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Gonçalves LFFF, Reis RL, Fernandes EM. Forefront Research of Foaming Strategies on Biodegradable Polymers and Their Composites by Thermal or Melt-Based Processing Technologies: Advances and Perspectives. Polymers (Basel) 2024; 16:1286. [PMID: 38732755 PMCID: PMC11085284 DOI: 10.3390/polym16091286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 04/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The last few decades have witnessed significant advances in the development of polymeric-based foam materials. These materials find several practical applications in our daily lives due to their characteristic properties such as low density, thermal insulation, and porosity, which are important in packaging, in building construction, and in biomedical applications, respectively. The first foams with practical applications used polymeric materials of petrochemical origin. However, due to growing environmental concerns, considerable efforts have been made to replace some of these materials with biodegradable polymers. Foam processing has evolved greatly in recent years due to improvements in existing techniques, such as the use of supercritical fluids in extrusion foaming and foam injection moulding, as well as the advent or adaptation of existing techniques to produce foams, as in the case of the combination between additive manufacturing and foam technology. The use of supercritical CO2 is especially advantageous in the production of porous structures for biomedical applications, as CO2 is chemically inert and non-toxic; in addition, it allows for an easy tailoring of the pore structure through processing conditions. Biodegradable polymeric materials, despite their enormous advantages over petroleum-based materials, present some difficulties regarding their potential use in foaming, such as poor melt strength, slow crystallization rate, poor processability, low service temperature, low toughness, and high brittleness, which limits their field of application. Several strategies were developed to improve the melt strength, including the change in monomer composition and the use of chemical modifiers and chain extenders to extend the chain length or create a branched molecular structure, to increase the molecular weight and the viscosity of the polymer. The use of additives or fillers is also commonly used, as fillers can improve crystallization kinetics by acting as crystal-nucleating agents. Alternatively, biodegradable polymers can be blended with other biodegradable polymers to combine certain properties and to counteract certain limitations. This work therefore aims to provide the latest advances regarding the foaming of biodegradable polymers. It covers the main foaming techniques and their advances and reviews the uses of biodegradable polymers in foaming, focusing on the chemical changes of polymers that improve their foaming ability. Finally, the challenges as well as the main opportunities presented reinforce the market potential of the biodegradable polymer foam materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis F. F. F. Gonçalves
- 3B’s Research Group, I3Bs–Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Zona Industrial da Gandra, Barco, 4805-017 Guimarães, Portugal;
- ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, Barco, 4805-017 Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Rui L. Reis
- 3B’s Research Group, I3Bs–Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Zona Industrial da Gandra, Barco, 4805-017 Guimarães, Portugal;
- ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, Barco, 4805-017 Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Emanuel M. Fernandes
- 3B’s Research Group, I3Bs–Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Zona Industrial da Gandra, Barco, 4805-017 Guimarães, Portugal;
- ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, Barco, 4805-017 Guimarães, Portugal
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Barletta M, Aversa C, Ayyoob M, Gisario A, Hamad K, Mehrpouya M, Vahabi H. Poly(butylene succinate) (PBS): Materials, processing, and industrial applications. Prog Polym Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2022.101579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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Yue J, Fu X, Lu J, Zhang S, Li D, He Y, Wei Q, Liu C, Gan L, Ahmad I, Huang J. Sustainability‐guided life‐cycle design and assessment for bio‐based composite foams: Integrate flame retardancy/lightweight in usage and energy utilization after service. J Appl Polym Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/app.51330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Junfeng Yue
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, and Chongqing Key Laboratory of Soft‐Matter Material Chemistry and Function Manufacturing Southwest University Chongqing China
| | - Xuejiao Fu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, and Chongqing Key Laboratory of Soft‐Matter Material Chemistry and Function Manufacturing Southwest University Chongqing China
| | - Jun Lu
- College of Food Science & Chemical Engineering Hubei University of Arts and Science Xiangyang China
| | - Shuidong Zhang
- School of Mechanical & Automotive Engineering South China University of Technology Guangzhou China
| | - Dong Li
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, and Chongqing Key Laboratory of Soft‐Matter Material Chemistry and Function Manufacturing Southwest University Chongqing China
| | - Yi He
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, and Chongqing Key Laboratory of Soft‐Matter Material Chemistry and Function Manufacturing Southwest University Chongqing China
| | - Quan Wei
