>talccalcium carbonate
collection	DOAJ
language	English
format	Article
sources	DOAJ
author	Gethin Llewelyn Andrew Rees Christian A. Griffiths Martin Jacobi
spellingShingle	Gethin Llewelyn Andrew Rees Christian A. Griffiths Martin Jacobi A Novel Hybrid Foaming Method for Low-Pressure Microcellular Foam Production of Unfilled and Talc-Filled Copolymer Polypropylenes Polymers polypropylene foam-injection molding tecocell<sup>®</sup> mucell<sup>®</sup> talc calcium carbonate
author_facet	Gethin Llewelyn Andrew Rees Christian A. Griffiths Martin Jacobi
author_sort	Gethin Llewelyn
title	A Novel Hybrid Foaming Method for Low-Pressure Microcellular Foam Production of Unfilled and Talc-Filled Copolymer Polypropylenes
title_short	A Novel Hybrid Foaming Method for Low-Pressure Microcellular Foam Production of Unfilled and Talc-Filled Copolymer Polypropylenes
title_full	A Novel Hybrid Foaming Method for Low-Pressure Microcellular Foam Production of Unfilled and Talc-Filled Copolymer Polypropylenes
title_fullStr	A Novel Hybrid Foaming Method for Low-Pressure Microcellular Foam Production of Unfilled and Talc-Filled Copolymer Polypropylenes
title_full_unstemmed	A Novel Hybrid Foaming Method for Low-Pressure Microcellular Foam Production of Unfilled and Talc-Filled Copolymer Polypropylenes
title_sort	novel hybrid foaming method for low-pressure microcellular foam production of unfilled and talc-filled copolymer polypropylenes
publisher	MDPI AG
series	Polymers
issn	2073-4360
publishDate	2019-11-01
description	Unfilled and talc-filled Copolymer Polypropylene (PP) samples were produced through low-pressure foam-injection molding (FIM). The foaming stage of the process has been facilitated through a chemical blowing agent (C<sub>6</sub>H<sub>7</sub>NaO<sub>7</sub> and CaCO<sub>3</sub> mixture), a physical blowing agent (supercritical N<sub>2</sub>) and a novel hybrid foaming (combination of said chemical and physical foaming agents). Three weight-saving levels were produced with the varying foaming methods and compared to conventional injection molding. The unfilled PP foams produced through chemical blowing agent exhibited the strongest mechanical characteristics due to larger skin wall thicknesses, while the weakest were that of the talc-filled PP through the hybrid foaming technique. However, the hybrid foaming produced superior microcellular foams for both PPs due to calcium carbonate (CaCO<sub>3</sub>) enhancing the nucleation phase.
topic	polypropylene foam-injection molding tecocell<sup>®</sup> mucell<sup>®</sup> talc calcium carbonate
url	https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/11/11/1896
work_keys_str_mv	AT gethinllewelyn anovelhybridfoamingmethodforlowpressuremicrocellularfoamproductionofunfilledandtalcfilledcopolymerpolypropylenes AT andrewrees anovelhybridfoamingmethodforlowpressuremicrocellularfoamproductionofunfilledandtalcfilledcopolymerpolypropylenes AT christianagriffiths anovelhybridfoamingmethodforlowpressuremicrocellularfoamproductionofunfilledandtalcfilledcopolymerpolypropylenes AT martinjacobi anovelhybridfoamingmethodforlowpressuremicrocellularfoamproductionofunfilledandtalcfilledcopolymerpolypropylenes AT gethinllewelyn novelhybridfoamingmethodforlowpressuremicrocellularfoamproductionofunfilledandtalcfilledcopolymerpolypropylenes AT andrewrees novelhybridfoamingmethodforlowpressuremicrocellularfoamproductionofunfilledandtalcfilledcopolymerpolypropylenes AT christianagriffiths novelhybridfoamingmethodforlowpressuremicrocellularfoamproductionofunfilledandtalcfilledcopolymerpolypropylenes AT martinjacobi novelhybridfoamingmethodforlowpressuremicrocellularfoamproductionofunfilledandtalcfilledcopolymerpolypropylenes
_version_	1724865069127303168

A Novel Hybrid Foaming Method for Low-Pressure Microcellular Foam Production of Unfilled and Talc-Filled Copolymer Polypropylenes

Similar Items