Microcellular foams production from nanocomposites based on PS using MOF nanoparticles with enhanced CO2 properties as nucleating agent. (July 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cuadra-Rodríguez, Daniel; Qi, Xiao-Lin; Barroso-Solares, Suset; Rodríguez Pérez, Miguel Ángel; Pinto, Javier
• Is Part Of: Journal of cellular plastics. Volume 58:Number 4(2022)
• Page Start: 623
• Page End: 644
• Publication Date: 2022-07
• Subjects: Metal-organic frameworks -- nanocomposites -- CO2 -- philic particles -- heterogeneous nucleation -- gas dissolution foaming process; Plastic foams -- Periodicals; 668.493
• DOI: 10.1177/0021955X221087599
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0021-955X

Abstract

The use of metal-organic frameworks (MOF) nanoparticles as nucleating agents in gas dissolution foaming processes is presented. In this work, MOF nanoparticles with three different particle sizes were synthetized and introduced in film composites based on polystyrene at 1 wt.%. The addition of nanoparticles with high affinity to CO2, which is the gas used as a physical blowing agent, can contribute to increase the nucleation efficiency in comparison with the classical heterogeneous route using non CO2 -philic particles. Nanoparticles dispersion in solids and cellular structure in foams were studied as a function of the particle size and foaming parameters, studying for first time the impact of MOF nanoparticles on the nucleation by gas dissolution foaming. Nucleation efficiencies in the order of 10 −2 were achieved for PS/MOF composites. In addition, the thermal stability of the cellular structure in the composites was enhanced regarding to PS matrix, preserving the cellular structure regardless the foaming temperature. Therefore, MOF nanoparticles have emerged as promising nucleating agents in foaming procedures.