Injection-moulded α- and β-polypropylenes: II. Tensile properties vs. processing parameters

Resuming our comprehensive study, present Part II directs attention towards the effects of mould temperature and holding pressure on the tensile properties of neat and β-nucleated isotactic polypropylenes. A commercial-grade of isotactic polypropylene was modified with a β-specific nucleator. From both the original material (α-iPP) and the β-nucleated material (β-iPP), tensile test specimens were injection-moulded. Stress–strain measurements performed at room temperature revealed a positive influence of higher mould temperatures but negligible effect of holding pressure on the elastic modulus of injection-moulded specimens. It was suggested that at optimum processing conditions the elastic modulus of both α- and β-iPP may be comparable. The softening effect of β-form manifested itself in systematically lower yield stress values of β-iPP as compared to α-iPP. The yield strain of both α- and β-iPP decreased with the increase of mould temperature and the decrease of holding pressure. Prolonged solidification times at higher mould temperatures negatively influenced the strain at break of the specimens; the values of β-iPP exceeded by several folds those of α-iPP. The stress at break of β-iPP decreased correspondingly to strain at break. On the contrary, the increase of strain at break in α-iPP was followed by a decrease of stress at break.