Morphology evolution during injection molding: Effect of packing pressure

Injection molding is one of the most widely employed methods for manufacturing polymeric products. The final properties and then the quality of an injection molded part are to a great extent affected by morphology. Thus, the prediction of microstructure formation is of technological importance, also for optimizing processing variables. In this work, some injection molding tests were performed with the aim of studying the effects of packing pressure on morphology distribution. The resulting morphology of the moldings was characterized and it was compared with previous results gathered on samples obtained by applying a lower holding pressure. Furthermore, the molding tests were simulated by means of a code developed at University of Salerno. The results obtained show that on increasing holding pressure the molecular orientation inside the samples increases, and simulations show that this is due mainly to the increase of relaxation time caused by the higher pressures. On discussing the simulation results, some considerations are made on the effects of pressure on crystallization kinetics and on rheology.     

Modeling and experimental study of birefringence in injection molding of semicrystalline polymers

The prediction of birefringence developed in injection moldings is very important in order to satisfy required specification of molded products. A novel approach for the numerical simulation of the flow-induced crystallization and frozen-in birefringence in moldings of semicrystalline polymers was proposed. The approach was based on the calculation of elastic recovery that becomes frozen when the flow-induced crystallization occurred. The flow effect on the equilibrium melting temperature elevation due to the entropy reduction between the oriented and unoriented melts was incorporated to model crystallization. To find the entropy reduction and the frozen-in elastic recovery during crystallization, a non-linear viscoelastic constitutive equation was used. From the ultimate elastic recovery the crystalline orientation function was calculated. The crystalline and amorphous contributions to the overall birefringence were obtained from the crystalline orientation function and the flow birefringence, respectively. The birefringence profiles were measured and predicted in moldings of polypropylenes of different molecular weights obtained at various melt temperatures, injection speeds, holding times and mold temperatures. The resulting predictions were in fair agreement with corresponding experimental data.     

Spatial distribution of molecular orientation in injection molded iPP: influence of processing conditions

In this paper, the influence of processing conditions on the spatial distribution of the molecular orientation was determined within the depth of the thickness of injection molded isotactic polypropylene (iPP) plates. Small 35 μm-thick slices were microtomed from the surface to the core of 1 and 3 mm-thick plates. The orientation functions along the three crystallographic axes were determined on the slices from IR dichroism measurements and WAXS pole figures. It was found that the orientation of the amorphous phase was low and the crystalline orientation had a maximum in the shearing layer, which was solidified during the filling stage. The plate thickness seemed to govern the global level of orientation, while the injection speed determined the thickness of the shearing layer without changing the maximum of orientation. Changing the mold temperature from 20 to 40 °C did not modify the molecular orientation. A specific bimodal crystalline orientation was found in the shearing layer. This crystalline structure continued in the post-filling layer, but the local symmetry axes tilted towards the core.     

两厢后灯体多级注塑工艺

根据两厢后灯体的使用要求,本文通过对该产品要求的描述,采用多级注塑工艺进行加工,解释材料、设备等选择,特别是产品注塑位置采用欠充注射法来确定,就注塑成型工艺等参数对产品影响等方面提出一些具体的看法和介绍。多级注塑工艺经生产实践验证,参数设置合理,操作可行,能保证产品质量,产品能得到用户的认同。     

Surface morphology alignment of block copolymers induced by injection molding

Block copolymers are of increasing interest because of their nanometer-scale morphologies, which can be utilized in a range of applications, including nanolithography. Orientation of the domains can be controlled by part design and processing conditions in injection molding. In this work the surface morphology and alignment of block copolymers by mechanical flow fields from injection molding was investigated using a styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene triblock copolymer (SEBS) and compared with the morphology induced by spin coating. Compared with the isotropic morphology found by spin coating and annealing, the surface domains were oriented in the flow direction. Increasing mold temperature and injection velocity enhanced the degree of orientation, whereas melt temperature had little effect. Smaller characteristic lengths were produced with higher mold temperatures and injection velocities.     

