Microcellular nanocomposite injection molding process

This study aims to explore the processing benefits and property improvements of combining nanocomposites with microcellular injection molding. The molded parts produced based on the Design of Experiments (DOE) matrices were subjected to tensile testing, impact testing, and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA), and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis. Effects of processing conditions on the mechanical properties and microstructures have been studied. The results show that the supercritical fluid (N₂) helps to further exfoliate and uniformly disperse the nano-clays in the matrix during the course of molding process. Compared to the corresponding base polyamide microcellular parts, the microcellular nanocomposites exhibit better cell structures and cell distributions as well as better mechanical properties.