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This research investigates the foaming behaviors of polypropylene (PP) and PP/clay nanocomposites blown with supercritical CO2. In this context, special attention is paid to the effects of varied clay content on the foamed structures. First, a master batch of nanocomposites with 1% and 5% clay are prepared; the nanocomposites are then characterized using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) prior to and after their subjection to the foaming process. Subsequently, foaming experiments are conducted using supercritical CO2 as a blowing agent. The cell nucleation and expansion behaviors of the PP-based nanocomposite foams are studied at various clay contents and die temperatures. Finally, the effects of the clay content on the cell morphology, the cell density, and the expansion ratio of the PP/clay nanocomposite foams are identified.

This paper demonstrates the effects of nano-clay on the microcellular foam processing of nylon. First, Nylon 6 nanocomposites with 1 wt% clay were prepared by a twin screw extruder. The nanocomposite structures were characterized by XRD and TEM. Nylon and its nanocomposites were foamed in extrusion using CO2. The cell morphologies of nylon and its nanocomposite foams were investigated. It appeared that the nano-clay not only enhanced cell nucleation, but also suppressed cell deterioration in the microcellular foaming of nylon.