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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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Wu Y, Zhang S, Han S, Yu K, Wang L. Regulating cell morphology of poly (lactic acid) foams from microcellular to nanocellular by crystal nucleating agent. Polym Degrad Stab 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2022.110117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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3
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Zhao C, Mark LH, Kim S, Chang E, Park CB, Lee PC. Recent progress in micro‐/nano‐fibrillar reinforced polymeric composite foams. POLYM ENG SCI 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/pen.25643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chongxiang Zhao
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Lun Howe Mark
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Sundong Kim
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Eunse Chang
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Chul B. Park
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Patrick C. Lee
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada
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4
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Li S, Liao X, Liu F, Li G. The crystallization morphology and process of stereocomplex crystallites of polylactide under CO 2: the effect of H-bonding and chain diffusion. CrystEngComm 2021. [DOI: 10.1039/d1ce01109j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The crystallization of PLA SC under CO2 was in situ investigated for the first time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaojie Li
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610065, China
| | - Xia Liao
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610065, China
| | - Feng Liu
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610065, China
| | - Guangxian Li
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610065, China
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Chen J, Yang L, Mai Q, Li M, Wu L, Kong P. Foaming behavior of poly(lactic acid) with different D-isomer content based on supercritical CO2-induced crystallization. J CELL PLAST 2020. [DOI: 10.1177/0021955x20950242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Using supercritical carbon dioxide (sc-CO2) as a physical foaming agent, the effect of sc-CO2 on the formation of crystalline domains and subsequently on the foaming behaviors of the two grades of PLA with different D-isomer content were investigated in a wide foaming temperature range. The PLA’s final crystallinity is significantly increased with decreasing annealing temperature and by reducing the D-isomer content. Cellular structure results show that not only the crystallinity but also the crystalline morphology play an important role in cellular structure. A novel spherulite morphology including ringless and ring-banded morphology in the same spherulite was formed at lower foaming temperature, as a result, some entities were nonuniformly distributed in the PLA foams. Uniform and closed cellular structure were obtained when only the ring-banded spherulites were formed. An opened and interconnected cellular structure is tended to be formed because of the synergistic effect of high temperature and plasticization of CO2. Based on the crystallinity and morphology, a suitable foaming window as a function of temperature is proposed. It is found that PLA with 4.1% D-isomer content had much broader suitable foaming window range to produce homogeneous cellular structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinwei Chen
- Advanced Research Center for Polymer Processing Engineering of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, China
- School of Light Chemical Technology, Guangdong Industry Polytechnic, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ling Yang
- School of Light Chemical Technology, Guangdong Industry Polytechnic, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qunshan Mai
- School of Light Chemical Technology, Guangdong Industry Polytechnic, Guangzhou, China
| | - Mei Li
- School of Light Chemical Technology, Guangdong Industry Polytechnic, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lixuan Wu
- School of Light Chemical Technology, Guangdong Industry Polytechnic, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ping Kong
- School of Light Chemical Technology, Guangdong Industry Polytechnic, Guangzhou, China
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Villamil Jiménez JA, Le Moigne N, Bénézet JC, Sauceau M, Sescousse R, Fages J. Foaming of PLA Composites by Supercritical Fluid-Assisted Processes: A Review. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25153408. [PMID: 32731388 PMCID: PMC7436275 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25153408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Polylactic acid (PLA) is a well-known and commercially available biopolymer that can be produced from different sources. Its different characteristics generated a great deal of interest in various industrial fields. Besides, its use as a polymer matrix for foam production has increased in recent years. With the rise of technologies that seek to reduce the negative environmental impact of processes, chemical foaming agents are being substituted by physical agents, primarily supercritical fluids (SCFs). Currently, the mass production of low-density PLA foams with a uniform cell morphology using SCFs as blowing agents is a challenge. This is mainly due to the low melt strength of PLA and its slow crystallization kinetics. Among the different options to improve the PLA characteristics, compounding it with different types of fillers has great potential. This strategy does not only have foaming advantages, but can also improve the performances of the final composites, regardless of the implemented foaming process, i.e., batch, injection molding, and extrusion. In addition, the operating conditions and the characteristics of the fillers, such as their size, shape factor, and surface chemistry, play an important role in the final foam morphology. This article proposes a critical review on the different SCF-assisted processes and effects of operating conditions and fillers on foaming of PLA composites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Andrea Villamil Jiménez
- Polymers Composites and Hybrids (PCH), IMT Mines Ales, 30100 Ales, France; (J.A.V.J.); (J.-C.B.)
