Variations in surface gloss on parts made by gas assisted injection moulding

Abstract

Gas assisted injection moulding has proved to be a breakthrough in moulding technology for thermoplastic materials. However, there are still unsolved problems that limit the overall success of this technique. The aim of this work was to study the phenomenon of gloss variations occurring across the surfaces of gas assisted injection moulded parts. Experiments were carried out on an 80 t injection moulding machine equipped with a high pressure, nitrogen gas injection unit. The materials used were pigmented acrylonitrile/butadiene/ styrene and polypropylene. A plate cavity with a gas channel across its centre was used to mould the parts. Various processing parameters were varied: melt temperature; mould temperature; melt filling speed; short shot size; gas pressure; and gas injection delay time. After moulding, a glossmeter was used to determine the effects of these processing parameters on the surface gloss profiles of the parts. A roughness meter and scanning electronic microscope were also employed to characterise the surface quality of moulded parts. In addition, a numerical analysis of the filling process was carried out to help better understand the mechanisms responsible for the phenomenon of surface gloss variations. It was found that the surface gloss difference occurs mainly in the transition area between channel and plate in the moulded parts, which might be the result of the shear stress gradient in the polymer melt during the filling process. Surface roughness of moulded parts might also be another factor resulting in the gloss difference problem. PRC/1720     

注射工艺条件对抗冲共聚PP性能的影响

研究了注射成型工艺条件对抗冲共聚聚丙烯(PP)性能的影响.分析了熔体温度、注射速率、注射压力对抗冲共聚PP微观形态的影响.熔体温度为200～220℃,注射速率为45～90 mm/s,抗冲共聚PP的弯曲模量最大相差近10％,冲击试样的断裂方式发生改变,负荷变形温度最大相差5℃.注射压力的变化对抗冲共聚PP的性能影响不大....     

Investigations into surface visual quality of gas-assisted injection moulded polypropylene parts

Abstract

Although gas-assisted injection moulding (GAIM) provides many advantages compared with conventional injection moulding (CIM), its applications are limited to surface visual quality studies. In the present study, polypropylene plate parts designed with gas channels having five different types of cross-section but with same cross-sectional area were gas-assisted injection moulded. In addition, various plate thickness parts designed with semicircular gas channels of different radius were also moulded. The surface visual quality of GAIM parts was investigated via gloss and chromatics measurements. The effects of processing parameters and geometrical factors, introduced by part thickness, shape and associated dimensions of gas channels on glossy difference and chromatic aberration of GAIM parts were investigated. The effect on the surface visual quality of gas channel with fillet design and cavity surface with texturing treatment was also examined. It was found that glossy difference is very sensitive to the degree of crystallinity whereas gas channel residual skin melt thickness plays a dominant factor for chromatic aberration. The processing conditions significantly affect surface visual quality. Gas channel design of semicircular cross-section (shape A) provides a better surface visual quality than the other designs. In addition, in order to obtain best surface visual quality, the ratio of equivalent radius to plate thickness should be approximately equal to 2.3. Alternatively, surface visual quality can be improved by texturing treatment on the cavity surface of the core-side. The present study provided part design guidelines for choosing the most effective gas channel design to achieve the best surface visual quality.     

Effect of injection speed on the mechanical properties of isotactic polypropylene micro injection molded parts based on a nanoindentation test

Isotactic polypropylene micro parts were molded at different injection speeds by microinjection molding. The morphology and micro structure were characterized by a polarizing microscope, and the mechanical properties of differently structured layers were characterized by nanoindentation experiments. The influence of injection speed on the nanoindentation mechanical properties of each structural layer of the micro parts was analyzed. The results showed that the mechanical properties of different layers were different, the modulus and hardness of the position near the core layer were largest, and the modulus and hardness of the position near the skin were smallest. It is compelling that the modulus and hardness of each layer decreased first and then increased as the injection speed increased under a higher melt temperature (240 °C). Meanwhile, the opposite trend was observed at a lower melt temperature (220 °C). This phenomenon can be attributed to the competitive mechanism of the shear heat effect and the disorientation effect. In addition, injection speed had a greater influence on the nanoindentation mechanical properties in the perpendicular direction than in the flow direction. This work systematically explored the relationship between the microstructure and the local mechanical properties, which can provide new insights for microinjection molding design in the future. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47329.     

