Microcellular foams of thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs) based on waste ground rubber tire powder

With the increased adoption of thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs) in automotive weather seal systems, the foams of TPVs present an important milestone in providing key applications such as trunk and door seals. In this study, microcellular foams of TPV based on waste ground rubber tire powder (WGRT) were investigated. In order to investigate the relationship between processing conditions and structure of TPV foams, we first prepared the thermoplastic vulcanizates of PP-g-MA/WGRT, then the samples were saturated with carbon dioxide and the saturated specimens were expanded during the pressure-quench process. The results indicated that the microcellular structure was dependent on the processing conditions. Cell size increased with saturation temperature, whereas cell density and relative density decreased. Different nucleation processes were produced with saturation pressure.