Nucleation and reinforcement of carbon nanofibers on polystyrene nancomposite foam

As the demand for highly functional polymeric materials grows, nanocomposite foams are likely to play a vital role in the future foam industry. In this research work, carbon nanofibers (CNFs) were used as both nucleants and reinforcements for polystyrene (PS) foams. It was found that a microcellular foam structure could be achieved with low fiber loading. Moreover, the nano-scaled dimension of CNFs made them desirable elements to reinforce the cell walls, leading to an enhanced tensile modulus. Intensive shear force exerted by the twin-screw extruder broke the fibers in length and deteriorated their nucleation efficiencies.