Effect of processing conditions on the gloss of polypropylene films

A study of the effect of three processing variables, melt temperature, quench temperature, and air pressure, on the gloss of polypropylene films shows that although these processing parameters are used to control this property they do not constitute the primary cause of gloss variations. The main causes of gloss variations were found to be changes in the polymer melt index, i.e., melt roughness, and film crystallinity, both of which can be controlled by changing the processing conditions.     

Effect of vibration parameters of electromagnetic dynamic plastics injection molding machine on mechanical properties of polypropylene samples

Dynamic injection processing experiments have been carried out on polypropylene using the self‐made electromagnetic dynamic plastics injection molding machine, and the effects of the vibration force field on mechanical properties of molding samples are studied, namely, the influence of vibration frequency and vibration amplitude on the mechanical properties of samples are researched by using tensile testing, impact testing, differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and scanning electronic micrograph (SEM) techniques. The results show that the tensile strength and impact strength are both enhanced and the melting point shifts toward the higher temperature, which facilitates the perfection of crystal. The best vibration parameters for processing polypropylene using electromagnetic dynamic plastics injection molding machine are that frequency is from 3 to 9 Hz and amplitude is from 0.1 to 0.4 mm. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 972–976, 2006     

Influence of process parameters on mechanical properties of physically foamed,fiber reinforced polypropylene parts

Due to the high complexity of the foaming technology, the relationship between processing and final properties of parts produced is not completely understood. Investigating the causality chain Processing–Morphology–Properties is of great importance, especially for the automotive industry, in order to be able to tailor the mechanical properties of foamed parts. This article examines and qualifies the effects of seven process parameters (melt/mold temperature, degree of foaming, injection speed, delay time, gas content, and back pressure) on biaxial bending and flexural behavior—the predominant deformation mechanisms in interior automotive applications—of foamed plaques, using the MuCell process. The results clearly show that three major factors (mold temperature, degree of foaming, and delay time) have significant impact on the mechanical properties of the foamed parts. For a clear understanding of these interactions, computed tomography scans of certain plaques are correlated to process parameters and mechanical performance. This article should forge a bridge between production and performance. © 2018 The Authors. Journal of Applied Polymer Science published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47275.     

Nonlinear influences of process parameters on mechanical properties of physically foamed,fiber-reinforced polypropylene parts

The importance of foam injection molded components in industrial applications increases, above all driven by sustainability concerns. In practice, their applicability almost exclusively depends on their mechanical behavior, which is still difficult to predict based on their microstructure. This work aims to present an approach based upon phenomenological observations. From a processing perspective, the objective is to describe the direct processing-properties-relationship. Therefore, this work focuses on the effects of different processing parameters on selected final mechanical properties of foam injection molded components using glass fiber-reinforced polypropylene. A full factorial, central composite design allows for the detection of nonlinear effects, the application of response surface methodology, and the creation of contour plots. Considering three important process parameters (mold temperature, degree of foaming, delay time) and—for the automotive industry—highly important mechanical properties in bi- and uniaxial bending, the results show a detailed picture of individual dependences, but also two-dimensional interactions between the different process parameters. Improvements of more than 140% in absorbed energy and flexural stiffness were obtained at constant part weight. Modulus and strength were increased by 37 and 44%, respectively.     

激光表面改性对聚丙烯非织造布性能的影响

采用激光技术对聚丙烯(PP)非织造布进行表面改性处理,探讨了激光功率和进布速度对PP非织造布的面密度、厚度、抗静电性、透气性、断裂强力和色泽度(K/S)的影响。结果表明:激光表面改性对PP非织造布的抗静电性、面密度和厚度影响不大;进布速度对PP非织造布的透气性、断裂强力和K/S的影响比激光功率显著,但是激光功率相比进布速度对接触角的影响更明显;随着进布速度的提高,PP非织造布的断裂强力先增加后减小,透气性、接触角和K/S呈下降趋势;随着激光功率的增大,PP非织造布的透气性先增加后趋于稳定,断裂强力和接触角显著降低,K/S增加;当激光功率为40 W,进布速度为9.0 m/min,激光表面改性处理后的PP非织造布的综合性能较好。     

The influence of injection molding parameters and blowing agent addition on selected properties,surface state,and structure of HDPE parts

The investigation of the influence of injection molding parameters (injection velocity, mold temperature and injection temperature, and additionally, as a result of these three parameters change, injection time, hold time, and cooling time) and blowing agent percentage on selected properties of HDPE molded parts such as weight, density, mechanical properties (tensile strength and elongation at maximum force), surface state (gloss and color), and structure was the aim of this work. The examination showed, that the mold temperature has the main influence on properties and surface state of molded parts from solid and foam HDPE. The weight, density, mechanical properties and gloss of molded parts increased with the increase in mold temperature. The mold temperature also influences significantly the number and size of pores in molded parts. The addition of blowing agent in a quantity of 2% is sufficient to obtain parts with favorable mechanical properties and good surface quality. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2013. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers.     

