Novel Technologies to Produce Cellular Polymers with Tailored - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Hamburg-19 th -21 st November 2013 Novel Technologies to Produce Cellular Polymers with Tailored Cellular Structures and Properties C. Saiz-Arroyo 1,2 , J.A. de Saja 1 , M.A. Rodríguez-Pérez 2 1 CellMat Technologies, Valladolid-Spain 2 CellMat Laboratory-University of Valladolid, Valladolid- Spain Technology and Innovation for Cellular Materials at Industry Service

o C ELL M AT T ECHNOLOGIES o S TAGES M OLDING o A NI C ELL o O PEN C ELL M AT o S UMMARY & C ONCLUSIONS

C ELL M AT T ECHNOLOGIES C ELLULAR M ATERIALS L ABORATORY Established in October 2012. U NIVERSITY OF V ALLADOLID- S PAIN Spin-off company of the University of Valladolid. Established in 1999. International recognized laboratory in the area of cellular materials. Transferring knowledge and o technology on cellular materials to SPECIFIC AND NOVEL industrial partners. KNOW-HOW AND TECHNOLOGIES ON Advising to plastics producers in o ADVANCED CELLULAR manufacturing better and cheaper MATERIALS materials using specific know-how. LICENSES • 125 scientific papers TRANSFER Producing advanced foams and/or • 10 patents and several novel technologies o AGREEMENTS formulations for foaming 12 Ph D thesis • applications • More than 50 research projects • Strong collaborations with companies around the world

C ELL M AT T ECHNOLOGIES W HAT D O W E O FFER? C ELL M AT P RODUCTS C ELL M AT T ECHNOLOGIES STAGES MOULDING o SOLID PLASTIC PARTS PRODUCERS ANICELL o IMPLEMENTATION OF FOAMING PROCESSES OPENCELLMAT o o TECHNICAL CONSULTANCY IN HALOGEN FREE o FLAME RETARDANCY SPECIFIC TRAINING COURSES o FOAM PRODUCERS OPTIMIZATION OF CELLULAR MATERIALS: o PROCESS & PRODUCT SUBSTITUTION OF OIL-DERIVED PRODUCTS o BY BIOPLASTICS TECHNICAL CONSULTANCY IN HALOGEN FREE o FLAME RETARDANCY SPECIFIC TRAINING COURSES o

o C ELL M AT T ECHNOLOGIES o S TAGES M OLDING o A NI C ELL o O PEN C ELL M AT o S UMMARY & C ONCLUSIONS

L IMITATIONS : T HE O RIGIN OF S TAGES M OLDING I NYECTION M OLDING • Low pressure • High pressure R OTOMOLDING • Gas counter pressure • Co-injection foam molding • Mucell technology C URRENT T ECHNOLOGIES TO P RODUCE L IGHT P LASTIC P ARTS o Difficult to obtain relative densities below 0.75, (weight reduction lower than 25%) o Typically powdery raw material o Difficult to achieve good surface quality o Two-axis rotating machines are needed o Expensive molds o Very simple geometries o Size of the parts is limited o Low filler content T HE P RODUCTION OF L IGHT- W EIGHT L ARGE P ARTS IS S OMEHOW L IMITED N OWADAYS

S TAGES M OLDING: H OW I T W ORKS? A NEW TECHNOLOGY TO PRODUCE LARGE LIGHTWEIGHT PLASTIC PARTS, WITH EXCELLENT SURFACE QUALITY USING SIMPLE AND CHEAP MOLDS, AND ADEQUATE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SHORT SERIES. T HE P ROCESS Self-bearing molds Feeding raw Polymer: Thermoplastics Formulation of -Feeder material into a Additives: (Micro-nano, -Extruder raw material up to 80%) mold -Injection unit Blowing agent Cooling and Heating to fill the LOW PRESSURES “Carousel system” (lower than 30 bar) demolding mold K EY A SPECTS o SPECIFIC MOLDS: SELF-BEARING MOLDS. VERY LOW FILLING PRESSURE. o EFFICIENT AND HOMOGENEOUS COOLING AND HEATING OF THE MOLDS. o SPECIFIC FORMULATIONS WITH BETTER FOAMABILITY.

S TAGES M OLDING: K EY A SPECTS o SPECIFIC FORMULATIONS WITH HIGH BETTER FOAMABILITY Stages molding process is basically a free-foaming process using thermoplastics as raw materials, so it becomes strictly necessary to develop highly stabilized formulations. NON-STABILIZED MATERIAL STABILIZED MATERIAL

S TAGES M OLDING: A DVANTAGES T ECHNICAL A DVANTAGES Homogeneous cellular structures , parts with excellent mechanical, thermal and acoustic properties. o Possible to generate skin-core morphology . Parts with no joints , no internal stresses or skin marks . Excellent surface quality. o Very high density reductions (up to 75%) which are associated to economic and environmental o advantages. Molds up to 100 times cheaper than the ones used in conventional injection molding . Low filling o pressures, (lower than 30 bar). SHORT SERIES AT LOW COST. Intrinsic characteristics of the process together with self-bearing molds: no need of an injection unit. o Possible to produce large parts with complex geometries . Up to 2m x 1.5 m. Thickness from 2 mm to o 60 mm. Suitable for any thermoplastic polymer . Possible to make co-injection using different polymers. o Very versatile in terms of fillers, possible to use micro or nanofillers and up to very high contents o (80%). Possible to use also recycled polymers. 59 cm

