A novel technique in the foaming process of EPDM/PP via microwave radiation: the effect of blend compatibilization and additive encapsulation

Peyda, Shayesteh; Morshedian, Jalil; Karbalaei-Bagher, Milad; Baharvand, Habibollah; Khorasani, Mohammad Taghi

doi:10.1039/c6ra14211g

Cited by 6 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Particularly challenging is the low melt strength and narrow foaming temperature window observed in linear PP . To overcome this drawback, researchers investigated various techniques such as the use of blends, − fillers, − and long-chain branching − to improve the melt strength and widen the foaming temperature range of PP.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Foaming Performance of Linear Polypropylene Ionomers

Embabi

Kweon

Wang³

et al. 2022

Macromolecules

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Linear polypropylene (PP) exhibits poor foamability because of its inherently low melt strength. Incorporation of long-chain branches is a common approach to increase melt strength; however, it is a costly process. To bridge this gap, we set out to study the effect of ionic content on the foaming behavior of linear PP ionomers using a PP homopolymer as a control and a commercial high melt strength long-chain branched PP as a benchmark. Small-angle X-ray scattering confirms the presence of ion clusters in the ionomers, which act as physical cross-linking points as was recently shown, providing enhancement to the dynamic moduli, complex viscosity, and strain hardening behavior, even at ion contents below 0.1 mol %. We found that, upon foaming, the PP ionomer with a higher ionic content exhibited higher foam uniformity, higher cell density (∼108 cells/cm3), and smaller cell size (as small as 37 μm) compared to those of its linear counterpart. Furthermore, the linear ionomer resin and the commercial branched PP showed similar foam morphologies and mechanical responses under cyclic indentations over the temperature range 155–175 °C. These findings reveal a new, and potentially cost-effective, route to produce high performance foams using linear PPs that are compliant to industrial standards.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Foaming Performance of Linear Polypropylene Ionomers

Embabi

Kweon

Wang³

et al. 2022

Macromolecules

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“…To overcome these drawbacks, polypropylene (PP) has been considered as an attractive resin in the foaming industry, owing to its low material cost, low density, high service temperature, and high mechanical strength. Existing literature on PP batch foaming abounds with studies that explore its foaming behavior under the effects of crystallinity [ 5 ], blends [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ], fillers [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ], molecular modification [ 21 , 22 ], saturation temperature and pressure [ 23 , 24 , 25 ], and physical blowing agent [ 26 , 27 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tuning High and Low Temperature Foaming Behavior of Linear and Long-Chain Branched Polypropylene via Partial and Complete Melting

et al. 2021

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While existing foam studies have identified processing parameters, such as high-pressure drop rate, and engineering measures, such as high melt strength, as key factors for improving foamability, there is a conspicuous absence of studies that directly relate foamability to material properties obtained from fundamental characterization. To bridge this gap, this work presents batch foaming studies on one linear and two long-chain branched polypropylene (PP) resins to investigate how foamability is affected by partial melting (Method 1) and complete melting followed by undercooling (Method 2). At temperatures above the melting point, similar expansion was obtained using both foaming procedures within each resin, while the PP with the highest strain hardening ratio (13) exhibited the highest expansion ratio (45 ± 3). At low temperatures, the foamability of all resins was dramatically improved using Method 2 compared to Method 1, due to access to lower foaming temperatures (<150 °C) near the crystallization onset. Furthermore, Method 2 resulted in a more uniform cellular structure over a wider temperature range (120–170 °C compared to 155–175 °C). Overall, strong extensional hardening and low onset of crystallization were shown to give rise to foamability at high and low temperatures, respectively, suggesting that both characteristics can be appropriately used to tune the foamability of PP in industrial foaming applications.

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“…Subsequently, Santoni et al 12 fabricated a blend of TPO and maleic anhydridemodified PP to achieve a 20% weight reduction using an azodicarbonamide foaming agent wherein the addition of PP-g MA improved the good surface quality. Lastly, Peyda et al 13 used microwave radiation and azodicarbonamide as CFA in a PP/EPDM system with PP-g-MA to achieve uniform void size and distribution without surface appearance data.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A novel digital lifecycle for Material‐Process‐Microstructure‐Performance relationships of thermoplastic olefins foams manufactured via supercritical fluid assisted foam injection molding

Pradeep,

Deshpande,

Lavertu

et al. 2024

Polymer Engineering & Sci

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This research significantly enhances the applicability of thermoplastic olefins (TPOs) in the automotive industry using supercritical N2 as a physical foaming agent, effectively addressing the limitations of traditional chemical agents. It merges experimental results with simulations to establish detailed material‐process‐microstructure‐performance (MP2) relationships, targeting 5–20% weight reductions. This innovative approach labeled digital lifecycle (DLC) helps accurately predict tensile, flexural, and impact properties based on the foam microstructure, along with experimentally demonstrating improved paintability. The study combines process simulations with finite element models to develop a comprehensive digital model for accurately predicting mechanical properties. Our findings demonstrate a strong correlation between simulated and experimental data, with about a 5% error across various weight reduction targets, marking significant improvements over existing analytical models. This research highlights the efficacy of physical foaming agents in TPO enhancement and emphasizes the importance of integrating experimental and simulation methods to capture the underlying foaming mechanism to establish material‐process‐microstructure‐performance (MP2) relationships.Highlights Establishes a material‐process‐microstructure‐performance (MP2) for TPO foams Sustainably produces TPO foams using supercritical (ScF) N2 with 20% lightweighting Shows enhanced paintability for TPO foam improved surface aesthetics Digital lifecycle (DLC) that predicts both foam microstructure and properties DLC maps process effects & microstructure onto FEA mesh for precise prediction

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A novel technique in the foaming process of EPDM/PP via microwave radiation: the effect of blend compatibilization and additive encapsulation

Abstract: The novel technique of microwave irradiation was used to prepare EPDM/PP cellular foams, together with the novel approach of additive encapsulation.

Cited by 6 publications

References 24 publications

Foaming Performance of Linear Polypropylene Ionomers

Foaming Performance of Linear Polypropylene Ionomers

Tuning High and Low Temperature Foaming Behavior of Linear and Long-Chain Branched Polypropylene via Partial and Complete Melting

A novel digital lifecycle for Material‐Process‐Microstructure‐Performance relationships of thermoplastic olefins foams manufactured via supercritical fluid assisted foam injection molding

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