Influence of recycling and contamination on structure and transport properties of polypropylene

In this work the effect of three processing cycles on the physical properties of polypropylene (PP) was studied and related to the changes in the structure (molecular weight, molecular weight distribution, morphology) occurring during recycling. In order to simulate both the use and the recycling process of PP in the laboratory, PP pellets were contaminated with three model substances and submitted to three cycles of processing by injection molding. The bars for testing were produced from virgin and recycled polymers. The amount of degradation occurring during the reprocessing was estimated by means of viscosity and gel permeation chromatography measurements. Differential scanning calorimetry and scanning electron microscopy analyses were performed to investigate the crystallization behavior and the morphology of virgin and recycled PP. In order to obtain information on the structural organization and mobility of the amorphous phase, a dynamic mechanical thermal analysis and measurements of the transport properties were carried out. The results obtained were attributed to the different structural organization of the bars in relation to the number of processing cycles and contamination. Part of the work was focused on the recyclability of PP for food packaging applications, considering the residual contamination and migrational behavior after repeated processing cycles. In particular, the relationships existing between reprocessing, the residual amounts of contaminants, and the migrational behavior were investigated. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 1768–1778, 2003     

Effect of hydroperoxide decomposer and slipping agent on recycling of polypropylene

Polypropylene (PP) recycling has always been challenging because the polymer is highly susceptible to thermooxidative degradation during extrusion. Recycled (degraded) PP is normally blended with virgin PP to achieve reasonable mechanical properties after reprocessing operations. However, impurities present in recycled PP tend to degrade even the virgin PP in this process. In this study, standard recycled PP was produced in a laboratory by repeated extrusion and pelletization operations of virgin PP. This material was blended with virgin PP in a ratio from 3 : 7 to 7 : 3. An attempt was made to stabilize the recycled blend by adding a peroxide decomposer (triphenylphosphite, TPP) and a slipping agent (zinc stearate) in contrast to radical scavengers normally used in reprocessing. It was found that by using 0.3–0.5 wt % of TPP and 2 wt % of zinc stearate, this degradation could be effectively attested. Compared to the tensile strength retention of 68% (based on strength of pure virgin PP) of a 60 : 40 (recycled : virgin) PP blend without any stabilizer, a value of 77% was obtained for the same blend with the above‐mentioned stabilizers. This stabilization effect was attributed to decomposition of unstable hydroperoxides to stable compounds in the recycled materials by TPP, and lower generation of new radicals in the presence of zinc stearate. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 92: 3247–3251, 2004     

汽车外饰用再生聚丙烯材料性能研究

本研究在原生聚丙烯（VPP）中加入不同比例的消费后回收聚丙烯（PCR⁃PP）,制得一系列不同再生含量（0、10 %、30 %、50 %）的再生聚丙烯（RPP）材料,进而研究再生材料添加比例对RPP材料的拉伸、弯曲、压缩、冲击等力学性能的影响规律,并以差示扫描量热（DSC）、熔体流动速率等热学性能检测方法及扫描电子显微镜显微分析手段探索RPP材料性能衰减的内在机理。结果表明,随着PCR⁃PP含量的提升,RPP材料的抗老化性能变差,结晶性能和加工性能逐步降低,造成产品各项强度性能及塑性表现出不同程度的下降趋势。当PCR⁃PP含量≤30 %时,RPP材料的各项强度及塑性保持率均维持在90 %以上,此时如果在产品中针对性地辅以补强剂,RPP材料的物理性能可以满足车规级使用要求。此研究结果为RPP材料在汽车行业的广泛应用提供了重要数据支撑。     

Deformation velocity dependence on tensile fracture characteristics of polypropylene injection molding parts

