Evolution of double crystal melting peak in polypropylene foam assisted by β‐nucleating agent and supercritical CO2

ABSTRACT Polypropylene (PP) foams with double crystal melting peak structure were prepared using supercritical CO2 as blowing agent. Such structure was induced by the β‐nucleating agent (NA) and dissolved CO2 in a lab‐scale autoclave system. From the dynamic rheological behaviors, one can see that long chain branching polypropylene (LCBPP) possess better melt elasticity than linear polypropylene (LPP). In order to improve the foamability, LPP was blended with LCBPP. The results of differential scanning calorimeter and wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction indicated that NA was helpful for the introduction of β‐crystal in LPP, but not for LCBPP and PP blends. Therefore, the foamability and the content of β‐crystal of various PP foams can be effectively controlled by adjusting the ratio of LPP and LCBPP. Meanwhile, both the cooling rate and the content of NA affected the formation of β‐crystal in various PP samples. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 46007.