- Centre RAPSODEE, IMT Mines Albi, CNRS, Université de Toulouse, 81013 Albi, France; (M.S.); (R.S.)
| | - Nicolas Le Moigne
- Polymers Composites and Hybrids (PCH), IMT Mines Ales, 30100 Ales, France; (J.A.V.J.); (J.-C.B.)
- Correspondence: (N.L.M.); (J.F.)
| | - Jean-Charles Bénézet
- Polymers Composites and Hybrids (PCH), IMT Mines Ales, 30100 Ales, France; (J.A.V.J.); (J.-C.B.)
| | - Martial Sauceau
- Centre RAPSODEE, IMT Mines Albi, CNRS, Université de Toulouse, 81013 Albi, France; (M.S.); (R.S.)
| | - Romain Sescousse
- Centre RAPSODEE, IMT Mines Albi, CNRS, Université de Toulouse, 81013 Albi, France; (M.S.); (R.S.)
| | - Jacques Fages
- Centre RAPSODEE, IMT Mines Albi, CNRS, Université de Toulouse, 81013 Albi, France; (M.S.); (R.S.)
- Correspondence: (N.L.M.); (J.F.)
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Xu JK, Zhang L, Li DL, Bao JB, Wang ZB. Foaming of Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate- co-3-hydroxyvalerate) with Supercritical Carbon Dioxide: Foaming Performance and Crystallization Behavior. ACS OMEGA 2020; 5:9839-9845. [PMID: 32391471 PMCID: PMC7203685 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.9b04501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2019] [Accepted: 04/13/2020] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) samples were successfully foamed using supercritical carbon dioxide as a physical foaming agent. PHBV sheets were first saturated at 175 °C followed by a foaming process at different temperatures (145 to 165 °C) and different CO2 pressures (10 to 29 MPa). It was found that microcellular structures with average cell sizes ranging from 6 to 22 μm and cell densities ranging from 108 to 1.2 × 109 cells/cm3 could be controllably prepared by selecting suitable foaming conditions. To investigate crystallization behavior during the foaming process and explore the corresponding foaming mechanism, differential scanning calorimetry, wide angle X-ray diffraction, and small-angle X-ray scattering characterizations were carried out. Stretching behavior during the cell growth stage may increase the crystal nucleation rate, and the generated crystal nucleus accelerates the crystallization rate as well as thickens PHBV crystal lamellae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Ke Xu
- Ningbo Key Laboratory of
Specialty Polymers, Faculty of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Ningbo Key Laboratory of
Specialty Polymers, Faculty of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - De-Long Li
- Ningbo Key Laboratory of
Specialty Polymers, Faculty of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Jin-Biao Bao
- Ningbo Key Laboratory of
Specialty Polymers, Faculty of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Zong-Bao Wang
- Ningbo Key Laboratory of
Specialty Polymers, Faculty of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
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Xu LQ, Huang HX. Tuning cell structure and expansion ratio of thick-walled biodegradable poly(lactic acid) foams prepared using supercritical CO2. J CELL PLAST 2019. [DOI: 10.1177/0021955x19864389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Thick-walled poly(lactic acid) samples are foamed using supercritical carbon dioxide as physical foaming agent over a wide saturation time range using a constant-temperature mode and a wide foaming pressure range using the constant-temperature mode and a varying-temperature mode. Using the constant-temperature mode, three regions with no-celled core and two regions with cells of different diameters appear on the fractured surfaces of the foamed samples prepared at 5 and 10 min saturation times, respectively, whereas a relatively uniform cellular structure is obtained at 20–180 min saturation times. Raising the foaming pressure can improve the cellular structure uniformity. Moreover, prolonging saturation time or raising foaming pressure results in rupture of more cell walls and so formation of open-celled structure to a certain extent. Using the varying-temperature mode, a bimodal cellular structure with stamen-like cells and a trimodal cellular structure with an extraordinarily high expansion ratio (76.2) are successively achieved during raising the foaming pressure (18–22 MPa). The formation mechanisms for the bimodal and trimodal cellular structures are analyzed based on the result of the foaming pressure effect on the cellular structure in the foamed poly(lactic acid) samples prepared using the constant-temperature mode.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin-Qiong Xu
