Extrusion Foaming of Poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile)/Clay Nanocomposites Using Supercritical CO2

Supercritical CO2 has been used as a blowing agent to foam poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile)-based materials in a single screw extruder specially adapted to allow fluid injection. The cellular morphology depends on foaming temperature, more regular cells being obtained with decreasing extrusion temperature. In a second step, a natural and an organomodified nanoclay have been added for the purpose of imparting some flame resistance to the foamed material. The filler efficiency in reducing sample combustion rate appeared to be dependent on its delamination level inside the matrix and better results were obtained when the organomodified clay was first delaminated in the polymer in an efficient twin screw extruder using water assistance, prior to foaming in the single screw extruder.