The foaming of PP–EMA thermoplastic elastomers with CO2 during dynamic cross-linking has been investigated. The cross-linking of the ethylene and methyl acrylate (EMA) phase was obtained through an alcoholysis reaction with 1,5-pentanediol. The influence of chemical composition and processing parameters on cross-linking extent was determined. PP–EMA foams were then obtained under different conditions, and analyses were carried out to assess their gel content and density, as well as cell and blend morphology. These properties were found to be closely related: the gel content determines the blend morphology, which in turn greatly influences the foam morphology and the final density.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
1. Coran, A. Y. and Patel, R. P. (1996). In: Thermoplastic Elastomers, 2nd Edn., Chapter 7, Hanser Publishers, New York.
2.
2. Brzoskowski, R., Wang, Y., L.Tulippe, C., Dion, B., Cai, H. and Sadeghi, R. (1998). Proc. ANTEC’ 98, pp. 3204–3208.
3.
3. Kenens, L. (1997). Proc. Foamplas’ 97, pp. 209–218.
4.
4. Niemark, R. (1997). Proc. Foamplas’ 97, pp. 117–131.
5.
5. Sahnoune, A. (2001). J. Cell. Plast., 37: 149–159.
6.
6. Shen, K. S., Lawrence, G. K. and Peterson, D. E. (1991). Proc. ANTEC’ 91, 2420–2423.
7.
7. DeMello, A. J., Hartford, D. W., Mertinooke, P. E., Muessel, D. C. and Halberstadt, L. (1996). Patent CA 2, 102,227.
8.
8. DeMello, A. J., Hartford, D. W., Mertinooke, P. E., Muessel, D. C. and Halberstadt, L. (1997). Patent US 5,607,629.
9.
9. Deseke, O., Meyke, J. and Pfeiffer, A. (1996). Patent US 5,567,370.
10.
10. Wang, Y. (1998). Proc. Foamplas’ 98, pp. 161–171.
11.
11. Pesneau, I., Champagne, M. F. and Huneault, M. A. (2002). To be published in Polym. Eng. Sci, 42.
12.
12. Bonetti J., Gondard, C., Pétiaud, R., Llauro, M. F. and Michel, A. (1994). J. Organomet. Chem., 481: 7–17.
13.
13. Sawyer, L. C. and Grubb, D. T. (1996). Polymer Microscopy, 2nd Edn., Chapman and Hall, London.
14.
14. Doroudiani, S., Park, C. B. and Kortschot, M. T. (1998). Polym. Eng. Sci, 38: 1205–1215.
15.
15. Doroudiani, S., Park, C. B. and Kortschot, M. T. (1996). Polym. Eng. Sci., 36: 2645–2662.
16.
16. Baldwin, D. F., Park, C. B. and Suh, N. P. (1996). Polym. Eng. Sci., 36: 1446–1453.
17.
17. Baldwin, D. F., Park, C. B. and Suh, N. P. (1996). Polym. Eng. Sci., 36: 1437–1445.
18.
18. Faridi, N., Dey, S. K. and Chawda, A. (1997). Proc. ANTEC‘97, pp. 2221–2226.
19.
19. Sato, Y., Fujiwara, K., Takikawa, T.Sumarno, Takishima, S. and Massuoka, H. (1999). Fluid Phase Equil., 162: 261–276.
20.
20. Vachon, C. (2001). Proc. 17th Annual Meeting Polym. Process. Soc., Montréal.
21.
21. Steeman, P. and Zoetelief, W. (2000). Proc. ANTEC 2000, 3297–3301.
22.
22. Bradley, M. B. and Phillips, E. M. (1990). Proc. ANTEC’90, 717–720.
23.
23. Takahashi, T., Wu, W., Toda, H., Takimoto, J. I., Akatsuka, T. and Koyama, K. (1997). J. Non-Newtonian Fluid Mech., 68: 259–269.
24.
24. Elkovitch, M. D., Lee, L. J. and Tomasko, D. L. (2000). Polym. Eng. Sci., 40: 1850–1861.
