Novel polymer composite and nanocomposite materials for custom flooring products: materials development and processing optimization

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Rangoli Surfaces Inc. plans to develop and produce luxury vinyl plank style flooring. The University of Calgary has a suite of polymer processing equipment that has applicability for this development. We will study polymer nanocomposites and hybrid filler systems for this application. We will take advantage of locally produced polypropylene (PP) with locally produced fillers such as calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and fly ash to produce versatile, lightweight composite materials that have good dimensional stability, environmental resistance and durability. We will design new mulitphase polymer nano materials using our in-depth knowledge of product development, materials characterization, polymer processing and chemical functionalization. By using materials like fly ash or lime that may normally be sent to a landfill, Rangoli hopes to have a significant impact on the environment; i.e., the carbon footprint using these fillers could be 90% lower than using traditional fillers. By adding in secondary fillers such as custom nanofillers, we can ameliorate key properties such as tensile strength, toughness, and moisture barrier. The fabrication of PP composite planks will be performed using a customized flat die attached to a pilot-scale extruder located at the University of Calgary. The research will focus on development of high-performance polymer nanocomposites containing functional nanoparticles for flooring application. During this project, we will optimize material composition and compatibility, and study the structure-property relationship of the nanoparticle/polymer systems. There is little work on using these multiphase polymer nano materials for applications such as flooring and building materials, or on how processing influences structure and final properties. Utilizing the proposed waste materials in this project will significantly benefit Canada's environmental goals and at the same time, will diversify and grow the economy by having end-use products manufactured in Alberta.