SPE Library

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.

The SPE Library is just one of the great benefits of being an SPE member! Are you taking advantage of all of your SPE Benefits?

Not an SPE member? Join today!

Use % to separate multiple keywords.

Search SPE Library

Conference Proceedings

Effect of Iron Compounds (Oxide, Salt or Complexes) on Poly(Vinyl Chloride) Thermal and Photochemical Stability

Stephane Girois, May 1999

Iron has always been known to have a detrimental effect on PVC aging but was never systematically studied when present as an impurity or as a component of the additives used in PVC formulations. A quick weathering test was designed to evaluate the effect of iron in PVC formulations and clearly demonstrated the correlation between iron content and PVC photo and thermodegradation. A threshold concentration of iron above which PVC degradation is catalyzed was determined and a specific look was given to color pigments containing iron.

Extrusion of Engineering Thermoplastic Polyurethanes

Todd A. Hogan, Mark A. Spalding, Kun Sup Hyun, Mark J. Hall, May 1999

The results of extrusion trials on several single and barrier-flighted screws which highlight the importance of proper screw design for engineering thermoplastic polyurethanes are presented. Fundamental properties of the resins, including solid bulk density, coefficients of dynamic friction, melting rates and thermal properties are included to demonstrate their use in screw design.

Master Molding Technician Training Program at Lucent Technologies, Omaha, Nebraska

Jerry Golmanavich, May 1999

Growing" Production Technicians in an injection molding shop takes quite a bit of time. Even with a strong curriculum a company can be encumbered when after the training takes place employees are in a position to retire. In order to promote a continuous flow of talent a program was created jointly among management and union resulting in a "fast track" to higher paying jobs. Everyone benefits from the new Master Molding Technician Program- a 2 1/2 year curriculum based on the moldmaker apprenticeship idea."

Master Molding Technician Training Program at Lucent Technologies, Omaha, Nebraska

Jerry Golmanavich, May 1999

Growing" Production Technicians in an injection molding shop takes quite a bit of time. Even with a strong curriculum a company can be encumbered after the training takes place when employees are in a position to retire. In order to promote a continuous flow of talent a program was created jointly among management and unionresulting in a "fast track" to higher paying jobs. Everyone benefits from the new Master Molding Technician Program- a 2 1/2 year curriculum based on the moldmaker apprenticeship idea."

Laser Beam Welding of Plastic Micro Parts

Heiner Klein, Edmund Haberstroh, May 1999

By means of laser beam welding it is possible to join plastic parts in micro system technology. Based on existing macroscopic process variants for laser beam welding a appropriate process technology for the joining of plastic micro parts has been developed at IKV. For welding of plastic parts the influences of material and process parameters on the quality of the weld line have been investigated. Apart from this investigation high influence is expected by using filling materials like carbon black. Investigations of microscopic melt zones produced by the focused laser beam are presented.

Difference in Integral Aggregate Structure for Co-Neutralized Carboxylate Ionomers

Brian P. Grady, May 1999

The purpose of this study was to determine the arrangement of atoms inside ionic aggregates for ethylene-acrylic acid copolymers and ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymers neutralized with a combination of sodium and zinc. Significant qualitative differences were found as a function of sodium:zinc ratio. The implications of the differences in aggregate structure on the rheological behavior of these mixed-cation systems is discussed.

High Speed Toolholders

William R. Keefe, May 1999

High Speed Milling requires many considerations for the toolholder. Cleanliness, Balance and Accuracy become even more important as the spindle RPM rises. With milling speeds rising through ten, thirty, and fifty thousand RPM, and with 100,000 RPM lurking on the horizon the ordinary toolholder and features may no longer be adequate. This paper deals with selecting the toolholder that will assure optimum performance.

Flow Patterns in Special Twin Screw Mixing Elements

Tera Brouwer, David B. Todd, Léon P.B.M. Janssen, May 1999

The flow behavior of a Newtonian fluid through special mixing enhancers in a modular intermeshing co-rotating twin screw extruder has been examined. The mixing enhancers are slotted screws and gear mixing elements. In addition to pressure and drag flow characteristics, particular attention has been directed to residence time distribution in such devices. The data obtained are useful for guidance in the selection of appropriate mixing elements and the validation of flow simulation models for twin screw extruders.

Roll Design: A Review of the Basics

Richard Palmer, May 1999

Over the years many advances have been made in the production of flat sheet in the areas of die design, screw design, and polymers. However the design of a critical part, the cooling roll, is often given little consideration by the processor. The intent of this paper is to review some of the parameters that the roll designer uses to determine the design of the roll. The basic equations for calculating PLI (pounds per linear inch), and deflection of the roll, the heat removal rate required, and a method for approximating the required flow rate through the roll are explained.

