Lightweight and strong microcellular injection molded PP/talc nanocomposite

Lightweight is of great significance for reducing material and energy consumptions. Microcellular injection molding is an advanced technology for fabricating lightweight plastic structural components, but the deteriorated mechanical performance is a big challenge. In this study, we reported a facile and scalable way to fabricate the lightweight and strong microcellular polypropylene/talcum (PP/talc) component. Both PP/talc microcomposite and PP/talc nanocomposite were prepared by the twin-screw compounding, and the SEM images show a uniform dispersion of talc. The DSC analysis results demonstrate that either the micro or nano talc is very effective in promoting the crystallization of PP. The rheological tests show that both the micro talc and the nano talc lead to obviously enhanced viscoelastic properties of the PP melt, while the effect of the nano talc is much more pronounced than that of the micro talc. Thanks to the enhanced crystallization and improved viscoelastic behavior, both the microcomposite foam and the nanocomposite foam shows much refined cellular structure than the pure PP foam. The PP/talc microcomposite foam shows significantly improved strength but seriously deteriorated toughness, compared with the pure PP foam. In contrast, the PP/talc nanocomposite foam shows simultaneously improved strength, rigidity and toughness. Notably, the tensile toughness and the Gardner impact toughness of the PP/talc nanocomposite foam are dramatically enhanced by 226.1% and 166.2%, respectively. Taking into account the flexible and scalable features of the processing methodology, the lightweight and strong PP/talc nanocomposite foam shows a promising future to replace the solid structural components in many industrial applications such as automotive and consumer electronics.