Morphology and properties of injection-moulded carbon-nanofibre poly(etheretherketone) foams

Verdejo, Raquel; Werner, Philipp; Sandler, Jan; Altstädt, V.; Shaffer, M. S. P.

Morphology and properties of injection-moulded carbon-nanofibre poly(etheretherketone) foams

2009

Verdejo, Raquel | Werner, Philipp | Sandler, Jan | Altstädt, V. | Shaffer, M. S. P.

Poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) is a high performance polymer that cannot usually be foamed reliably using conventional injection-moulding processes. Here, vapour-grown carbon nanofibres (CNFs) are introduced to stabilise the foaming process, and the resulting morphology of injection-moulded integral foams is investigated in detail. Different image analysis techniques revealed the positive effect of the nanofiller on the cellular structure. Electron microscopy confirmed a homogeneous dispersion of the nanofibres in the cellular PEEK cores. The mechanical properties of the foam injection-moulded samples, in bending, showed an increase in yield strength and elastic modulus with nanofibre loading fractions up to 15 wt%. Although the compressive properties of the foams were reduced as compared to the solid-polymer, the CNFs clearly offset this reduction in properties. Detailed differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical analysis provide further evidence of an interaction between the matrix and the nanoscale filler.

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