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)、聚醚酰亚胺(PEI)、聚砜(PSU)等，与商品塑料相比表现出优异的机械性能，而且即使在非常高的温度下也具有稳定性。例如，聚醚醚酮的玻璃化转变温度约为150℃，熔融温度约为340℃，弹性模量约为4 Gpa，密度约为1.3g/cm~3。因此，当既需要强大的机械性能，又需要最大限度地减轻重量时，这些材料非常有趣--例如在航空航天、航空和汽车工业等应用领域，这些领域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(碳黑、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)复合材料是为目标应用增强和开发全新材料性能的重要且低成本的方法。该研究计划的主要目标是通过熔融挤出开发高性能工程聚合物共混物和(纳米)复合材料，用于航空航天、航空、汽车和生物医学领域，其中需要坚固、轻质和耐用的材料。为了实现这一目标，我们的团队申请资金升级我们的一台双螺杆挤出机，以便能够在350°C至425°C的温度范围内加工工程聚合物、它们的混合物和(纳米)复合材料，以及为熔丝制造3D打印机准备长丝的附件。我们的团队由7名具有化学、机械和工程物理背景的申请者组成，他们来自蒙特利尔理工学院(PM)、理工学院(ETS)和麦吉尔大学(McGill University)，以及6名具有互补专业知识的合作者。与加拿大航天局、阿里内斯集团、哈钦森航空航天和工业公司、NanoXplore、Dyze Design和Mekanic合作，实现了各种已经在进行中的、需要工程设计的基于聚合物的混合物和纳米复合材料。所要求的挤出机将是蒙特利尔地区学术机构的独特仪器-魁北克没有学术机构拥有加工高温工程热塑性塑料所需的设备。由于设备将是CREPEC基础设施的一部分，它将供来自组成这一战略集群的8所大学机构(理工学院、麦吉尔大学、康科迪亚大学、ETS大学、乌拉瓦尔大学、舍布鲁克大学、昆士兰大学和昆士兰大学)的所有78名教授和400多名研究生使用。

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.