Title:Thermo-mechanical properties of β-nucleated polypropylene multilayersAuthor(s):Thomas Köpplmayr, Elias Mayrhofer, Christoph UnterwegerAbstract:With the aid of a layer-multiplying coextrusion technique, polymer composites comprising up to 128 uniform alternating layers of polypropylene random copolymer (PPR) and β-nucleated PPR were produced. Crystallization, melting behavior and mechanical properties (bending, tensile and impact characteristics) were investigated. The results not only show an increasing amount of β-crystals, but also improved mechanical properties. In particular, the temperature dependence of the bending modulus reveals that a high number of layers leads to an increase in stiffness across a wide range of temperatures. For each layer composition, a distinct temperature can be determined that marks the upper limit of this synergistic effect.Journal:Polymer TestingISSN:0142-9418Page Reference:page 79-85, 7 page(s)Publishing:10/2014Volume:39