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Zhou Y, Tian Y, Zhang M. Technical development and application of supercritical CO 2 foaming technology in PCL foam production. Sci Rep 2024; 14:6825. [PMID: 38514733 PMCID: PMC10958027 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-57545-6] [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: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Polycaprolactone (PCL) has the advantages of good biocompatibility, appropriate biodegradability, non-toxicity, flexibility, and processability. As a result, PCL-based foams can successfully work in bone tissue engineering, medical patches, drug delivery, reinforcing materials, and other applications. A promising technology for producing PCL foam products is supercritical CO2 (ScCO2) foaming technology, which avoids using organic solvents, is green, and has low foaming agent costs. However, due to the limitations of ScCO2 foaming technology, it is no longer possible to use this technology alone to meet current production requirements. Therefore, ScCO2 foaming technology must combine with other technologies to develop PCL foam products with better performance and matching requirements. This paper systematically reviews the technological development of ScCO2 foaming in producing PCL foams. The molding process of ScCO2 foaming and the conventional preparation process of PCL foam products are discussed comprehensively, including the preparation process, advantages, and disadvantages, challenges faced, etc. Six combined technologies for ScCO2 foaming in the production of PCL foams and the applications of PCL foams are presented. Finally, the future remaining research for producing PCL foams by ScCO2 foaming is analyzed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujin Zhou
- College of Physical Education, Wuhan Sports University, Wuhan, 430079, China
- College of Science, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430081, China
| | - Yingrui Tian
- School of Materials and Metallurgy, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430081, China
| | - Mengdong Zhang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Automotive Components & Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Automotive Components Technology, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, China.
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Ranganathan P, Chen CW, Chou YL, Rwei SP, Ramaraj SK. Biomass chemical upcycling of waste rPET for the fabrication of formamide-free TPEE microcellular foams via scCO2 foaming. J CO2 UTIL 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcou.2022.102199] [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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3
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Supercritical carbon dioxide foaming for ultra-low dielectric loss perfluorinated foam. J CO2 UTIL 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcou.2022.102226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Xu Z, Wang G, Zhao J, Zhang A, Dong G, Zhao G. Anti-shrinkage, high-elastic, and strong thermoplastic polyester elastomer foams fabricated by microcellular foaming with CO2 & N2 as blowing agents. J CO2 UTIL 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcou.2022.102076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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5
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Li P, Lan B, Zhang Q, Yang Q, Gong P, Park CB, Li G. Microcellular foams simultaneous reinforcing and toughening strategy of combining nano-fibrillation network and supercritical solid-state foaming. POLYMER 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2022.124928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Anstey A, Tuccitto AV, Lee PC, Park CB. Generation of Tough, Stiff Polylactide Nanocomposites through the In Situ Nanofibrillation of Thermoplastic Elastomer. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:14422-14434. [PMID: 35302743 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c13836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Polylactide (PLA) resins are among the most desirable biopolymers due to their biobased and compostable nature, excellent stiffness, and tensile strength. However, the widespread application of PLA has long been hindered by its inherent brittleness. While multiple routes have been successfully developed for the toughening of PLA, this toughening has always come at the cost of compromising the stiffness and strength of the matrix. In this work, we report a robust and scalable method for the development of PLA nanocomposites with an unprecedented combination of stiffness and toughness. Using the in situ nanofibrillation technique, we generated PLA composites containing nanofibrils of thermoplastic polyester elastomer (TPEE). Due to the high aspect ratio of these nanofibrils, they form physically percolated networks at low weight fractions (∼2.8 wt %) which dramatically change the mechanical behavior of the material. We found that, upon network formation, the material transitions from brittle to ductile behavior, dramatically increasing its toughness with only a marginal decrease in Young's modulus. We investigate the peculiar rheological behavior and crystallization kinetics of these blends, and propose an extension of the critical ligament thickness mechanism, wherein intrinsic toughening arises at the fiber-matrix interface in the presence of entangled elastomer networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Anstey
