News

  1. Home
  2. About
30 November 2016

Optimization of cork composites for injection molding in highlight

Optimization of cork composites for injection molding in highlight

The article is entitled "Non-isothermal crystallization kinetics of cork-polymer composites for injection molding" and is signed by Sara Magalhães da Silva and José Martinho Oliveira of CICECO / ESAN and Paulo Silva Lima of ESAN. The article presents a study of the non-isothermal crystallization kinetics of cork-polymer composites (CPC), which is part of a larger project that aims to optimize the use of CPC during the injection molding process, minimizing the effects of a high pressure process in the cork structure. It is intended to transform composite materials into products that offer properties close to cork.

The framework project is called "Cork-polymer composites - A sustainable solution in injection molding and additive manufacturing" and the partners are companies in the cork sector.

The main objective of the research presented on this article is to describe the crystallization behavior of the polypropylene (PP) matrix in the presence of cork powder, in order to evaluate this behavior during the injection molding process.

The crystallization process of the PP in the presence of cork powder gave rise to a higher number of crystallites and smaller dimensions, compared to the ones in the pure PP, identifying in this study a nuclear effect of the cork, say the researchers.

Among the advantages of this material, the researcher José Martinho Oliveira says that "being a material that uses a thermoplastic matrix reinforced with cork particles, at the end of the life cycle, the products are reusable". On the other hand, he added, there is still the advantage of sensory exploration of these composites in new designs. These materials offer the possibility of being used in multiple sectors of activity, such as furniture, decoration, the automobile industry.

In order to this material be used by the industry and to enter the commercial circuit, it is necessary to continue the research and hope that the involvement of some companies may arouse interest in commercialization, says José Martinho Oliveira, also ESAN director.

 

More information at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/app.44124/abstract

Share this Article:

Related Articles

Researchers

Groups

G4 - Renewable Materials and Circular Economy

We use cookies for marketing activities and to offer you a better experience. By clicking “Accept Cookies” you agree with our cookie policy. Read about how we use cookies by clicking "Privacy and Cookie Policy".


Privacy and Cookie Policy

Personal data

CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials respects your privacy, ensuring confidentiality of personal data you share with the institution through this way, not collecting any personal information about you without your consent, under the terms required by General Data Protection Regulations (RGPD).

The data collected in forms are intended exclusively for processing user requests and will not be used for any other purpose, always safeguarding their confidentiality, under the terms of the protection conferred by the aforementioned regulation.

The collection and processing of data is the responsibility of CICECO and its storage is properly protected, only authorized CICECO employees can access the information within the scope of their functions, always being clear in the respective collection forms the purposes for which they are intended. The remaining issues to be considered in this matter will be handled by the University of Aveiro in accordance with the regime established by the GDPR.

Cookies policy

Cookies are small files with alphanumeric information that are stored on your computer's hard drive by your browser and are intended to improve the user experience and enhance website navigation.

Collection and use of technical information

The cookies used on CICECO are anonymous, and no information about our users that allows their personal identification is stored in them.

The technical information recorded consists of:

  • iP (Internet Protocol) address of the visitor;
  • the type of internet browser used by the website visitor and the respective operating system used;
  • the date and time of the consultation;
  • the pages visited on the site and the documents downloaded
  • The technical information collected is used for statistical purposes only.

Cookies used

Session cookies

These cookies are used to record user preferences, such as the language in which websites are displayed or to maintain authenticated user sessions, and are automatically deleted when the browser is closed.

Persistent cookies

These cookies store information that is needed between sessions. For example, a persistent cookie is set to record that you have been made aware of the cookie policy so that the message regarding this policy is not shown again the next time you visit the website. This cookie remains on the computer until it reaches its expiry date or is deleted by the user.

Data protection

The present privacy policy covers the Information System of the University of Aveiro (SIUA), governed by the General Data Protection Regulations (RGPD) Regulation (EU) No. 2016/679, of April 27th, 2016.

Data Protection Officer

The University of Aveiro has a Data Protection Officer (DPO), who ensures compliance of the processing of personal data with the legislation in force, and is available through the following email address epd@ua.pt.

Close