PP-polymer nanocomposites with improved mechanical properties using elongational flow devices at the injection molding compounder

Numerous researches have been done in the field of improving PP by adding nanofillers. Consistently good scientific results and positive industrial feedback were reached; however, the industrial interest is still low due to the high technological and financial risks and too less benefit. Our experiments, using the worldwide unique Polymer NanoComposite Injection Molding Compounder (PNC-IMC) which combines the two processing steps of compounding and injection molding, showed an impressive increase of both mechanical and thermal properties, but more or less in the same range than in other publications. Thus we tried to improve the materials by using elongational flow generating devices for better intercalation and exfoliation of nanofillers in the polymer melt. This paper will give an overview on our first investigations, carried out on both a high pressure capillary rheometer (HPCR) and the injection molding machine (IMM) focusing on the mechanical properties. The PNCs were produced at the PNC-IMC with the 3in1 process. After the treatment in the HPCR the material was crushed, plates were prepared using a hydraulic vacuum press and tensile bars were milled, respectively tensile bars were produced with the IMM. The Young's modulus was successfully slightly improved. Thus future research will focus on both, the mechanism of improvement and the implementation of several of these devices into the PNC-IMC.