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The SPE Library contains thousands of papers, presentations, journal briefs and recorded webinars from the best minds in the Plastics Industry. Spanning almost two decades, this collection of published research and development work in polymer science and plastics technology is a wealth of knowledge and information for anyone involved in plastics.

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Conference Proceedings

INFLUENCE OF THE TOOL MATERIAL ON THE MICROSTRUCTURE AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF PMMA LAP JOINTS WELDED BY FRICTION SPOT
Pedro Oliveira, Sergio Amancio, Jorge dos Santos, Elias Hage Jr., May 2011

The development of new polymer welding techniques is currently a key subject in the field of science and technology of joining. Industrial sectors such as the automotive, airspace and civil engineering are examples where polymer welding is largely applied. Recently, the feasibility of the friction spot welding process was demonstrated on thermoplastics. The objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of tool material on the properties of polymeric friction spot welds on poly (methyl-methacrilate). Microstructure, lap shear resistance and fracture mechanisms of single lap joints produced with stainless steel and titanium tool materials were investigated for this purpose.

GLASS FIBRE-REINFORCED POLYETHYLENE COMPOSITES IN ROTATIONAL MOULDING
Wai Chow Chang, Eileen Harkin-Jones, Mark Kearns, Mark McCourt, May 2011

Fibre-reinforced mouldings are of growing interest to the rotomoulding industry through their outstanding price/performance ratio. However, a particular problem that arises when using reinforcements in this process is low shear, good mixing of resin/reinforcement is not optimum under those conditions. There is also a problem of the larger/heavier reinforcements segregating out of the powder to lay-up on the inner part surface. In this paper we report on studies to incorporate glass-fibres into rotomoulded parts. Results indicate that pre-compounding is necessary to gain performance enhancement and the single-layer part made from glass-reinforced, pre-compounded powder exhibited the highest tensile and flexural modulus.

EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF MOLDING AND COATING ON THE DURABILITY OF OPTICAL POLYCARBONATE PRODUCTS
Chengtao Li, May 2011

Polycarbonate (PC) has become widespread in public transportation vehicles, lenses, as well as glazing due to its light weight, outstanding unique engineering properties, and extreme levels of toughness and ductility. PC is usually injection molded, or sometimes extruded and thermoformed, into desired 2D/3D complex shape, then applied with hardcoats to improve its weathering and abrasion resistance performance. The effect of molded-in stress on the brittleness and microcracking of silicone-based hardcoats during the coating process was quantified, and the impact resistance performance of weathered and aged polycarbonate samples was studied with different coating system.

TENSILE BEHAVIOR OF SYMMETRIC AND ASYMMETRIC STRUCTURAL COMPOSITE FOAMS
Cedric Tissandier, Charles Hucault, Denis Rodrigue, May 2011

Structural composite foams were produced by enclosing a foamed core between two composite skins. The effect of layer thickness and composition was studied using different amounts of chemical blowing agent (1 and 1.5%) and flax fibres (0, 15, 30%). The samples were produced by compression molding and characterized in tension. Videos were also taken. The results show that for symmetric structures, both skins break simultaneously, whereas asymmetric foams present two consecutive skin breaks. As expected, increasing CBA content decreased all the properties, while increasing fibre content led to higher Young's modulus and lower strain at break.

IN-PROCESS MONITORING OF DRUG LOADING DURING TWIN SCREW EXTRUSION OF PHARMACEUTICAL POLYMER COMPOUNDS
Tim Gough, Adrian Kelly, Ravi Dhumal, Anant Paradkar, Sheelagh Halsey, May 2011

Near infrared spectroscopy has been used to characterize a solid dispersion of the poorly soluble antidiabetic drug glipizide in a polyethylene oxide (PEO) matrix during twin screw extrusion. A range of drug loadings and extrusion temperatures were examined. All compounds exhibited a significantly improved rate and extent of drug dissolution compared to the pure drug and physical mixtures. NIR spectroscopy was found to provide a clear indication of drug loadings, highlighting the potential to incorporate the technique into a real-time quality control system.

EVALUATION OF CHEMICAL RESISTANCE OF POLYMETHYLMETHACRYLATE TO AUTOMOTIVE WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID
Tom Pickett, May 2011

Polymethylmethacrylate material (PMMA) is used in several automotive exterior applications such as exterior appliques and lighting lenses. There are different grades of PMMA that are commonly used for automotive exterior applications. This paper examines the chemical resistance of different grades of PMMA that are commonly used in automotive exterior applications to automotive windshield washer fluid under different strains. The exterior automotive parts are subjected to harsh environments. The parts are exposed to a range of environmental elements such as chemicals, sunlight, rain, snow, cold and hot temperatures. This study focuses on the chemical exposure of PMMA to windshield washer fluid.