- Lab for Micro Molding and Polymer Rheology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Technique and Equipment for Macromolecular Advanced Manufacturing, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Han-Xiong Huang
- Lab for Micro Molding and Polymer Rheology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Technique and Equipment for Macromolecular Advanced Manufacturing, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
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Wang S, Xue S, Ge C, Ren Q, Zhao D, Zhai W. Preparation of fluorescent thermoplastic polyurethane microcellular foam films blown by supercritical CO2. J CELL PLAST 2019. [DOI: 10.1177/0021955x19841053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shiping Wang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Ningbo Key Lab of Polymer Materials, Ningbo Institute of Material Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, China
| | - Shuaiwei Xue
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Ningbo Key Lab of Polymer Materials, Ningbo Institute of Material Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, China
| | - Chengbiao Ge
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Ningbo Key Lab of Polymer Materials, Ningbo Institute of Material Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, China
| | - Qian Ren
- Ningbo Key Lab of Polymer Materials, Ningbo Institute of Material Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, China
| | - Dan Zhao
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wentao Zhai
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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Standau T, Zhao C, Murillo Castellón S, Bonten C, Altstädt V. Chemical Modification and Foam Processing of Polylactide (PLA). Polymers (Basel) 2019; 11:E306. [PMID: 30960290 PMCID: PMC6419231 DOI: 10.3390/polym11020306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2019] [Revised: 02/06/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Polylactide (PLA) is known as one of the most promising biopolymers as it is derived from renewable feedstock and can be biodegraded. During the last two decades, it moved more and more into the focus of scientific research and industrial use. It is even considered as a suitable replacement for standard petroleum-based polymers, such as polystyrene (PS), which can be found in a wide range of applications-amongst others in foams for packaging and insulation applications-but cause strong environmental issues. PLA has comparable mechanical properties to PS. However, the lack of melt strength is often referred to as a drawback for most foaming processes. One way to overcome this issue is the incorporation of chemical modifiers which can induce chain extension, branching, or cross-linking. As such, a wide variety of substances were studied in the literature. This work should give an overview of the most commonly used chemical modifiers and their effects on rheological, thermal, and foaming behavior. Therefore, this review article summarizes the research conducted on neat and chemically modified PLA foamed with the conventional foaming methods (i.e., batch foaming, foam extrusion, foam injection molding, and bead foaming).
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Standau
- Depatment of Polymer Engineering, University Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany.
| | - Chunjing Zhao
- Depatment of Polymer Engineering, University Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany.
| | - Svenja Murillo Castellón
- Institut für Kunststofftechnik, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 32, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany.
| | - Christian Bonten
- Institut für Kunststofftechnik, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 32, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany.
| | - Volker Altstädt
- Depatment of Polymer Engineering, University Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany.
- Bavarian Polymer Institute and Bayreuth Institute of Macromolecular Research, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany.
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Li B, Zhao G, Wang G, Zhang L, Gong J. Fabrication of high-expansion microcellular PLA foams based on pre-isothermal cold crystallization and supercritical CO2 foaming. Polym Degrad Stab 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2018.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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