Competing effect of shear and β-nucleating agent on the crystallization of injection-molded iPP

In this study, crystallization at different depth in the injection-molded iPP, filled with β-nucleating agent (β-NA), was investigated. According to WAXD result, one observes that the fraction of β-crystals unevenly distributes along the depth of the injection-molded parts. For iPP with lower content of β- NA, larger amount of β-crystals near the surface is shear induced; meanwhile, for the parts with higher content of β-NA, larger amount of β crystals away from the surface is β-NA induced. From the results, it could be suggested that the traditional role of nucleation agent, i.e., heterogeneous nucleation, under complex thermo-mechanical conditions during injection molding, might be suppressed.