To clarify the mechanism of the deformation and fracture in a low‐velocity impact test on the isotactic polypropylene (i‐PP) sheet made by injection molding, the change of the style of fracture and the form of deformation was examined while changing the speed of the striker in a low‐velocity impact test. In the injection molding sheet, an oriented skin layer of some thickness is formed on the surface of the sample sheet. By the stress perpendicular to the orientation direction of the skin layer, crazes were formed easily in parallel with the orientation direction in this layer, and cracks were formed from there. Because these cracks bring the sample sheet a strong restraint of strain, a high stress concentration occurs at the end of this crack even if the formation of the oriented layer is limited on the surface of the sample sheet only, and the low‐velocity impact test leads the sample sheet to a brittle fracture. As a result, the injection molding sheet that forms oriented structure on its surface causes the ductility‐brittleness transform at a lower velocity of deformation compared with the nonoriented sheet. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 53:2659–2665, 2013. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Effect of surface treatment on the properties of polypropylene/nanoboehmite composites

Boehmite nanoparticles are surface modified with alkyl phosphorous acid to improve their dispersion in polypropylene. Effective grafting is evidenced by NMR, elemental analysis and by the fact that the dispersion ability (or disagglomeration) of grafted boehmite particle in nonpolar solvent is significantly altered. High dispersibility level in PP is obtained with long alkyl chain surface modifiers. The improvement of the nanocomposites thermal stability is correlated with the nanoparticles dispersion level. However, composite with well dispersed nanoparticle did not demonstrate enhanced mechanical properties because of weak polymer/filler interactions with the PP matrix. Better reinforcement is noticed for polypropylene composite loaded with untreated boehmite or treated with shorter alkyl chain. For these composites, the nanoparticles acted as nucleating agents. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Effect of printing parameters on mechanical properties of extrusion-based additively manufactured ceramic parts

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of printing parameters on the physical and mechanical properties of additively manufactured ceramics (alumina and zirconia). Sample parts were obtained by extrusion-based additive manufacturing of a ceramic-binder mixture and subsequent post-processing (debinding and sintering). Their mechanical properties (microhardness, flexural strength, toughness) were measured and correlated with the printing parameters. Part orientation is the most significant factor for microhardness and flexural strength in both ceramic materials. Parts with vertical orientation show higher hardness while horizontal samples show higher flexural strength compared to their respective counterparts. Extrusion velocity was found to be insignificant for hardness and flexural strength. However, a marginal increase in fracture toughness with the increase in the extrusion velocity was observed. The fracture toughness of additively manufactured ceramics shows an increasing trend with elastic modulus and flexural strength and a decreasing trend with hardness and sintered density.     

Crystal distribution and molecule orientation of micro injection molded polypropylene microstructured parts

Polypropylene (PP) microstructured part which comprises micro columns array and a macroscopical base plate was manufactured by micro injection molding. The morphology distribution in micro columns is quite different from that of the base plate. This article investigates the crystal distribution and molecule orientation of the microstructured part by X‐ray diffraction. The hardness of shear zone of micro columns was evaluated by Nano Indenter. Test results show that both micro columns and macroscopical base plate contain α and β phase. However, the relative proportion of β phase in micro columns is markedly higher than that of the base plate. β phase distributes only in the shear zone of the microstructured part. So, the mechanical properties of micro columns must differ from that of the base plate. In addition, the orientation of Ø100 μm micro columns is slight, which indicates that the mechanical anisotropy of micro columns induced by orientation could be ignored. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2009. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers     

The effect of a polypropylene skin on the structure and properties of PE/PP dual layer pressure pipe

A new and growing family of polyethylene (PE)‐based pressure pipes have a polypropylene (PP) skin. The effect of the PP skin on the structure and properties of the core PE pipe was investigated by comparing the skinned pipe with an uncoated pipe made from the same PE material and with the same dimensions. The annealing effect introduced by the skin changed the PE core pipe density profile across the wall thickness, increasing density in the PE core pipe near to its outer surface. The density at the bore of the coated and the uncoated pipe was similar. The melting temperature and enthalpy of melting data from DSC agreed with the density profile results. The melting temperature of PE core pipe material close to the PP skin increased with increasing skin thickness. Residual stress assessment indicated that, as the PP skin thickness increased, the PE core pipe had a lower level of overall residual stress in the hoop direction. Long‐term hydrostatic strength (LTHS) tests were carried out and showed a higher strength for the coated pipe than the uncoated one. The observed structural changes have been used to explain the relative strength of these two PE pipes. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2012. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers