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Miele L, Di Lorenzo E, Guissart C, Di Maio E. Liquid foaming of TPU with Methylal. Heliyon 2024; 10:e32420. [PMID: 39183888 PMCID: PMC11341319 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e32420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024] Open
Abstract
This work investigates the peculiarities of using a liquid blowing agent, namely dimethoxymethane (Methylal) to foam a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) in the laboratory practice of batch foaming equipment. We preliminarily measured thermodynamic properties of the polymer/gas system relevant to foaming, namely the vapor-liquid pressures at the TPU foaming temperatures. Three different paths were then explored for foaming. First, we used Methylal under its liquid-vapor equilibrium condition, in which both liquid and vapor are present. Secondly, we used Methylal in the liquid state to experiment with liquid foaming strategies. We have observed specific aspects, details, and issues related to the use of liquid blowing agents and devised strategies to deal with them. Finally, we used Methylal as a co-blowing agent together with CO2. In all cases, we examined the impact of pressure, pressure drop rate, and temperature on foam density and morphology. Overall, liquid foaming has proven to be a viable technique and Methylal an effective blowing agent, especially in cooperation with other gaseous blowing agents, where it significantly improves the expansion ratio of the final product.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Miele
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, University of Naples Federico II, P.le Tecchio 80, 80125, Naples, Italy
- foamlab, University of Naples Federico II, P.le Tecchio 80, 80125, Naples, Italy
| | - Emilia Di Lorenzo
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, University of Naples Federico II, P.le Tecchio 80, 80125, Naples, Italy
- foamlab, University of Naples Federico II, P.le Tecchio 80, 80125, Naples, Italy
| | - Céline Guissart
- Lambiotte et Compagnie S.A., Avenue des Aubépines, 18, B-1180, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ernesto Di Maio
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, University of Naples Federico II, P.le Tecchio 80, 80125, Naples, Italy
- foamlab, University of Naples Federico II, P.le Tecchio 80, 80125, Naples, Italy
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Dippold M, Ruckdäschel H. Influence of pressure-induced temperature drop on the foaming behavior of amorphous polylactide (PLA) during autoclave foaming with supercritical CO2. J Supercrit Fluids 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.supflu.2022.105734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
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Doyle L, Weidlich I, Di Maio E. Developing Insulating Polymeric Foams: Strategies and Research Needs from a Circular Economy Perspective. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 15:6212. [PMID: 36143523 PMCID: PMC9502929 DOI: 10.3390/ma15186212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Insulating polymeric foams have an important role to play in increasing energy efficiency and therefore contributing to combating climate change. Their development in recent years has been driven towards the reduction of thermal conductivity and achievement of the required mechanical properties as main targets towards sustainability. This perception of sustainability has overseen the choice of raw materials, which are often toxic, or has placed research efforts on optimizing one constituent while the other necessary reactants remain hazardous. The transition to the circular economy requires a holistic understanding of sustainability and a shift in design methodology and the resulting research focus. This paper identifies research needs and possible strategies for polymeric foam development compatible with Circular Product Design and Green Engineering, based on an extensive literature review. Identified research needs include material characterization of a broader spectrum of polymer melt-gas solutions, ageing behavior, tailoring of the polymer chains, detailed understanding and modeling of the effects of shear on cell nucleation, and the upscaling of processing tools allowing for high and defined pressure drop rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Doyle
- Technical Infrastructure Management, HafenCity University, 20457 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ingo Weidlich
- Technical Infrastructure Management, HafenCity University, 20457 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ernesto Di Maio
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, University of Naples Federico II, 80138 Naples, Italy
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Ge Y, Fang Z, Liu T. Accurate determination of bubble size and expansion ratio for polymer foaming with non-isothermal PBB model based on additional energy conservation. Chem Eng Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ces.2021.117415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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5
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Heterogeneous Bubble Nucleation by Homogeneous Crystal Nuclei in Poly(
l
‐Lactic Acid) Foaming. MACROMOL CHEM PHYS 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/macp.202100428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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Tammaro D, Walker C, Lombardi L, Trommsdorff U. Effect of extrudate swell on extrusion foam of polyethylene terephthalate. J CELL PLAST 2020. [DOI: 10.1177/0021955x20973599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The effect of extrudate swell on extrusion foam of thermoplastic polymers is presented using an experimental approach supported by a modelling of the phenomenon. Its understanding is fundamental in designing the geometry of a die for extrusion foam and to predict foaming. The extrudate swell is the swelling of a viscoelastic material due to a fast elastic recovery after being subjected to stresses. We show that there exists a link between the extrudate swell and foaming, performing experiments with simple and complex extrusion dies to measure the expansion ratio. It was found that the expansion ratio is anisotropic and the anisotropy in the expansion of the foam is due to the extrudate swell that affects strongly the final shape of the product and it cannot be neglected in standard application for extrusion foam. A simple heuristic model was developed to predict the extrudate swell from geometrical parameters and rheological characterization of the fluid. It was found that the foaming mechanism of polyethylene terephthalate, blown with cyclopentane, changes as function of extrudate swell and the lowest density foam is achieved using the die that has the bigger extrudate swell.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Tammaro
- University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy
| | - C Walker
- Sulzer Chemtech, Winterthur, Switzerland
| | - L Lombardi
- University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy
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Pastore Carbone MG, Tammaro D, Manikas AC, Paterakis G, Di Maio E, Galiotis C. Wettability of graphene by molten polymers. POLYMER 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2019.121708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Tammaro D, Astarita A, Di Maio E, Iannace S. Polystyrene Foaming at High Pressure Drop Rates. Ind Eng Chem Res 2016. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.5b04911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Tammaro
- Dipartimento
di Ingegneria Chimica, dei
Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Piazzale Tecchio 80, I-80125 Napoli, Italy
| | - Antonello Astarita
- Dipartimento
di Ingegneria Chimica, dei
Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Piazzale Tecchio 80, I-80125 Napoli, Italy
| | - Ernesto Di Maio
- Dipartimento
di Ingegneria Chimica, dei
Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Piazzale Tecchio 80, I-80125 Napoli, Italy
| | - Salvatore Iannace
- Istituto
per lo Studio delle Macromolecole, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via E. Bassini 15, I-20133 Milano, Italy
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