S TAGES M OLDING: A PPLICATIONS APPLICATIONS Building & Construction Aeronautics o o Automotive Packaging o o Biotechnology Energetic sector. o o Consumption Naval industry o o ANY INDUSTRY USING PLASTIC AS RAW MATERIAL S TAGES M OLDING: A T ECHNICAL & L OW C OST S OLUTION HIGH WEIGHT REDUCTIONS, UP TO 80% WEIGHT, RAW MATERIAL & SELF-BEARING & LOW PRESSURE MOLDS COST REDUCTION & LOW COST REDUCTION INVESTMENTS FOR IMPLEMENTATION NO INJECTION UNIT LARGE PARTS, GOOD SURFACE QUALITY NO SECONDARY PROCESSES & THERMOPLASTICS & ANY FILLER LESS DISCARDED PRODUCTS RECYCLED AND/OR HIGH FILLER CONTENT LOWER COST PER PART (SHORT SERIES)

o C ELL M AT T ECHNOLOGIES o STAGES MOLDING o A NI C ELL o O PEN C ELL M AT o S UMMARY & C ONCLUSIONS

F OAMS & S TRUCTURAL A PPLICATIONS SEVERAL STRATEGIC SECTORS USE FOAMS AS BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION o STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS AUTOMOTIVE o RENEWABLE ENERGIES Panels or core of sandwich panels o AERONAUTICS o NAVAL INDUSTRY o TRAINS o ETC… o B ALSA W OOD C ROSSLINKED P VC P OLYURETHANE • Natural resource, lack of • High cost. • Environmental concerns. homogeneity. Need to crosslink PVC to reach Thermoset: Non-recyclable • • • Not suitable where water low densities. • Fire resistance reached using absorption must be avoided. • Few companies around the halogenated products. • Shortage of supply problems world involved in its production. • Not as good mechanical • Environmental concerns • Non-recyclability after end-use. performance as technical polymers.

T HE ICM R OUTE: T HE O RIGIN OF A NI C ELL THE PRESSURE APPLIED DURING THE FOAMING STEP Mixing raw materials in Production of a APPROPIATE TUNING OF FOAMING a twin-screw extruder solid precursor PARAMETERS AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION NON-CROSSLINKED FOAMED PRODUCTS AND AN T HE ICM INDEPENDENT CONTROL OF DENSITY AND CELLULAR R OUTE STRUCTURE. SIMILAR DENSITIES BUT DIFFERENT CELLULAR STRUCTURES Foaming of precursor material under Cooling of foamed controlled pressure and material temperature in a closed mould SELF-EXPANDABLE MOULDS A NI C ELL C LOSED C ELL • Defined (simple) geometry. • Very high accuracy in density A NI C ELL F LAME R ETARDANT control. A NI C ELL O PEN C ELL

A NI C ELL S OLUTIONS A NI C ELL C LOSED C ELL Foamed cores with high specific mechanical properties due to the combination of a closed cell o cellular structure and high anisotropy ratios, (higher than 2). Depending on the final application density can be varied between 90 and 500 kg/m 3 o ANICELL CC ANICELL CC 180 Kg/m 3 150 Kg/m 3 Elastic Modulus (Mpa) 180 120 Collapse Stress (MPa) 2.8 1.6 Open Cell Content (%) < 20 < 20 Anisotropy Ratio 2.3 2.6 A NI C ELL F LAME R ETARDANT The ICM route and halogen free flame retardant technology can be combined to generate a new o class of lightweight fire resistant cores and panels. Density range: Between 250 and 300 kg/m 3 . o No FR PP core AniCell PP Flame Retardant core There is no flame propagation when it is directly applied to the material

A NI C ELL S OLUTIONS A NI C ELL O PEN C ELL The combination of a 100% open cell content and high specific mechanical properties. o The use of the ICM route together with the use of nanoreinforcements has facilitated the generation o of a novel class of materials: Open cell polypropylene foams with a very high mechanical response. ANICELL OC ARE NOVEL MATERIALS THAT COMBINE HIGH SPECIFIC MECHANICAL PROPERTIES WITH AN OPEN CELL STRUCTURE: EXCELLENT STRUCTURAL FOAMS FOR ACOUSTIC ABSORPTION OR FILTRATION PURPOSES. Parallel to expansion direction Perpendicular BIMODAL & 100% OPEN CELL CELLULAR STRUCTURE ANISOTROPY RATIO: 2.3-2.5

A NI C ELL & THE M ARKET C OMPRESSIVE M ODULUS MECHANICAL RESPONSE COMPARABLE to that of commercial products based on crosslinked PVC or rigid PU. ANICELL is based in a POLYMER, HIGH MELT STRENGTH Crosslinked POLYPROPYLENE, (Daploy WB135 HMS). Rigid PU PVC foams Currently working in technical polymers, (SAN, PET) AniCell OC (open cell) ANICELL products are FULLY RECYCLABLE AniCell CC The ICM route does not imply crosslinking of polymer matrix even (closed cell) when products with densities around 90kg/m 3 are produced . Possible to generate HALOGEN FREE FLAME RETARDANT products. The ICM route permits including high amounts of fillers, (up to 40-50%)

o C ELL M AT T ECHNOLOGIES o STAGES MOLDING o A NI C ELL o O PEN C ELL M AT o S UMMARY & C ONCLUSIONS