- Microcellular Plastics Manufacturing Laboratory (MPML), Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, 5 King's College Road, Toronto M5S 3G8, Canada
- Multifunctional Composites Manufacturing Laboratory (MCML), Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, 5 King's College Road, Toronto M5S 3G8, Canada
| | - Anthony V Tuccitto
- Multifunctional Composites Manufacturing Laboratory (MCML), Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, 5 King's College Road, Toronto M5S 3G8, Canada
| | - Patrick C Lee
- Microcellular Plastics Manufacturing Laboratory (MPML), Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, 5 King's College Road, Toronto M5S 3G8, Canada
- Multifunctional Composites Manufacturing Laboratory (MCML), Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, 5 King's College Road, Toronto M5S 3G8, Canada
| | - Chul B Park
- Microcellular Plastics Manufacturing Laboratory (MPML), Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, 5 King's College Road, Toronto M5S 3G8, Canada
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Md. Shahin AN, Shaayegan V, Lee PC, Park CB. In Situ Visualization for Control of Nano-Fibrillation Based on Spunbond Processing Using a Polypropylene/Polyethylene Terephthalate System. INT POLYM PROC 2021. [DOI: 10.1515/ipp-2020-4072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
In situ generation of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) nanofibrils in polypropylene (PP) microfibers via fiber spinning in a spunbond process was studied in this work. The effects of polymer flow rate and air speed in the drafter on the formation of PET fibrils were investigated using a pilot scale machine. An in-situ visualization technique was applied to examine the fiber evolution events and stretch profile at die exit. A scanning electron microscope was used to analyze and investigate the morphology of the dispersed domain. The PET dispersed phase was fibrillated within the PP matrix such that a nonofibrillated composite containing fibrils with an average size around 100 nm was obtained. It was found that the final fibril size directly depends on the degree of die swell, the air speed and the polymer flow rate. It was also found that the in situ observed size of the micro-scale PP/PET fibers was well correlated to the size of the nano-scale PET fibers formed in the PP matrix. The visualization results revealed that a smaller fibril diameter was obtainable by increasing the stretching on the spin line and/or decreasing the die swell.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. N. Md. Shahin
- Microcellular Plastics Manufacturing Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto , Toronto , Canada
| | - V. Shaayegan
- Microcellular Plastics Manufacturing Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto , Toronto , Canada
| | - P. C. Lee
- Microcellular Plastics Manufacturing Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto , Toronto , Canada
- Multifunctional Composites Manufacturing Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto , Toronto , Canada
| | - C. B. Park
- Microcellular Plastics Manufacturing Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto , Toronto , Canada
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9
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Rostami-Tapeh-Esmaeil E, Vahidifar A, Esmizadeh E, Rodrigue D. Chemistry, Processing, Properties, and Applications of Rubber Foams. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:1565. [PMID: 34068238 PMCID: PMC8153173 DOI: 10.3390/polym13101565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Revised: 05/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
With the ever-increasing development in science and technology, as well as social awareness, more requirements are imposed on the production and property of all materials, especially polymeric foams. In particular, rubber foams, compared to thermoplastic foams in general, have higher flexibility, resistance to abrasion, energy absorption capabilities, strength-to-weight ratio and tensile strength leading to their widespread use in several applications such as thermal insulation, energy absorption, pressure sensors, absorbents, etc. To control the rubber foams microstructure leading to excellent physical and mechanical properties, two types of parameters play important roles. The first category is related to formulation including the rubber (type and grade), as well as the type and content of accelerators, fillers, and foaming agents. The second category is associated to processing parameters such as the processing method (injection, extrusion, compression, etc.), as well as different conditions related to foaming (temperature, pressure and number of stage) and curing (temperature, time and precuring time). This review presents the different parameters involved and discusses their effect on the morphological, physical, and mechanical properties of rubber foams. Although several studies have been published on rubber foams, very few papers reviewed the subject and compared the results available. In this review, the most recent works on rubber foams have been collected to provide a general overview on different types of rubber foams from their preparation to their final application. Detailed information on formulation, curing and foaming chemistry, production methods, morphology, properties, and applications is presented and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ali Vahidifar
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Bonab, Bonab 5551761167, Iran;
| | - Elnaz Esmizadeh
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Bonab, Bonab 5551761167, Iran;
