Synergistic effect of organic phosphate salt nucleating agents and inorganic fillers on isotactic polypropylene

The development of high-performance and low-cost composite nucleating agents has become a pioneering point in expanding the application of isotactic polypropylene (iPP). To this end, this article used a physical blending method to mix nucleating agent organic phosphate salt (LPN-9081) with inorganic fillers such as wollastonite and talc powder. Change the ratio of nucleated mineral-reinforced composition LPN-9081/wollastonite (L/WO) and LPN-9081/talc powder (L/Tac) to study their effects on the crystallization, melting behavior, and mechanical properties of iPP. And a preliminary exploration was conducted on its mechanism. The results suggest that the nucleated mineral-reinforced composition more significantly enhance the crystallization temperature, increasing it by up to 10 degrees C. Furthermore, it was observed that the mechanical properties of iPP were significantly improved via the synergistic effect of LPN-9081 and the inorganic fillers. In the iPP/L/WO system, the addition of the composite nucleating agent improved rigidity by 146% while maintaining toughness. Similarly, compared with iPP system, the iPP/L/Tac system has improved its rigidity by 107% and toughness by 50%. Using the nucleated mineral-reinforced compositions mentioned above can reduce industrial expenses, while increases the rigidity and toughness of iPP, expanding its potential of applications.