Polypropylene Subject

Tensile tests carried out on samples of original polypropylene and polypropylene subjected to artificial aging had provided force-displacement curves of the materials, which are shown in figures 6 and 7. 

Fig. 7. Stress-displacements curves of the polypropylene subjected to artificial aging samples...

The minimal variations obtained of the mechanical properties of polypropylene subjected to artificial aging with respect to the original material show that the polypropylene is a suitable material for the design of systems to protect motorists and cyclists. These protection systems are continually exposed to environmental effects, and therefore a continuous aging process. 

Zhang X, Hillenbrand J, Sessler GM (2004) Piezoelectric 33 coefficient of cellular polypropylene subjected to expansion by pressure treatment. Appl Phys Lett 85 1226 1228 Zhang X, Hillenbrand J, Sessler GM (2006) Thermally stable fluorocarbon ferroeleetrets with high piezoelectric coefficient Appl Phys A Mater Sci Process 84 139 142... 

The mechanisms associated with plastic deformation of crystalline polymers can be explained better on the basis of two examples of isotactic polypropylene subjected to drawing eind to plane strain compression in a channel die. The envisioned differences between defiarmation with and without cavitation are summarized in Figure 1.21. 

Hard baked goods such as cookies and crackers have a relatively low water and high fat content. Water can be absorbed, and the product loses its desirable texture and becomes subject to Hpid rancidity. Packagiag for cookies and crackers includes polyolefin-coextmsion film pouches within paperboard carton sheUs, and polystyrene trays overwrapped with polyethylene or oriented polypropylene film. Soft cookies are packaged in high water-vapor-barrier laminations containing aluminum foil. 

Gandy. Chocolate is subject to flavor or microbiological change. Inclusions such as nuts and fillings such as caramel are susceptible to water gain or loss. Chocolates, which are stable, are packaged in greaseproof papers and moisture/fat barriers such as polypropylene film (see Chocolate and cocoa). 

As shown in the previous section the mechanical and thermal properties of polypropylene are dependent on the isotacticity, the molecular weight and on other structure features. The properties of five commercial materials (all made by the same manufacturer and subjected to the same test methods) which are of approximately the same isotactic content but which differ in molecular weight and in being either homopolymers or block copolymers are compared in Table 11.1. 

The narrow molecular weight distribution means that the melts are more Newtonian (see Section 8.2.5) and therefore have a higher melt viscosity at high shear rates than a more pseudoplastic material of similar molecular dimensions. In turn this may require more powerful extruders. They are also more subject to melt irregularities such as sharkskin and melt fracture. This is one of the factors that has led to current interest in metallocene-polymerised polypropylenes with a bimodal molecular weight distribution. 

The chlorination of polypropylene has been the subject of several fundamental studies and a variety of products is obtainable according to the tacticity of the original polymer and to the extent of chlorination. 

The market for PPVC film and sheet is only slightly less than for wire and cable insulation. Uses are as diverse as seepage barriers, factory doors, inflatables, baby pants, car trim, covering materials for book bindings and document cases and shower curtains. UPVC film has also been widely used for packaging of food, particularly for shrink-wrap purposes, but this market has been subject to some substitution by polypropylene. 

A manufacturer considering using a thermoplastic elastomer would probably first consider one of the thermoplastic polyolefin rubbers or TPOs, since these tend to have the lowest raw polymer price. These are mainly based on blends of polypropylene and an ethylene-propylene rubber (either EPM or EPDM) although some of the polypropylene may be replaeed by polyethylene. A wide range of blends are possible which may also contain some filler, oil and flame retardant in addition to the polymers. The blends are usually subject to dynamic vulcanisation as described in Section 11.9.1. 

Example 2.1 A ball-point pen made from polypropylene has the clip design shown in Fig. 2.11. When the pen is inserted into a pocket, the clip is subjected to a deflection of 2 mm at point A. If the limiting strain in the material is to be 0.5% calculate (i) a suitable thickness, d, for the clip (ii) the initial stress in the clip when it is first inserted into the pocket and (iii) the stress in the clip when it has been in the pocket for 1 week. The creep curves in Fig. 2.5 may be used and the short-term modulus of polypropylene is 1.6 GN/m. ... 

Example 2.2 A polypropylene beam is 100 mm long, simply supported at each end and is subjected to a load W at its mid-span. If the maximum permissible strain in the material is to be 1.5%, calculate the largest load which may be applied so that the deflection of the beam does not exceed 5 mm in a service life of 1 year. For the beam / = 28 mm and the creep curves in Fig. 2.5 should be used. 