| | - Denis Rodrigue
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Université Laval, Quebec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada;
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Affiliation(s)
- Wentao Zhai
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Junjie Jiang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
- Ningbo Key Lab of Polymer Materials, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Chul B. Park
- Microcellular Plastics Manufacturing Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Liu B, Jiang T, Zeng X, Deng R, Gu J, Gong W, He L. Polypropylene/thermoplastic polyester elastomer blend: Crystallization properties, rheological behavior, and foaming performance. POLYM ADVAN TECHNOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/pat.5240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Bujin Liu
- The Institute of Materials and Metallurgy of Guizhou University Guiyang China
- National Engineering Research Center for Compounding and Modification of Polymer Materials Guiyang China
| | - Tuanhui Jiang
- National Engineering Research Center for Compounding and Modification of Polymer Materials Guiyang China
| | - Xiangbu Zeng
- National Engineering Research Center for Compounding and Modification of Polymer Materials Guiyang China
| | - Rong Deng
- The Institute of Materials and Metallurgy of Guizhou University Guiyang China
- National Engineering Research Center for Compounding and Modification of Polymer Materials Guiyang China
| | - Jun Gu
- The Institute of Materials and Metallurgy of Guizhou University Guiyang China
- National Engineering Research Center for Compounding and Modification of Polymer Materials Guiyang China
| | - Wei Gong
- The Institute of Materials and Construction of Guizhou Normal University Guiyang China
| | - Li He
- The Institute of Materials and Metallurgy of Guizhou University Guiyang China
- National Engineering Research Center for Compounding and Modification of Polymer Materials Guiyang China
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Anstey A, Chang E, Kim ES, Rizvi A, Kakroodi AR, Park CB, Lee PC. Nanofibrillated polymer systems: Design, application, and current state of the art. Prog Polym Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2020.101346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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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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Kim E, Kweon MS, Romero-Diez S, Gupta A, Yan X, Spofford C, Pehlert G, Lee PC. Effects of pressure drop rate and CO2 content on the foaming behavior of newly developed high-melt-strength polypropylene in continuous extrusion. J CELL PLAST 2020. [DOI: 10.1177/0021955x20943110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
We report systematic studies on the foamability of our novel high-melt-strength long-chain branched polypropylene under supercritical CO2. Continuous foaming experiments were conducted using a tandem extrusion system and a set of filamentary dies with similar pressure drops but different pressure drop rates. The foam expansion was controlled by varying the temperature at the die exit. Under identical CO2 loadings, the expansion ratio plotted as a function of die temperature exhibited similar shapes across multiple pressure drop rates. However, the shape of the curve varied across different amounts of CO2, under which the highest achievable expansion ratio occurred at a lower die temperature with increasing CO2 content. The cell density displayed strong dependence on both the pressure drop rate and the amount of dissolved CO2. The effect of the latter became more apparent at lower pressure drop rates. The average cell size decreased with increasing CO2 loading but generally showed weak dependence on pressure drop rate except at the highest value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Kim
- Multifunctional Composites Manufacturing Laboratory (MCML), Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Mu Sung Kweon
- Multifunctional Composites Manufacturing Laboratory (MCML), Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Sandra Romero-Diez
- Multifunctional Composites Manufacturing Laboratory (MCML), Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Anvit Gupta
- ExxonMobil Chemical Company, Baytown, TX, USA
| | - Xuejia Yan
- ExxonMobil Chemical Company, Baytown, TX, USA
| | | | | | - Patrick C Lee
- Multifunctional Composites Manufacturing Laboratory (MCML), Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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Comparison of Selected Parameters of a Planetary Gearbox with Involute and Convex–Concave Teeth Flank Profiles. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/app10041417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This article presents a model of the geometry of teeth profiles based on the path of contact definition. The basic principles of the involute and convex–concave teeth profile generation are described. Due to the more difficult manufacturing of the convex–concave gear profile in comparison to the involute one, an application example was defined that suppressed this disadvantage, namely a planetary gearbox with plastic-injection-molded gears commonly used in vehicle back-view mirror positioners. The contact pressures and the slide ratios of the sun, planet, and ring gears with both teeth profile variants were observed and the differences between the calculated parameters are discussed.
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