Development of Green Microcellular Plastic Foam Injection Molding Technology

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26289289
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Properties in chemical engineering process/Transfer operation/Unit operation
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Masahiro Ohshima 京都大学, 工学(系)研究科(研究院), 教授 (60185254)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 長嶺 信輔 京都大学, 工学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (30335583) ; 引間 悠太 京都大学, 工学(系)研究科(研究院), 助教 (50721362)
• Research Collaborator: YUSA Atsushi 日立マクセル株式会社 ; YAMAMOTO Satoshi 日立マクセル株式会社 ; Wang Long 京都大学, 特定助教
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: Foam Injection Molding / Microcellular Foam / Green Prodess

Outline of Final Research Achievements

A new foam injection molding technology was developed to produce microcellular foams without using supercritical fluid pump units. In this technology, physical blowing agents (PBA), such as nitrogen (N2), carbon dioxide (CO2) and compressed air (Air) are delivered directly from their gas cylinders into the molten polymer through a venting vessel, which is equipped at close to the screw tip. The amount of gas delivered into the molten polymer is controlled by the secondary reducing pressure of the reducing valve of the gas cylinder and the outlet (back) pressure of the venting vessel.
Microcellular polypropylene foams were successfully prepared using the developed foam injection molding technology with 2-6 MPa CO2, 2-8 MPa N2 or 4-8 MPa Air.

Free Research Field

化学工学