• Macromolecular Research
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.404-410
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• 2008

In order to obtain 'value added products' from polypropylene (PP)/waste ground rubber tire powder (WGRT) composites, PP/WGRT microcellular foams were prepared via supercritical carbon dioxide. The effects of blend composition and processing condition on the cell size, cell density and relative density of PP/WGRT micro-cellular composites were studied. The results indicated that the microcellular structure was dependent on blend composition and processing condition. An increased content of waste ground rubber tire powder (WGRT) and maleic anhydride-grafted styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS-g-MA) reduced the cell size, and raised the cell density and relative density, whereas a higher saturation pressure increased the cell size, and reduced the cell density and relative density. With increasing saturation temperature, the cell size increased and the relative density decreased, whereas the cell density initially increased and then decreased.

• Composites Research
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.297-302
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• 2023

There are several methods for shaping foams, but the most commonly used methods involve the use of resin mixed with a foaming agent, which is then foamed under high temperature and pressure in the case of compression foaming, or foamed under high temperature without applying pressure in the case of atmospheric foaming. The polymers used for foaming require design and analysis of optimal foaming conditions in order to achieve foaming under ambient pressure. Environmentally friendly bio-based polymers face challenges when it comes to foaming on their own, which has led to ongoing research in blending them with resins capable of traditional foam production. This study investigates changes in the characteristics of bio-based polymer-EVA blend foams based on variations in the content of bio-based polymers and explores the optimal foaming conditions according to crosslinking. The correlation between foaming characteristics and mechanical properties of the foams was examined. Through this research, we gained insights into how the content of bio-based polymers affects the properties of foams containing bio-based polymers and identified differences between ambient pressure and high-pressure foaming processes. Additionally, the feasibility of commercializing bio-based polymer-EVA composite foams was confirmed.