Characterization of engineering plastics plasticized using supercritical CO2

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the physical and chemical properties of engineering plastics processed using supercritical CO2. First, we prepared disk-shaped test pieces via a general molding process, which were plasticized using supercritical CO2 at temperatures lower than the glass-transition points of engineering plastics. Amorphous polymers were plasticized, and their molecular weight remained nearly unchanged after treatment with supercritical CO2. The mechanical strength significantly decreased despite the unchanged molecular weight. The surface roughness and contact angle increased slightly, and electrical properties such as the rate of charging decreased significantly. These results suggest that supercritical CO2 could be used for a new molding process performed at lower temperatures than those used in general molding processes, according to the required properties.