A Morphology-Based Model to Describe the Low-Temperature Impact Behaviour of Rubber-Toughened Polypropylene

Rudy Deblieck; Klaas Remerie; Winke Van den Fonteyne; Mark Boerakker

doi:10.3390/polym13132218

A Morphology-Based Model to Describe the Low-Temperature Impact Behaviour of Rubber-Toughened Polypropylene

Polymers (Basel). 2021 Jul 5;13(13):2218. doi: 10.3390/polym13132218.

Authors

Rudy Deblieck^{1

2}, Klaas Remerie³, Winke Van den Fonteyne¹, Mark Boerakker¹

Affiliations

¹ SABIC, Technology and Innovation, 6167 RD Geleen, The Netherlands.
² DSM, Materials Science, 6167 RD Geleen, The Netherlands.
³ Engineering and Technology Institute Groningen (ENTEG), Chemical Product Engineering, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands.

Abstract

The roles of the rubber particle size, the rubber particle size distribution and the constitutive behaviour of the isotactic polypropylene matrix have been studied by combining the Lazerri-Bucknall energy criterion for cavitation with the Van der Sanden-Meier-Tervoort ligament model adapted for impact conditions. It is concluded that an optimised morphology offers great potential to achieve enhanced mechanical properties with far less rubber and hence achieve a superior stiffness/toughness/processing balance.

Keywords: brittle-ductile transition; critical ligament model; impact; impact copolymers; morphology; polypropylene; rubber content.