Abstract
In a recently published paper (doi.org/10.3390/molecules26113116) on self-propelled motion of objects on the water surface, we described a novel surface-active plastic material obtained by dissolution of camphor and polypropylene in camphene at 250 ^circC. The material has wax-like mechanical properties, can be easily formed to any moldable shape, and allows for longer and more stable self-propelled motion if compared with pure camphor or pure camphene or of a camphene-camphor wax. Here we use scanning electron microscopy to visualize and characterize the microporous structure of the solid polypropylene foam formed in the plastic for different polypropylene contents. The topology of foams remaining in the material after camphor and camphene molecules have been removed through evaporation or dissolution is similar to polypropylene foams obtained using thermally-induced phase separation. We show that the foams have a superhydrophobic surface but strongly absorb non-polar liquids, and suggest an array of potential scientific and industrial applications.
Highlights
In a recently published paper on self-propelled motion of objects on the water surface, we described a novel surface-active plastic material obtained by dissolution of camphor and polypropylene in camphene at 250 ◦ C
There are several papers reporting on the use of either camphor or camphene as porogens especially in thermally-induced phase separation (TIPS) for the production of microporous membranes[13,22,23,24,25]
We found that the malleability of the precursor material previous to removal of the porogen mixture can be adjusted by changing the weight ratio between camphor and camphene
Summary
The presence of polypropylene improved the usefulness of material in experiments if compared to a camphor-camphene wax, described in[35]. In this publication we report the qualitative characterization of the microporous structures in polypropylene foams that are formed in camphene-camphor-polypropylene plastics.
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