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, and Chongqing Key Laboratory of Soft‐Matter Material Chemistry and Function Manufacturing Southwest University Chongqing China
| | - Changhua Liu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, and Chongqing Key Laboratory of Soft‐Matter Material Chemistry and Function Manufacturing Southwest University Chongqing China
| | - Lin Gan
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, and Chongqing Key Laboratory of Soft‐Matter Material Chemistry and Function Manufacturing Southwest University Chongqing China
| | - Ishak Ahmad
- “The Belt and Road (B & R)” International Joint Research Laboratory of Sustainable Material, and Faculty of Science and Technology Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) Bangi Malaysia
| | - Jin Huang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, and Chongqing Key Laboratory of Soft‐Matter Material Chemistry and Function Manufacturing Southwest University Chongqing China
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, and Engineering Research Center of Materials‐Oriented Chemical Engineering of Xinjiang Bintuan Shihezi University Shihezi China
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Mort R, Vorst K, Curtzwiler G, Jiang S. Biobased foams for thermal insulation: material selection, processing, modelling, and performance. RSC Adv 2021; 11:4375-4394. [PMID: 35424381 PMCID: PMC8694562 DOI: 10.1039/d0ra09287h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
With the urgent need for the development of sustainable materials and a circular economy, a surge of research regarding biobased materials and associated processing methods has resulted in many experimental biobased foams. Although several biobased foams are already shown to have thermal and mechanical properties competitive with expanded polystyrene, there remains a fundamental knowledge gap leading to limited understanding of the principles that determine performance. This review outlines the progress in this burgeoning field, introducing materials selection and processing, comparing performance, examining efforts in modelling physical properties, and discusses challenges in applying models to real biobased systems. The focus is on low thermal conductivity, which is a critical property for temperature-controlled applications such as packaging for refrigerated/frozen foods, medications, and vaccines as well as building materials. Currently, the trend in the field is moving towards fully biobased and compostable foams, though partially biobased polyurethane foams remain the most consistent performers. To illustrate the foam structure–property relationship, thermal conductivity, cell size, and density data were compiled. Given the complexity of biobased foams, heat transfer models aid in identifying crucial variables. However, data relevant to the insulation capability of biobased foams is not fully reported in many references. To address this issue, we employed a dimensional analysis to fill the gaps, revealing a power law correlation between thermal conductivity and relative density. Our approach is not intended as a robust prediction technique, but rather a simple demonstration of how biobased foams data could be utilized to predict the most promising materials and methods. This review outlines the progress in biobased foams with a focus on low thermal conductivity. It introduces materials selection and processing, compares performance, examines modelling of physical properties, and discusses challenges in applying models to real systems.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Mort
- Materials Science and Engineering, Iowa State University Ames Iowa 50011 USA .,Polymer and Food Protection Consortium, Iowa State University Ames Iowa 50011 USA
| | - Keith Vorst
- Food Science and Human Nutrition, Iowa State University Ames Iowa 50011 USA.,Polymer and Food Protection Consortium, Iowa State University Ames Iowa 50011 USA
| | - Greg Curtzwiler
- Food Science and Human Nutrition, Iowa State University Ames Iowa 50011 USA.,Polymer and Food Protection Consortium, Iowa State University Ames Iowa 50011 USA
| | - Shan Jiang
- Materials Science and Engineering, Iowa State University Ames Iowa 50011 USA .,Polymer and Food Protection Consortium, Iowa State University Ames Iowa 50011 USA
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Fabrication of branching poly (butylene succinate)/cellulose nanocrystal foams with exceptional thermal insulation. Carbohydr Polym 2020; 247:116708. [PMID: 32829836 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2020.116708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2020] [Revised: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Branching poly (butylene succinate) (BPBS) nanocomposite foams incorporated with cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were prepared by supercritical CO2. Surface modification of CNCs by acetylation was achieved through replacing hydrophilic hydroxyl groups with hydrophobic acetyl groups, which improved the dispersibility of CNCs significantly. The crystallite sizes of CNCs and acetylated CNCs were calculated by Scherrer's formula as 25 and 19 nm, respectively. The initial crystallization temperature of diverse poly (butylene succinate) (PBS) specimens, a crucial factor for regulating cell nucleation type, increased remarkably by 11.8 °C as well as their storage modulus increased by 2 orders of magnitudes, due to branching reaction and bio-filler addition. BPBS/CNCs foam possessed a high volume expansion ratio as 37.1 times and displayed an exceptional thermal conductivity as 0.021 W(m K)-1. This study provided a promising potential strategy to develop exceptional thermal-insulation polymer foams for composite structures, energy conservation and environment protection.
