Microcellular foaming of poly(phenylene sulfide)/poly(ether sulfones) blends using supercritical carbon dioxide

Microcellular foaming of poly(phenylene sulfide)/poly(ether sulfones) (PPS/PES) blends presents a promising approach to produce high-performance cellular materials with tailored microstructures and enhanced properties. This study investigated the effects of multiphase blend composition and process conditions on the foaming behaviors and final cellular morphology, as well as the dynamic mechanical properties of the solid and microcellular foamed PPS/PES blends. The microcellular materials were prepared via a batch-foam processing, using the environment-friendly supercritical CO₂ (scCO₂) as a blowing agent. The saturation and desorption behaviors of CO₂ in PPS/PES blends for various blend ratios (10: 0, 8: 2, 6: 4, 5: 5, 4: 6, 2: 8, and 0: 10) were also elaborately discussed. The experimental results indicated that the foaming behaviors of PPS/PES blends are closely related to the blend morphology, crystallinity, and the mass-transfer rate of the CO₂ in each polymer phase. The mechanisms for the foaming behaviors of PPS/PES blends have been illustrated by establishing theoretical models.