Polypropylenes foam consisting of thermally

expandable microcapsule as blowing agent

Cite as: AIP Conference Proceedings 1713, 100002 (2016); https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4942307
Published Online: 09 March 2016

Sun Kyung Jeoung, Ye Jin Hwang, Hyun Wook Lee, Sung Bok Kwak, In-Soo Han, and Jin Uk Ha

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AIP Conference Proceedings 1713, 100002 (2016); https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4942307 1713, 100002

© 2016 AIP Publishing LLC.

 Polypropylenes Foam Consisting of Thermally Expandable
Microcapsule as Blowing Agent

Sun Kyung Jeounga, Ye Jin Hwanga, Hyun Wook Leea, Sung Bok Kwakb, In-Soo Hanc, Jin Uk Haa‚

a
Lightweight & Convergent Materials R&D Center, Automotive Materials Convergence & System R&D Division,
Korea Automotive Technology Institute, Chunan, Chungnam, 330-912 S. Korea
b
Advanced Engineering Team, Duckyang Ind. Co., Ltd, Suwon, Gyeonggi 443-766 S. Korea
c
Polymeric Materials Research Team, Hyundai Motors, Hwasung, Gyeonggi 445-706 S. Korea

skjeoung@katech.re.kr
juha@katech.re.kr

Abstract. The structure of thermally expandable microcapsule (TEMs) is consisted of a thermoplastic shell which is
filled with liquid hydrocarbon at core. The shell of TEMs becomes soft when the temperature is higher than boiling
temperature of liquid hydrocarbon. The shell of TEMs is expanded under the high temperature because the inner
pressure of TEMs is increased by vaporization of hydrocarbon core. Therefore, the TEMs are applicable for blowing
agents and light weight fillers. In this research, we fabricated the polypropylene (PP) foam by using the TEMs and
chemical blowing agents and compared to their physical properties. The density of the specimen was decreased
when the contents of chemical blowing agents and TEMs were increased. In addition, the mechanical properties (i.e.
tensile strength and impact strength) of specimens were deteriorated with increasing amount of chemical blowing
agents and TEMs. However, PP foam produced with TEMs showed higher impact strength than the one with the
chemical blowing agent. In order to clarify the dependence of impact strength of PP foam as the blowing agent, the
morphology difference of the PP foams was investigated. Expanding properties of PP foams produced with TEMs
was changed with TEMs content of PP foams. Processing conditions also influenced the mechanical properties of PP
foam containing TEMs.

Keywords: Thermally expandable microcapsule, blowing agent, polypropylene, core back, foaming, chemical
blowing agent
PACS: 81.05.Lg, 82.35.Lr

THERMALLY EXPANDABLE MICROCAPSULE

Thermally expandable microspheres are polymeric core/shell particles in which a hydrocarbon is encapsulated by
a thermoplastic shell. When these microspheres are heated, they expand and increase their volume dramatically. In
this study, Five kilogram of TEM was polymerized in lab for injection molding. The TEM consists of acrylonitrile/
methyl methacrylate co-polymer as a shell and isooctane as a blowing gas. It is possible to predict the hydrocarbon
contents in thermally expandable microcapsules by TGA analysis. As shown in Figure 1, weight loss between 160
o
C and 220 oC were indicating the loss of hydrocarbon. According to TGA result, it can be assumed that roughly 30
wt% of hydrocarbon was encapsulated. DSC result also showed an endothermic peak at 190 oC indicating the
boiling point of liquid hydrocarbon at the core.