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Development of Poly (Lactide Acid) Foams with Thermally Expandable Microspheres. Polymers (Basel) 2020; 12:polym12020463. [PMID: 32079245 PMCID: PMC7077686 DOI: 10.3390/polym12020463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
This study presents the investigation of different content of thermally expandable microsphere (EMS) type of a physical blowing agent added to polylactic acid (PLA). The effects of the different doses of EMS, processing temperatures, and d-lactide content of the polylactic acid were analyzed for foam properties and structures. We characterized the different PLAs and the physical blowing agent with different testing methods (gel permeation chromatography, rotational rheometry, isothermal thermogravimetric analysis, and thermomechanical analysis). The amounts of the foaming agent were 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8 wt%, and processing temperatures were 190 °C, 210 °C, and 230 °C. The foam structures were produced by twin-screw extrusion. We used scanning electron microscopy to examine the cell structure of the foams produced, and carried out morphological and mechanical tests as well. The result of extrusion foaming of PLA using different amounts of EMS shows that an exponentially decreasing tendency of density reduction can be achieved, described by the following equation, ρ(x)=1.062∙e-x7.038+0.03 (R2 = 0.947) at 190 °C. With increasing processing temperature, density decreases at a lower rate, due to the effect that the microspheres are unable to hold the pentane gas within the polymer shell structure. The d-lactide content of the PLAs does not have a significant effect on the density of the produced foam structures.
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Boonprasertpoh A, Pentrakoon D, Junkasem J. Effect of PBAT on physical, morphological, and mechanical properties of PBS/PBAT foam. CELLULAR POLYMERS 2019. [DOI: 10.1177/0262489319873859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This study examines the effect of poly(butylene adipate- co-terephthalate) (PBAT) content on the physical, morphological, and mechanical properties of poly(butylene succinate) (PBS)/PBAT foam. A compression molding technique was used to prepare the PBS/PBAT foam using the chemical blowing agent azodicarbonamide and the cross-linking agent dicumyl peroxide. The chemical structure and morphological properties of PBS/PBAT foam were examined via Fourier transform infrared and scanning electron microscopy techniques, respectively, whereas tensile and flexural properties were investigated using a universal testing machine. The results reveal that the incorporation of PBAT barely enhances the viscosity of the PBS/PBAT blend, producing only minor changes in the average cell size of PBS/PBAT foam. However, increasing the PBAT content contributes to a relatively significant improvement in the flexibility and toughness of PBS/PBAT foam, where a decrease in Young’s modulus and tensile strength of the PBS/PBAT foam is observed compared with those of the PBS foam. Similar behavior to the tensile results is noticed for the flexural properties of the neat and PBS/PBAT foams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aekartit Boonprasertpoh
- Department of Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Center of Excellence on Petrochemical and Materials Technology, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Duanghathai Pentrakoon
- Department of Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Center of Excellence on Petrochemical and Materials Technology, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Jirawut Junkasem
- PTT Research and Technology Institute, PTT Public Company Limited, Thailand
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Recent Trends of Foaming in Polymer Processing: A Review. Polymers (Basel) 2019; 11:polym11060953. [PMID: 31159423 PMCID: PMC6631771 DOI: 10.3390/polym11060953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Revised: 05/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Polymer foams have low density, good heat insulation, good sound insulation effects, high specific strength, and high corrosion resistance, and are widely used in civil and industrial applications. In this paper, the classification of polymer foams, principles of the foaming process, types of blowing agents, and raw materials of polymer foams are reviewed. The research progress of various foaming methods and the current problems and possible solutions are discussed in detail.
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