A high temperature upgrade for the twin-screw extruder to process high-performance hybrid PEEK-based formulations and other engineering polymer-based (PEI, PPSU, etc.) systems

工程聚合物，如聚醚醚酮（peek），聚醚亚胺（PEIs），聚砜（PSU）等，与商品塑料相比，具有优越的机械性能，即使在非常高的温度下也具有稳定性。例如，PEEK的玻璃化转变温度约为150℃，熔化温度约为340℃，弹性模量约为4gpa，密度为1.3 g/cm3。因此，当需要强大的机械性能时，这些材料非常有趣，同时需要将重量降到最低-例如在航空航天，航空和汽车工业等应用领域，这些都是加拿大经济的重要部门。此外，还可以通过添加固体填料(如碳纤维或其他（纳米）颗粒（炭黑、碳纳米管等）来修改、增强和定制这些高性能聚合物的性能。开发新的工程聚合物共混配方和（纳米）复合材料是一种重要的低成本方法，可以增强和开发针对目标应用的全新材料性能。该研究项目的主要目标是通过熔融挤出技术开发高性能工程聚合物混合物和（纳米）复合材料，用于航空航天、航空航天、汽车和生物医学领域，这些领域需要坚固、轻便和耐用的材料。为了实现这一目标，我们的团队要求资金升级我们的双螺杆挤出机之一，以便能够在350°C至425°C的温度范围内加工工程聚合物，其混合物和（纳米）复合材料，并为熔融长丝制造3D打印机准备长丝。我们的团队由来自蒙特利尔理工大学（PM）、École de Technologie supemrieure （ETS）和麦吉尔大学的7名具有化学、机械和工程物理背景的申请人以及6名具有互补专业知识的合作者组成。与加拿大航天局、阿丽亚娜集团、哈钦森航空航天工业公司、NanoXplore公司、Dyze设计公司和MEKANIC公司合作，实现了一系列正在进行的、需要工程聚合物基混合物和纳米复合材料的项目。所要求的挤出机将是蒙特利尔地区学术机构的独特工具-魁北克的学术机构没有所需的设备来加工高温工程热塑性塑料。由于该设备将成为CREPEC基础设施的一部分，因此它将可供组成该战略集群的8所大学机构（Polytechnique, McGill, Concordia， ETS, ULaval, Sherbrooke， UQTR和UQAC）的所有78名教授使用，指导400多名研究生。

Engineering polymers such as polyether ether ketones (PEEKs), polyether imides (PEIs), polysulfones (PSU), etc., display superior mechanical properties compared to commodity plastics, and stability even at very high temperatures. For example, the glass transition of PEEK is around 150°C and its melting temperature is about 340°C, with an elastic modulus of approximately 4 GPa and a density of 1.3 g/cm3. As a result, these materials are quite interesting when both strong mechanical properties are required, with the need to minimize the weight - e.g. in fields of applications such as the aerospace, aeronautic and automotive industries, which are all important sectors of Canada's economy. In addition, it is possible to modify, enhance and tailor the properties of these high performance polymers by adding solid fillers such as carbon fibers, or other (nano)particles (carbon black, carbon nanotubes, etc). Developing new engineering polymer blend formulations and (nano)composites represents an important and low-cost approach to enhance and develop entirely new material properties for the targeted applications. The main objective of this research program is to develop high performance engineering polymer blends and (nano)composites by melt extrusion for applications in the aerospace, aeronautic, automotive and biomedical sectors in which strong, lightweight and durable materials are required. To realize this objective, our team request funds to upgrade one of our twin-screw extruder, in order to be capable of processing engineering polymers, their blends and (nano)composites in a temperature range of 350°C to 425°C, with the accessories to prepare filaments for Fused Filament Fabrication 3D printing machines. Our team is composed of 7 applicants with backgrounds in chemical, mechanical and engineering physics, from Polytechnique Montreal (PM), École de Technologie Supérieure (ETS), and McGill University, and of 6 collaborators with complementary expertises. A variety of projects already in progress and requiring engineering polymer-based blends and nanocomposites are realized in partnerships with The Canadian Space Agency, ArianeGroup, Hutchinson Aerospace and Industry, NanoXplore, Dyze Design and MEKANIC. The requested extruder will be a unique instrument for academic institutions in the Montreal area - no academic institution in Quebec has the required equipment to process high temperature engineering thermoplastics. Since the equipment will be part of the CREPEC infrastructure, it will be available for use by all 78 professors, supervising more than 400 graduate students, from the 8 university institutions (Polytechnique, McGill, Concordia, ETS, ULaval, Sherbrooke, UQTR and UQAC) comprising this strategic cluster.