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Foam extrusion behavior, morphology, and physical foam properties of organic cellulose ester

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Abstract

This paper presents recent results of foam extrusion of thermoplastic cellulose acetate (CA) using HFO 1234ze as low global warming blowing agent and talc as nucleating agent. Foam extrusion behavior, physical foam properties, and foam morphologies were studied in detail with respect to blowing agent concentration and talc content. Depending on these parameters, thermoplastic CA exhibits excellent foam extrusion performance with good expansion behavior at the die. Talc as nucleating agent results in homogeneous fine foam morphologies with closed cells [i.e., Fig. 3(3)]. Depending on the blowing agent content and talc content, average cell size ranges from 1 to 0.12 mm and foam density ranges between 100 and 400 kg/m3.

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded by the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection BMELV and the Agency for Renewable Resources FNR (FKZ: 22023106). The authors thank FKuR Kunststoff GmbH, Honeywell Fluorine Products Europe B.V., and Mondo Minerals B.V. for material supply.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department Bio-based Plastics, Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety, and Energy Technology UMSICHT, Osterfelder Straße 3, 46047, Oberhausen, Germany

    Stefan Zepnik & Stephan Kabasci

  2. Center of Engineering Sciences, Polymer Technology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06099, Halle, Germany

    Stefan Zepnik

  3. Department Extrusion, RWTH Aachen University, Institute of Plastics Processing IKV, 52056, Aachen, Germany

    Sven Hendriks

  4. Department Polymer Technology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Center of Engineering Sciences, 06099, Halle, Germany

    Hans-Joachim Radusch

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  1. Stefan Zepnik
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  2. Sven Hendriks
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  4. Hans-Joachim Radusch
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Correspondence to Stefan Zepnik.

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Zepnik, S., Hendriks, S., Kabasci, S. et al. Foam extrusion behavior, morphology, and physical foam properties of organic cellulose ester. Journal of Materials Research 28, 2394–2400 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2013.141

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2013.141

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