Foam molding process by modifying amorphous PLA
OwnerDongqi Liu, Hao Yi +2inventors
InventorsDongqi Liu, Hao Yi, Weidong Zhang, Runhong Liu
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Abstract
A process of microcellular foam molding an article includes using a modifier to modify properties of amorphous PLA, pouring the modified amorphous PLA into a high pressure vessel, dissolving an SCF in the high pressure vessel to impregnate the modified amorphous PLA in the high pressure vessel which is configured to allow the SCF to effuse through, forming foamed pellets, conveying the foamed pellets to a mold in a second vessel filled with water or oil, heating the second vessel, and cooling the second vessel until a foamed article is finished in the mold.
Claims10
A process of microcellular foam molding an article comprising the steps of:
- (1) using a modifier to modify properties of amorphous polylactic acid (PLA) wherein the modifier is chain extender, nucleating agent or both;
- (2) pouring the amorphous PLA having modified properties into a high pressure vessel;
- (3) dissolving a supercritical fluid (SCF) in the high pressure vessel to impregnate the amorphous PLA having modified properties at a predetermined pressure for a first predetermined period of time in the high pressure vessel which is configured to allow the SCF to effuse through;
- (4) forming foamed pellets;
- (5) conveying the foamed pellets to a mold in a second vessel filled with water or oil;
- (6) heating the second vessel at a predetermined temperature for a second predetermined period of time wherein the predetermined temperature is in the range from 60° C. to 90° C. and the second predetermined period of time is in the rage from 1 min to 14 min;
- and
- (7) cooling the second vessel until a foamed article is finished in the mold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.