Abstract. The influence of the phase morphology on the shrinkage of injection molded plates from reactor based PP/EPR blends was investigated using a model series. The morphology of the dispersed phase -in terms of size and shape of the rubber particles as determined from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) -was found to correlate fairly well with the shrinkage determined in the flow and transverse direction of injection molded plates. In this respect it turned out to be elementary to consider the anisotropy of the particles rather than their average size alone. Additionally, the effect of the EPR design on the coefficient of linear thermal expansion (CLTE) was evaluated and brought into a relationship with the blend morphology.
Abstract. While adhesiveness is required for polymer surfaces in special applications, tacky surfaces are generally undesirable in many applications like automotive interior parts. The tackiness of polymer surface results from a combination of composition and additivation, and it can change significantly in natural or accelerated ageing. Since there is no established, uniform method to characterize surface tack, the major focus of the present work was on the development of an objective quantification method. A setup having a soft die tip attached to a standard tensile tester was developed aiming for correlation to the human sense of touch. Three different model thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) compound formulations based on a high-impact isotactic polypropylene (iPP) composition with varying amounts and types of anti-scratch additives were used for these investigations. As the surface tack phenomenon is related to ageing and weathering, the material's examination was also performed after various intervals of weathering. The developed method allows a fast assessment of the effect of polymer composition variations and different additive formulations on surface tack and gives identical rankings as the standardized haptic panel.
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