YN5前灯装饰圈注塑工艺研究

YN5前灯装饰圈采用PBT(增强)加工,本文通过对该产品要求的描述,就注塑成型工艺等提出一些具体的看法和介绍。注塑工艺经生产实践验证,参数设置合理,操作可行,能保证产品质量,产品能满足使用要求。     

薄壁塑件注射成型翘曲变形的工艺优化

本文以注射成型照相机前壳为研究对象,以注塑成型中的翘曲量为优化目标,利用正交试验结合CAE模拟技术,研究模具温度、熔体温度、注射时间、保压时间、保压压力和冷却时间对制品翘曲的影响规律。用均值分析法得到最小翘曲变形的一组优化工艺参数组合,并进行CAE模拟验证。再运用方差分析确定各个工艺参数对翘曲变形的影响程度。     

激车后灯外罩注塑工艺优化

灯具外罩通常用透明PMMA制作,外罩采用两次注塑成型,先做成嵌件,然后把嵌件放在男一副模具中注塑合成,通过对嵌件、外罩注塑成型工艺等的介绍,围绕外罩产品特点,进行产品重量的控制,用重量控制法达到产品质量。经生产实践验证,用重量控制法优化工艺能满足外罩成型要求,符合生产需要操作简便可行,产品能得到用户的认同。     

薄壁塑件注射成型翘曲变形的工艺优化

本文以注射成型照相机前壳为研究对象,以注塑成型中的翘曲量为优化目标,利用正交试验结合CAE模拟技术,研究模具温度、熔体温度、注射时间、保压时间、保压压力和冷却时间对制品翘曲的影响规律。用均值分析法得到最小翘曲变形的一组优化工艺参数组合,并进行CAE模拟验证。再运用方差分析确定各个工艺参数对翘曲变形的影响程度。     

动态注射成型机塑化过程中的分散效应

采用电磁动态注射成型机塑化聚丙烯(PP)与纳米CaCO_3的共混料。通过扫描电子显微镜观察以及差示扫描量热法分析,探讨了振动参数对注射机预塑过程中分散效应的影响。实验发现,随着振动频率和振幅的增加,纳米CaCO_3在PP熔体中分散得更均匀,平均粒径逐渐减小;混合料的熔点向高温移动,混合质量得以改善,有利于完善结晶。因而表明,引入振动力场有效地促进了CaCO_3的分散,提高了注塑机的塑化效果。     

BP神经网络在注射成型工艺参数优化中的作用

本文研究的是注射工艺参数对塑件翘曲变形的影响。通过CAE模拟计算,以工艺参数为输入参数,以翘曲量为输出参数,构建BP神经网络模型。以CAE分析结果作为训练样本和检测样本,分析BP神经网络在工艺参数优化方面的作用。     

后灯遮光罩浇口改进及注塑工艺设定

后灯遮光罩是用Bayer公司共聚碳酸脂Apec料制造,通过对Apec与标准PC作工艺比较和介绍,围绕遮光罩产品特点,对原来的浇口两点进料改为一点进料,进行必要注塑成型加工射胶量计算和工艺调整,并对成型工艺进行介绍。经生产实践验证,工艺参数设定符合生产需要,操作可行,遮光罩产品能得到用户的认同。     

Effect of processing on the crystalline orientation, morphology, and mechanical properties of polypropylene cast films and microporous membrane formation

Cast films of a high molecular weight linear polypropylene (L-PP) were prepared by extrusion followed by stretching using a chill roll. An air knife was employed to supply air to the film surface right at the exit of the die. The effects of air cooling conditions, chill roll temperature, and draw ratio on the crystalline orientation, morphology, mechanical and tear properties of the PP cast films were investigated. The crystallinity and crystal size distribution of the films were studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). It was found that air blowing on the films contributed significantly to the uniformity of the lamellar structure. The orientation of crystalline and amorphous phases was measured using wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). The amount of lamellae formation and long period spacing were obtained via small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The results showed that air cooling and the cast roll temperature have a crucial role on the orientation and amount of lamellae formation of the cast films, which was also confirmed from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of the films. Tensile properties and tear resistance of the cast films in machine and transverse directions (MD and TD, respectively) were evaluated. Significant increases of the Young modulus, yield stress, tensile strength, and tensile toughness along MD and drastic decreases of elongation at break along TD were observed for films subjected to air blowing. Morphological pictograms are proposed to represent the molecular structure of the films obtained without and upon applying air cooling for different chill roll temperatures. Finally, microporous membranes were prepared from annealed and stretched films to illustrate the effect of the PP cast film microstructure on the morphology and permeability of membranes. The observations of SEM surface images and water vapor transmission rate of the membranes showed higher pore density, uniform pore size, and superior permeability for the ones obtained from the precursor films prepared under controlled air cooling.     