Example 23 A cylindrical polypropylene tank with a mean diameter of 1 m is to be subjected to an internal pressure of 0.2 MN/m. If the maximum strain in the tank is not to exceed 2% in a period of 1 year, estimate a suitable value for its wall thickness. AVhat is the ratio of the hoop strain to the axial strain in the tank. The creep curves in Fig. 2.5 may be used. 

Example 2.8 A polypropylene sandwich moulding is 12 mm thick and consists of a foamed core sandwiched between solid skin layers 2 mm thick. A beam 12 mm wide is cut from the moulding and is subjected to a point load, IV, at mid-span when it is simply supported over a length of 200 mm. Estimate the depth of a solid beam of the same width which would have the same stiffness when loaded in the same way. Calculate also the weight saving by using the foam moulding. The density of the solid polypropylene is 909 kg/m and the density of the foamed core is 6(X) kg/m. ... 

A circular polypropylene plate, 150 nun in diameter is simply supported around its edge and is subjected to a uniform pressure of 40 kN/m. If the stress in the material is not to exceed 6 MN/m, estimate a suitable thickness for the plate and the deflection, 6, after one year. The stress in the plate is given by... 

A rectangular section polypropylene beam has a length, L of 200 mm and a width of 12 mm. It is subjected to a load, W, of ISO N uniformly distributed over its length, L, and it is simply supported at each end. If the maximum deflection of the beam is not to exceed 6 mm after a period of I year estimate a suitable depth for the beam. The central deflection of the beam is given by... 

In a particular application a I m length of 80 mm diameter polypropylene pipe is subjected to two dimetrically opposite point loads. If the wall thickness of the pipe is 3 mm, what is the maximum value of the load which can be applied if the change in diameter between the loads is not to exceed 3 nun in one year. 

In a small mechanism, a polypropylene spring is subjected to a fixed extension of 10 mm. What is the initial force in the spring and what pull will it exert after one week. The length of the spring is 30 mm, its diameter is 10 mm and there are 10 coils. The design strain and creep contraction ratio for the polypropylene may be taken as 2% and 0.4 respectively. 

The grade of polypropylene whose creep curves are given in Fig. 2.5 is to have its viscoelastic behaviour fltted to a Maxwell model for stresses up to 6 MN/m and times up to ICKX) seconds. Determine the two constants for the model and use these to determine the stress in the material after 900 seconds if the material is subjected to a constant strain of 0.4% throughout the 900 seconds. 

From this relatively simple test, therefore, it is possible to obtain complete flow data on the material as shown in Fig. 5.3. Note that shear rates similar to those experienced in processing equipment can be achieved. Variations in melt temperature and hypostatic pressure also have an effect on the shear and tensile viscosities of the melt. An increase in temperature causes a decrease in viscosity and an increase in hydrostatic pressure causes an increase in viscosity. Topically, for low density polyethlyene an increase in temperature of 40°C causes a vertical shift of the viscosity curve by a factor of about 3. Since the plastic will be subjected to a temperature rise when it is forced through the die, it is usually worthwhile to check (by means of Equation 5.64) whether or not this is signiflcant. Fig. 5.2 shows the effect of temperature on the viscosity of polypropylene. 

World demand for polypropylene is expected to be 30 billion pounds by 2002. This is the strongest growth forecast for any of the major thermoplastics (5.9%). Many of the resins new applications particularly in packaging come at the expense of PS and PVC, the two resins that have been the subject of regulatory restrictions related to solid waste issues and potential toxicity. 

All commercial materials are based on calcium hydroxide and liquid alkyl salicylates (Prosser, Grolfman Wilson, 1982) and are supplied as a two-paste pack. Zinc oxide is sometimes added to the calcium hydroxide, as are neutral fillers. A paste is formed from this powder by the addition of a plasticizer examples include A-ethyl toluenesulphonamide (o- orp-) and paraffin oil, with sometimes minor additions of polypropylene glycol. The other paste is based on an alkyl salicylate as the active constituent containing an inorganic filler such as titanium dioxide, calcium sulphate, calcium tungstate or barium sulphate. Alkyl salicylates used include methyl salicylate, isobutyl salicylate, and 1-methyl trimethylene disalicylate. An example of one commercial material, Dycal, is given in Table 9.7, but its composition has been subjected to change over the years. 

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