pps proceeding - Abstract Preview
pps proceeding
Symposium: S04 - Injection Molding and Molds
Oral Presentation
 
 

Scale effects in the micromoulding of polypropylene-clay nanocomposites and model blends

Coates Phil (1)*, Chen Yinghong (2), Yang Qi (3), Wang Qi (2), Li Guangxian (3), Whiteside Ben (1)

(1) Polymer IRC, University of Bradford - W Yorks - UnitedKingdom, (2) SKLPME, Sichuan University - Sichuan - China, (3) Sichuan University - Sichuan - China

We show how micromoulding process conditions, and in particular length scales, can significantly influence product morphologies and physical properties, providing novel opportunities for control of product properties. We report moulding of PP-clay nanocomoposites, and model PP/ PS blends, to assess the effect of extreme processing on morphologies achieved, and hence physical property levels, compared with conventional scale injection moulding. We studied Ineos GA12 polypropylene with nanoclays CloisiteŽ 30B (hydrophilic modifier) or Cloisite 93A (hydrophobic modifier), moulding different length scale tensile specimens: micro (gauge length 4 x 0.6 x 0.25mm), medium (8.2 x 2 x 1mm) and macro (29.2 x 5 x 2mm), the first two on a 5 tonne Battenfeld micromoulding machine, the last on a 5 tonne Fanuc machine. The micro injection moulded PP-C93A tensile sample has clear evidence of shish-kebab structures even in the core region of the sample and shows ~50% higher yield strength and modulus compared with the conventionally injection moulded tensile sample. Similarly, morphologies of PP/PS blends in the tensile specimen geometries are strongly affected: a 'co- continuous' structure in micromoulded samples occurs from 10wt% PS, in conventional injection moulding samples this occurs only from 70wt% PS. Dispersed phase sizes are smaller for micromoulding. Mechanical properties are shown to vary in a complex manner.