EXPANDED POLYPROPYLENE (EPP) BEAD FOAMS: PROCESS AND CHARACTERIZATION

摘要

This study undertook a systematic investigation of the correlations between processing conditions and the resultant cellular morphology and double-melting-peak characteristics of expanded polypropylene (EPP) bead foams synthesized in a laboratory-scale autoclave foaming system. EPP foam bead samples were synthesized by varying the saturation pressures, temperatures, and durations of the autoclave foaming system at two different levels. Experimental results confirmed that the crystallization characteristics, cellular morphology, and volume expansion ratio of synthesized EPP foam beads were sensitive to these processing parameters. The macroscopic properties of the bead foams were also studied to determine which processing conditions produced better bead foam quality.