Structure-property-processing relationships of polyethylene nanocomposites

通过这个NSERC CRD项目，U. Sundararaj博士和他的研究团队，卡尔加里大学化学和石油工程系的聚合物加工小组将与NOVA化学公司的产品科学家、工艺工程师、聚合物物理学家和分析化学家合作，设计和开发具有改进模量（刚度）的材料，用于注塑、旋转成型和吹塑聚乙烯（PE）容器等应用。这些工艺产生的许多产品都需要高模量材料，这将使制造商能够制造壁厚较低的零件，从而减少塑料的使用，从而提供更多的可持续性。将纳米材料掺入聚乙烯中为实现这一目标提供了可行的方法。该项目还将专注于提高其他关键性能，如强度、延展性和渗透性。这些新型材料将为工业桶/散装容器（IBC）、瓶盖和瓶盖以及滚塑罐提供新的市场机会。

Through this NSERC CRD project, Dr. U. Sundararaj and his research team, the Polymer Processing Group in the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering at University of Calgary will work with product scientists, process engineers, polymer physicists and analytical chemists at NOVA Chemicals to design and develop materials with improved modulus (stiffness) for use in applications like injection molded, rotationally molded and blow-molded polyethylene (PE) containers. Many of the products generated from these processes require high modulus materials that will provide more sustainablility by allowing manufacturers to make parts with lower wall thicknesses and thereby use less plastic. Nanomaterials incorporated into polyethylene provide a viable method to achieve this. The project will also focus on improving other key properties such as strength, ductility, and permeability. These novel materials would provide new market opportunities for industrial drums/bulk containers (IBC's), caps and closures, and rotomolded tanks.