HOT PLATE WELDING OF WOOD PLASTIC COMPOSITES BASED ON POLYVINYLCHLORIDE AND POLYPROPYLENE
Benjamin Baudrit, Milorad Bogdanovic, Peter Heidemeyer, Martin Bastian, May 2011

In this work fundamental investigations of the weldability of wood-plastic composites (WPCs) with high proportions of fillers were conducted at the Sueddeutsches Kunststoff-Zentrum (SKZ) using a hot plate welding process. The objectives of this research work were not only to obtain investigations about suitable welding parameters and possible process optimisations in relation to the welding apparatus and the weld strength, but also to determine the achievable weld quality regarding the lack of standards and guidelines worldwide on this field. A welding apparatus for the welding of WPC parts was designed and optimized for this purpose.

INVESTIGATING THE SURFACE ENERGY OF SILICONE
Nicole Larson, Kyle Pyke, May 2011

Liberty Orchards is a company that makes some very sticky candies that make processing difficult. The current process requires refrigerating the candy slabs overnight and cutting the next day. By making a mold for casting the candy, the two processes would be eliminated, reducing the cycle time and the cost per part. Previous research has shown that silicone is a possible material choice. The project looked at various elastomers and fluoroadditives to reduce the surface energy of silicone. The different formulations have been tested based on the contact angle goniometer, tensiometer, water resistance, and SEM.

UNDERSTANDING THE EXISTENCE AND MAGNITUDE OF FLOW INDUCED SHEAR IMBALANCES IN LIQUID SILICONE RUBBERS
Jesse Gadley, Justin Grumski, May 2011

The intent of this study is to investigate the existence of shear imbalances when using Liquid Silicone Rubbers (LSRs) in Injection Molding. This study will compare the effects of both intra-cavity and inter-cavity shear imbalances through the use of an 8-cavity mold with a geometrically balanced runner system. A simple bar was used as the test part to investigate the existence of variation in filling patterns due to shear imbalances. The study showed through the determination of flow groups and comparison of the part weights from these groups that shear imbalances exist in geometrically balanced runners with LSR.

INVESTIGATING THE FOAMABILITY OF LOW MELT STRENGTH HOMOPOLYMER LINEAR PP AND COUPLING AGENT BY USING NANOCLAY
Mohammadreza Nofar, KamleshkumarMajithiya, Takashi Kuboki, Thomas Bonnet, Chul B. Park, May 2011

In this work, the feasibility of producing microcellular foam by using linear polypropylene and different nanoclay contents has been investigated. A twin-screw extruder was used for nanocomposite compounding. An X-ray diffraction machine was utilized to observe the dispersion of nanoclay within the matrix. Shear viscosity of the samples was measured as well. Also, a single screw extruder was used for foaming by using 5% supercritical CO2 in various die temperatures. SEM was utilized to explore the morphology of the foamed samples and foams with high expansion ratios of about 20 and high cell density of about 108-9 cells/cm3 were achieved.

FAILURE ANALYSIS OF PLASTIC CRIMP FITTING ASSEMBLIES
Dale Edwards, Donald Duvall, Anand Shah, May 2011

This paper covers a failure analysis of a cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) hot and cold water plumbing system that utilized plastic insert fittings that were fastened with stainless steel clamp rings. The failed fittings exhibited features that led several different investigators to associate the failures with fatigue and slow crack growth. Our examination of the fractures indicated that the failures were due to high stress that caused crazing and subsequent fast fracture of the fittings. Environmental Stress Cracking (ESC) may also have been involved as a contributor to the failures.

EFFECT OF THE PROCESSING VARIABLES ON THE MECHANICAL PROPETIES AND MORPHOLOGY OF PP/MODIFIED CLAY NANOCOMPOSITES
Andre Rodrigues, Maria Brasileiro, Pankaj Agrawal, Edcleide Araujo, Tomas Melo, May 2011

In this work, the screw speed and the feeding rate of Polypropylene/clay nanocomposites was investigated. The nanocomposites were prepared in a co-rotating twin screw extruder under different processing conditions, and characterized by X-Ray Diffraction, mechanical properties, Optical Microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy and Transmission Electron Microscopy. The results showed that the Brazilian sodic bentonite clay was successfully modified with the surfactant. Higher screw speed and shear rate promoted the most favorable condition, where it was possible to obtain clay lamellae exfoliation. The mechanical properties were not influenced by the change in the processing conditions (screw speed and feeding rate).

POLY(LACTIC ACID) ADDED WITH TOCOPHEROL AND RESVERATROL. I. OPTICAL, PHYSICAL, THERMAL AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
Sung Wook Hwang, Sang Lee, Kyemin Cho, Jin Shim, Susan Selke, Herlinda Soto-Valdez, Maria Rubino, Laurent Matuana, Rafael Auras, May 2011

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) films containing two natural antioxidants, ñ-tocopherol (ñ-TOC) and Resveratrol with various concentrations were fabricated by melt compounding and compression molding processes. The influence of the antioxidants on the optical, color and UV-VIS light transmission properties of the films was analyzed. Thermal and physical properties of films were also assessed. Films with two antioxidants showed a yellowish brown color, and the lightness was influenced by the presence of the antioxidants. Thermal properties were also significantly changed with addition of antioxidants.

