Direct Compounding Injection Molding and Resulting Properties of Ternary Blends of Polylactide, Polybutylene Succinate and Hydrogenated Styrene Farnesene Block Copolymers

Abstract

Direct compounding injection molding of ternary blends of polylactide (PLA), polybutylene succinate (PBS) and a hydrogenated styrene farnesene block copolymer (HSFC) was investigated for different blend compositions. Morphological analysis by atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy showed a heterogeneous morphology of the ternary blends, with coexisting droplets of HSFC and PLA respectively PBS. Particle sizes analysis of the minor phases in the ternary blends showed mean values in the range of ∼1 μm, which is discussed in correlation to the rheological properties of the blend components as obtained by high pressure capillary rheometry. In result, with increasing HSFC content, the ternary blends showed a significant increase in notched Charpy impact strength (acN). In concrete, for the ternary blends with 15 wt% of HSFC a maximum acN of 15.8 kJ/m2 was found. At the same time, incorporation of the HSFC resulted only in a moderate reduction in elastic modulus and tensile strength.

Development of an Injection Molding Process for Long Glass Fiber-Reinforced Phenolic Resins

“…Several process variants with direct fiber feeding were developed for thermoplastic materials [ 19 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 ]. In the injection molding compounder (IMC{ XE “IMC” \t “ injection molding compounder ”}), a co-rotating twin screw extruder is combined with an injection unit.…”

“…This reduces the capital investment costs and makes the direct compounding feasible for lower-volume applications. The direct compounding injection molding (DCIM{ XE “DCIM” \t “ direct compounding injection molding ”}) process, invented by Exipnos and KraussMaffei Technologies, couples a single screw compounding extruder with a traditional injection molding machine [ 30 ]. In the compounding extruder, the molder can tailor the material according to his needs by adding fibers, fillers, and other additives to the thermoplastic polymer.…”

Thermomechanical Properties of SiC-Filled Polybutylene Succinate Composite Fabricated via Melt Extrusion

“…PBS is conventionally prepared via the polycondensation of the monomers succinic acid and 1,4 butanediol, both of which can now be synthesized from renewable sources [8][9][10]. PBS can also be processed using conventional polymer processing techniques such as melt extrusion, casting, compression and injection molding, and hot pressing [11][12][13][14]. Owing to its low rigidity, the commercial application of PBS has been limited to packaging, agriculture, and biomedical sectors [15][16][17].…”