Proceedings of PPS-31
AIP Conf. Proc. 1713, 100002-1–100002-4; doi: 10.1063/1.4942307
© 2016 AIP Publishing LLC 978-0-7354-1360-3/$30.00

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 TGA DSC

FIGURE 1. TGA and DSC results of thermally expandable microcapsule

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF PP FORM CONTAINING BLOWING AGENTS

In this study, the same amount of chemical blowing agent and thermally expandable microcapsule was used for
producing test specimens. Mechanical properties including tensile, flexural, and impact strength were measured for
comparing property changes of PP foams produced with two different blowing agents. Density of samples was
measured for figure out their weight reduction. Mechanical properties and density of PP foams were decreased with
increasing amount of blowing agents (Table 1). Reduced density with increasing amount of blowing agents
attributed to lots of voids made during injection molding. At the same time, those voids affected to mechanical
properties of samples. PP foams containing TEM showed better physical properties than the one containing
chemical blowing agent (Table 1 and Figure 2). These results may attribute to the size of the each void and void
distribution on polymer matrix. Figure 3 shows that the morphology of PP foam processed with chemical blowing
agent and TEM. PP foam containing chemical blowing agent shows relatively bigger voids due to the poor
dispersion of the blowing agent while the one containing TEM shows smaller and well dispersed void on the
polymer matrix.

TABLE 1. Physical Properties of PP Foam Produced by Blending with the Chemical Blowing Agent(CBA) and
the Thermally Expandable Microcapsule(TEM)
CBA TEM
Content of blowing agent 2 2.5 3.2 4 2 2.5 3.2 4
Density(g/cm3) 1 0.92 0.88 0.72 0.99 0.95 0.78 0.73
Tensile strength(MPa) 20.7 20.1 16.4 14.2 20.5 19.7 17.9 17.5
Elongation 35 27 30 20 27 20 22 11
Flexural modulus(MPa) 2050 1820 1711 1670 1950 2854 1742 1650
Flexural strength(MPa) 28 27 25 23 30 28 25 22
Izod(kgcm/cm) 18.8 13.4 12.1 11.4 22.1 19.1 17.2 14.3

Mechanical properties of foamed materials can be predicted by power law (Equation 1.)Ref. According to
Klempner and Gibson, properties of foamed materials are depending on density of the final product. Both PP foam
specimens containing chemical blowing agent and TEM were predicted reduced mechanical properties with
increasing amount of blowing agent.
ெ೑
ൌ ሺߩ௥ ሻ௡ (1)
ெ೘

ூ೑ ௛೑ ௠ ே೑ ௠య
ൌ  ሺߩ௥ ሻ௠భ ሺ ሻ మሺ ሻ (2)
ூ೘ ௛೘ ேೞ

ேெమ య
ܰ௙ ൌ ሺ ஺
ሻమ (3)

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 Where Mf and Mm are mechanical properties of foamed material and virgin material respectively, and Ǝr is
relative density. n is experimental constant (generally polymers have values between 1 and 3). If and Im are impact
strength of foam and virgin materials respectively. h is thickness of the sample and N is cell density.

FIGURE 2. Mechanical properties of PP foam containing two different blowing agents with different amount

FIGURE 3. Cross section OM images of PP foam containing (Left) chemical blowing agent; (Right) thermally expandable
microcapsule

Processing conditions of foam process could affect properties of final product. Table 2 shows density variation
with different core back distance during injection molding process. Larger core back distance made more space and
lower internal pressure in the mold. Therefore, these conditions could create easier chance to be foamed.

TABLE 2. Density of PP Forms with Different Core Back Distance

Core back distance(mm) 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5
Density(g/cm3) 0.98 0.91 0.78 0.70

CONCLUSIONS
In this study, chemical blowing agent and thermally expandable microcapsule were used for making
polypropylene (PP) foams, and their mechanical properties were compared. Physical properties (tensile strength,
impact strength etc.) of PP forms decreased with increasing the amount of blowing agents while weight of specimen
decreased. PP foam containing TEM showed slightly better mechanical properties than the one containing chemical
blowing agent. It assumed that smaller and well dispersed voids on polymer matrix are responsible for those results.
Foam processing condition also affected material properties.

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 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This work was supported by the Industrial Strategic Technology Development Program (1415129017) funded by
the Ministry of Trade, industry & Energy (MI, Korea).

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