Material design of super fiber and application to polymer composite

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K19109
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 35:Polymers, organic materials, and related fields
• Research Institution: Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: Yamaguchi Masayuki 北陸先端科学技術大学院大学, 先端科学技術研究科, 教授 (40401947)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-06-29 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: レオロジー / 粘弾性 / 成形加工 / ブレンド

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Although carbon-fiber polymer composites show good mechanical property, it is not so available because of its poor cost-performance. In this study, a novel composite composed of polypropylene (PP) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) fiber is proposed, which is prepared by direct incorporation of aqueous PVA solution into molten PP in a specific twin-screw extruder. The composite obtained shows high modulus and high yield stress. Also they are thermoplastics.

Free Research Field

高分子レオロジー

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

炭素繊維に比べてコストパフォーマンスが圧倒的に優れるPVA繊維により、PPの高剛性化、高耐熱化が実現できる。特に、PVA水溶液を溶融PP中に直接添加するという独自の新技術が本材料設計の注目すべき点である。液体の直接注入法は他の分野にも応用可能であり、今後、プラスチック産業に新技術として確立できることが期待される。