Thermosetting Resins from Vegetable Oils

Zoran S. Petrovic, Andrew Guo, Rachel Fuller, Ivan Javni, May 1999

A range of polyols and thermosetting polyurethanes was prepared from soybean, corn, sunflower, safflower, canola, peanut, olive and castor oils. The products were rigid plastics if the polyol hydroxyl number was 160 mgKOH/g or above, or rubbers when the OH number was below that value. Tg of the resins showed linear dependence with the hydroxyl number. The exception was castor oil, which was rubbery, although the OH number was 164 mgKOH/g, which was attributed to the presence of double bonds.

Does Color Memory Exist?

Anthony J. Pentz, May 1999

While the scientific literature contains information about how the brain stores and retrieves memory, there are no references in the recent literature about the ability to remember a color. Data collected over a several year period shows that this ability is rather poor, even after short periods of time. Only thirty percent of participants at plastics coloring seminars were able to correctly identify a color observed only an hour earlier.

Effects of Lubricants on Processing of Metallocene LLDPE

Joe B. Williams, Kenn S. Geick, May 1999

Fatty acid ester and amide lubricants were evaluated as processing aids in a 1.0 MI film grade mLLDPE. The effect of the lubricants on extruder energy and output of laboratory extruders fitted with a capillary rheology die and with a two inch film die were determined. Additives were found that reduced the amount of extruder energy required to process the mLLDPE. These additives also increased the output of the extruders per unit of extruder energy.

Thermogravimetry (TGA) of Polymers Poster

Andrew W. Salamon, R. Bruce Cassel, May 1999

This poster describes Thermogravimetry (TGA) as a useful analytical tool for the plastics industry. Whether a TGA is used for compositional analysis of material, identification of filler in the material, a material's carbon black content, or moisture content, this poster will be valuable to engineers, scientists, and technicians.

Biaxial Vibration Welding of Polypropylene

Jörg Vetter, Gottfried W. Ehrenstein, May 1999

Vibration welding machines with biaxial amplitudes were designed to close the gap between traditional linear friction movement and ultrasonic welding. Several advantages are claimed, although no scientific results on this innovative joining technology have been published so far. In this work, linear/biaxial vibration welding experiments have been made on sensor-equipped machines. A considerable influence of amplitude on temperature in the welding zone and of joining pressure on short-time mechanical joint strength exists for polypropylene plates.

Investigation of a Thin-Walled Thermoplastic Metal Hybrid

Gaoming Zhao, Gottfried W. Ehrenstein, May 1999

Based on the researched material combinations, warpage of a T-formed thermoplastic metal composite with a large contact area depends mainly on the shrinkage of the thermoplastic and on the pre-heating temperature of metal parts. The bearing strength increases linearly with the number of the rivet holes and depends on their geometries and the pre-heating temperature. The adhesion between the zinc-plated steel and PA6-GF30 at the pre-heating temperature of 250°C is greater than the tensile resistance of the thermoplastic part.

Progressive Failure Analysis of Fiber Composite Structures

Matt H. Triplett, May 1999

A progressive failure analysis of fiber reinforced composite laminates using finite element analysis is presented. The progressive failure model is based on the Hashin-Rotem failure criterion, which separates fiber and matrix failure modes. In the analysis, the lamina material properties are reduced depending on the failure mode until ultimate failure of the laminate is reached. The progressive failure analysis is compared to published tensile experiments on various carbon/epoxy laminated structures with good agreement.

Rheological Properties and Numerical Simulation of S-PVC Formulations in Extrusion Dies

T. Glomsaker, E.L. Hinrichsen, Å. Larsen, P. Thorsteinsen, May 1999

We report effects of formulation and sample preparations on measured rheological properties relevant for constitutive modelling of die flow in PVC extrusion. Numerical simulations are performed in order to separate non-isothermal and viscoelastic effects in the extrusion experiments as well as self-consistency between constitutive models and measurements.

Design of a Novel Extrusion System for Manufacturing Microcellular Polymer

Bernd Seibig, Quan Huang, Dieter Paul, May 1999

The described system for the production of microcellular hollow fiber is based on the thermic extrusion of polymers under addition of CO2 as a blowing agent by means of pressure build-up and drop-off. The design of a novel extrusion system is presented according to this concept, which involves a modular configured co-rotating twin screw extruder, a gear melt pump and a designed die. Microcellular foams have been successfully produced using this system.

Melt Extruded Open-Cell Microcellular Foams for Membrane Separation: Processing and Cell Morphology Relationship

Quan Huang, Bernd Seibig, Dieter Paul, May 1999

This paper presents an experimental study on the manufacture of microcellular polycarbonate in a designed twin-screw extrusion system using CO2 as blowing agent. Open-cell microcellular polycarbonate foams in the form of hollow fiber were produced with a cell density on the order of 109-1010 cell/cm3 and an average cell size in the range of 5-10 µm. The effects of the processing conditions on the cell morphology and the cell-opening technique are described.

Superior Customer Service: A Competitive Advantage

Margaret H. Baumann, May 1999

In this period of increased competition and expected quality superior customer service remains an area for differentiation and competitive advantage. Technology has offered customer service enabling tools but does not ensure superior customer service. This paper will discuss what is superior customer service" today and in the future and how your company can gain a competitive advantage through its customer service."