Skip to main content
ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Western Regional Research Center » Bioproducts Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #256527
Title: Morphology Evolution of Polypropylene in Immiscible Polymer Blends for Fabrication of Nanofibers

Author
item XUE, CHAO HUA - University Of California
item WANG, DONG - University Of California
item XIANG, BEI - University Of California
item Chiou, Bor-Sen
item SUN, GANG - University Of California

Submitted to: Journal of Polymer Science Part B: Polymer Physics
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/16/2010
Publication Date: 6/16/2010
Citation: Xue, C., Wang, D., Xiang, B., Chiou, B., Sun, G. 2010. Morphology Evolution of Polypropylene in Immiscible Polymer Blends for Fabrication of Nanofibers. Journal of Polymer Science Part B: Polymer Physics. Volume 48:921-931.

Interpretive Summary: Polypropylene nanofibers can be produced from extruding blends of polypropylene with modified cellulose. The major advantage of this technique over others, such as electrospinning, is that large amounts of nanofibers can be produced in a short time. These nanofibers can then be used in sensor, filter, and catalyst support applications.

Technical Abstract: Immiscible blends of cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB) and isotactic polypropylenes (iPPs) with different melting index were extruded through a two-strand rod die. The extrudates were hot-drawn at the die exit at different draw ratios by controlling the drawing speed. The morphologies of iPP fibers extracted from the as-obtained extrudates after removal of CAB by acetone were investigated by scanning electron microscopy. The influences of draw ratio, viscosity ratio, and composition ratio of CAB/iPP on the morphology evolution of iPP phase into nanofibers in the immiscible blends were studied. It was found that the thermoplastic iPP nanofibers were formed from the elongation of iPP ellipsoids, end-to-end merging of elongated iPP microfibers, and the size decrease of iPP microfibers in the processes of extrusion and drawing.