注射成型中聚合物剪切诱导结晶行为的三维模拟

在考虑剪切导致分子链取向并升高其平衡熔点的基础上,建立了基于Nakamura方程的剪切诱导结晶动力学模型。在WLF-Cross黏度模型中引入结晶对黏度系数的影响,构建了考虑结晶的注射成型过程模型。采用改进的有限体积法对聚合物剪切诱导结晶行为进行了三维数值模拟,模拟中耦合了流动场、熔体压力、温度、诱导时间与结晶度。结果表明,本方法可清晰模拟出注射成型过程中聚合物的三维“喷泉”流动行为以及3层“皮-芯”结晶结构,同时,诱导结晶时间指数与相对结晶度的模拟结果与理论及实验结果吻合。     

注塑成型模拟技术在注塑工艺中的应用

注塑成型工艺已经发展成为塑料工业最重要的加工手段,注射模塑过程中需要选择和控制的压力包括塑化压力、注射压力和保压压力,它们直接影响塑料的塑化和塑件质量。通过对注塑过程中所涉及的工艺条件如何影响塑料制品的质量作了探讨,借助注塑工程分析软件对塑料制品的成型过程进行模拟,合理确定这些工艺参数,并分析了一个应用CAE技术优化工艺参数的实例,提出了比较切合实际并容易提高产品质量的注塑工艺方案。     

Quiescent crystallization kinetics and morphology of isotactic polypropylene resins for injection molding. I. Isothermal crystallization

The quiescent isothermal crystallization kinetics of polypropylene was studied as a function of molecular weight (M_w), amount of ethene, and amount of maleic anhydride and acrylic acid grafting. Differential scanning calorimetry and polarized light optical microscopy were used to follow this kinetics. It was observed that the linear growth rate, G, decreased with the increase of M_w, but increased with the amount of ethene. In the grafted polymers, as the amount of grafting increased, G decreased. The fold surface free energy, σ_e, was found to increase with the increase in M_w. The heterophasic and grafted polymers had σ_e values higher than the homopolymers. All samples showed spherulitic morphology, except the acrylic acid-grafted polypropylene that showed axialitic morphology. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 68: 1159–1176, 1998     

Micro‐injection molding of thermoplastic polymers: Proposal of a constitutive law as function of the aspect ratios

Based on experimental measurements of the in situ conditions within polymer flow during micro‐injection molding, a new geometrical parameter is defined to predict realistic dimensions of micro‐parts (μparts). To this aim, thin‐walled parts of various aspect ratios “length/thickness” (L/h) were first molded, with two different polymers: (i) a polystyrene and (ii) a cyclo‐olefin copolymer. It is shown that pressure drops (ΔP_i), measured between the injection pressure and the various sensors present in the mold, are directly related to the square of the ratio of L/h. This approach has finally been successfully applied to the results of the literature, confirming its relevance. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 45719.     

Experiment and simulation of foaming injection molding of polypropylene/nano-calcium carbonate composites by supercritical carbon dioxide

Microcellular injection molding of neat isotactic polypropylene (iPP) and isotactic polypropylene/nano-calcium carbonate composites (iPP/nano-CaCO₃H) was performed using supercritical carbon dioxide as the physical blowing agent. The influences of filler content and operating conditions on microstructure morphology of iPP and iPP/nano-CaCO₃H microcellular samples were studied systematically. The results showed the bubble size of the microcellular samples could be effectively decreased while the cell density increased for iPP/nano-CaCO₃H composites, especially at high CO₂ concentration and back pressure, low mold temperature and injection speed, and high filler content. Then Moldex 3D was applied to simulate the microcellular injection molding process, with the application of the measured ScCO₂ solubility and diffusion data for iPP and iPP/nano-CaCO₃H composites respectively. For neat iPP, the simulated bubble size and density distribution in the center section of tensile bars showed a good agreement with the experimental values. However, for iPP/nano-CaCO₃H composites, the correction factor for nucleation activation energy F and the pre-exponential factor of nucleation rate f0 were obtained by nonlinear regression on the experimental bubble size and density distribution. The parameters F and f0 can be used to predict the microcellular injection molding process for iPP/nano-CaCO₃H composites by Moldex 3D.     

Low-stress over-molding of media-tight electronics using thermoplastic foam injection molding

Due to increasing automation and the associated rising demands on electronic assemblies, a suitable manufacturing process for large-scale production is needed to protect such products. The big challenge in this context is the low-stress encapsulation of the assemblies to protect them from external influences. In this study, the foam injection molding process was used to encapsulate FR4 (epoxy-based PCB) with Polyamid66 (PA66). The focus was on the production of a good assembly in terms of the quality of the bond and the media tightness. These parameters can be used to evaluate the protective effect against the surrounding. In the tests, a leakage rate of 0.025 m/min and shear stress of 6.5 MPa was achieved at low-foaming rates. This leakage is below the maximum acceptable threshold of 0.5 ml/min. The shear stress reaches values comparable to those in injection molding In addition to the requirements for leakage and composite quality, it could be shown that the internal mold pressure is reduced from 450 bar to below 10 bar by foaming. This can be used as the first indication of a reduced shear load on electronic components during over-molding. The suitability of the new solution concept is demonstrated.