MODELING OF ANISOTROPIC POLYMERS DURING EXTRUSION
Michael Zimmerman, Arash Ahmadzadegan, Anil Saigal, May 2011

It is known that a liquid crystal polymer (LCP) melt aligns in the direction of the shear flow when it passes through an extrusion die. This alignment causes thin films of the anisotropic LCP material to display different properties in different directions. To overcome this problem, many complex die design technologies have been developed that involve moving surfaces. However, there is a clear need to develop a method of predicting crystal orientation (alignment) to aid in die design. This paper investigates different modeling methods, and develops a numerical modeling technique using FLUENT.

THE ROLE OF PLASTICATION IN PURGING EFFICIENCY AND MOLDED PART QUALITY FOR RECIPROCATING SCREW INJECTION MOLDING MACHINES
Nick Schott, Dirk Schmiederer, Wipoo Sriseubasai, Loganathan Kaliaperumal, May 2011

One third of plastics are processed via injection molding. The process is versatile for making three dimensional parts weighing from fractions of a gram to several hundred pounds. Many types of resins are used commercially. Resins come in different colors and different additives and fillers. Changing from one resin or color to another involves an inordinate amount of money and time which is invested to remove the previous resin or color. Many commercial purging aides are available and many procedures are found in the literature miss the point since the basic principles causing the purging inefficiency are not well understood.

TOPOLOGICAL EFFECTS IN POLYACRYLAMIDE HYDROGELS
Jan Kalfus, Alan Lesser, May 2011

Viscoelastic response of polyacrylamide hydrogels prepared by free radical copolymerization of acrylamide and N,N-methylenebisacrylamide in presence of linear polyacrylamide (L-PAA) chains is investigated. The presence of high-MW L-PAA chains contributes very significantly to the intermolecular excluded volume interaction and, hence, decreases the degrees of freedom of chain strands forming the hydrogel network. This sort of trapped entanglement interaction affects significantly the network mechanical behavior. Presented viscoelastic data show that the addition of L-PAA chains into the hydrogel changes not only the linear elastic modulus of the network, but also imposes an unusual relaxation behavior in to the hydrogel.

EXTRUSION FOAMING OF CELLULOSE FIBER REINFORCED POLYLACTIC ACID BIOCOMPOSITES
Ryohei Koyama, Takashi Kuboki, WeiDan Ding, Babu Kamal, Nan Chen, Chul B. Park, May 2011

This paper investigates the effects of matrix type, cellulose and die temperature on the foaming behavior of cellulose fiber reinforced polylactic acid (PLA) biocomposites in extrusion. Two types of PLA (amorphous and crystalline) as a polymer matrix and CO2 as a physical blowing agent were used. The results suggest that pure crystalline PLA resulted in a better foaming behavior than pure amorphous PLA, but the polymer matrix type had little affect on the foaming behavior of the composite materials. Additionally, the cell density and the foam density of pure crystalline PLA and composites decreased with a decrease in die temperature.

COMPOSITE STRUCTURES WITH GOOD CHEMICAL RESISTANCE AND HIGH PERMEABILITY TO MOISTURE VAPOR
John Chen, Donna Visioli, May 2011

Composite structures combining fabric and film are used in applications where barrier protection and moisture permeability are important. For example, protective garments require moisture permeability for the wearer's comfort, and moisture permeable protective covers for equipment to avoid condensed moisture induced corrosion or mold growth. . Recently, new ionomers having novel performance (increased selective gas transmission while maintaining mechanical properties) have been developed. In this paper, we discuss their use in film structures which have both good barrier protection,, mechanical properties and appropriate moisture transmission properties.

EFFECT OF PROCESSING CONDITIONS AND DIE DESIGN ON DIE DROOL PHENOMENON FOR HDPE POLYMER MELT
Martin Zatloukal, Jan Musil, May 2011

In this work, the effect of processing conditions and die design on die drool phenomenon for HDPE polymer melt has been investigated. It has been revealed that the thermally induced degradation occurring inside the processing equipment may lead to HDPE melt viscosity/elasticity enhancement, which promotes unwanted material accumulation at the end of the extrusion die. It has been found that for particular processing conditions, shaped die, flared die or the use of hard chrome instead of stainless steel can reduce die drool phenomenon for HDPE.

EFFECTS OF TIME AND TEMPLATE PORE SIZE ON THE MORPHOLOGY OF POLYMER NANOSTRUCTURES FORMED WITH THE TEMPLATE ASSISTED METHOD
Meghan Pasquali, Jianyu Liang, Satya Shivkumar, May 2011

The template assisted method is a simple, cost effective technique that can be used to fabricate polymer nanotubes. In this study, the solution wetting technique was used to form polystyrene elongated nanostructures in anodized aluminum oxide templates. The effects of time and template pore size were studied to determine the role each parameter plays in the final morphology. It was found that for PS solutions with high molecular weight polymer, hollow nanotubes can be formed for time periods <18hr, whereas low molecular weight polymer forms solid nanorods. Additionally, relatively large pore diameters of ~200-300 nm are necessary to form nanotubes.










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