GET THE LATEST UPDATES FROM PLASTICS TECHNOLOGY (lon the Allow buton to get e test news sre upsate, Features you should consi ates 51172020 [6 MINUTE READ Materials: Annealing Tips for Amorphous Polymers, Part 2 In amorphous polymers, annealing is performed to draw down the intemal stresses to a level not achievable within the conditions of a normal molding process. But a few parameters are important to achieving the desired result, elastomers As we discussed briefly in Part 1 last month, amorphous polymers are susceptible to failure by environmental stress cracking (ESC). We understand this mechanism to be essentially a mechanical failure that is accelerated by the presence of a chemical that locally plasticizes the polymer in an area where a small defect has been created. The defect can be an inclusion such as a piece of metal or carbon char or it can be a notch created by incidental damage, It may also be due to a design defect such as a sharp corner or a rapid change in the wall thickness of the part that creates a locally elevated stress level. Orit can be promoted by an elevated level of internal stress caused by molding conditions. High levels of internal stress are caused by rapid cooling of the polymer. A processing strategy that involves rapid cooling can also influence short-term properties, most notably ductility. This is a concern since many amorphous polymers, such as ABS and PC, are used in large part because of their excellent toughness, Figure 1 shows the results of a study on the effects of melt and mold temperature on the impact resistance of ABS. This shows that the molded specimens exhibit very low energy to break when the mold temperature is set relatively low, As the mold temperature is increased the impact resistance rises dramatically 48GET THE LATEST UPDATES FROM Py rAstics tecimotocy (lon the Allow buton to get e test news Effect of N meen on the Im, Later tow Dart Impact, N- Is set relatively low. As the mold temperatures FIG 1 Melded specimens exhibit vary low enorgyto-break when the mold tempora Ineressed te impact resistance rees dramatically, But even with a high mold temperature, the cooling rate of a polymer during the injection molding process is on the order of 150-300° C/min (270-540° F/min). With such a rapid change in temperature, some level of internal stress is inevitable. In situations where the application environment involves some combination of elevated temperature, extended lifetime, stresses that may exceed the proportional limit, and exposure to certain chemicals, even relatively low levels of internal stress may result in premature failure due to ESC. Failure-analysis meta studies have shown that ESC is the leading cause of field failures in plastic parts and this failure mode primarily affects amorphous polymers, In amorphous polymers, annealing is performed to draw down the internal stresses to a level not achievable within the conditions of a normal molding process. There are a few parameters that are important to achieving the desired results. The first of these is the temperature of the annealing process. Typically, the recommended. annealing temperature is indexed to the glass-transition temperature (T,) of the polymer. This can be readily ‘measured by analytical techniques such as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) or dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). DMA has the advantage of measuring the physical properties of the polymer, therefore it provides more information about the range of temperatures that can be used to relax the internal stresses in the part. Failure-analysis meta studies have shown that ESC is the leading cause of field failures in plastic parts and this failure mode primarily affects amorphous polymers.sre upsate, ‘temperature range of 140-155! Elastic Modulus vs. Temperature Behavior for a PC 2500 © = 2000 a 2 1500 Ss Ss 2 1000 x % 500 8 “0 0 50 100 «150-200 Temperature, C very narrow temperature range of 140-185 © (288-311 F) Recommendations of an appropriate annealing temperature for polycarbonate vary between 121 C (250 F) and 135 C (275 F), These temperatures are clase to the T, but remain below the onset of the rapid decline in ‘modulus in order to prevent deformation of the parts. The objective is to use a temperature as close to this onset as possible without producing part distortion or an excessive degree of dimensional change. This will depend somewhat on part geometry and the level of support that can be provided to areas that tend to be most susceptible to distortion, such as areas around gates. ‘The second important parameter is the annealing time, This will depend upon the part thickness. Plastics are relatively poor conductors of heat, and the part must be allowed to come to a uniform temperature throughout. ‘Typical recommendations are a minimum of 30 min once the parts have achieved the desired temperature, plus $ min/mm (0,040 in.) of wall thickness. For parts with sections thicker than 6 mr (0.250 in) the best results are obtained by doubling this time. Failure to provide sufficient time to reach and maintain a uniform temperature for an appropriate amount of time may actually produce an increase in the level of internal stress 316,Perhaps the mostimportantc pideriesTeennotoer umperature change, partially therate of ehang that eens Chron owen es ge heated fom room temperature tothe annealing the, But itis the cooldown portion of the annealing proce Later ore again, specific recommendations vary. However, a good guideline is a cooling rate no faster than 25 C/tr (45 F/hr) until the parts have reached a temperature of 60-65 C (140-149 F). Some parts may need to be cooled at a rate as slow as 5° Cir (9° Ffhr). The ‘most common mistake that results in an unsatisfactory annealing outcome is cooling too rapidly. Often parts are removed from the oven as soon as the prescribed annealing time is completed. The parts cool rapidly from the annealing temperature to room temperature, undoing all the work that was done by the annealing process, A good guideline is a cooling rate no faster than 45° F/hr until the parts have reached a temperature of 140-149 F. ‘The ultimate test of the efficacy of an annealing process is a solvent stress-crack evaluation. For each polymer tere is a chemical or a mixture of chemicals that will arget a certain threshold of internal stress. Often this approach involves a mixture of two substances. One acts as the inert ingredient while the ather is the active ingredient that promotes stress cracking, By changing the ratio of these two constituents in the mixture, the targeted threshold stress can be adjusted so that the stress in the part can be measured precisely. ABS, for example, uses a mixture of an acetate such as ethyl acetate and an alcohol such as ethanol. Higher concentrations of the acetate required to induce stress cracking correlate to lower internal stresses in the part. The same approach is used in polycarbonate. However, with polycarbonate the mixture is one of n-propanol and toluene, Parts are immersed in the mixture for a prescribed amount of time, removed and rinsed, and then evaluated for cracking. The location of any observed cracking helps to identify areas of the part that are susceptible to the formation of elevated levels of stress. ‘An alternative approach uses a single reagent and the immersion time required to produce stress cracking is related to the internal stress in the part, As an example, polycarbonate can be tested using propylene carbonate, The level of internal stress in the partis a function of the time that the partis immersed in the uid, With either method, an effective annealing process will produce a notable reduction in the measured threshold stress, Annealing of semi-crystalline polymers is done for a completely different reason. In our next segment we wil discuss this process and the guidelines for getting most out of annealing this class of polymers. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mike Sepe is an independent, global materials and processing consultant whose company, Michael P. Sepe, LLC, is based in Sedona, Ariz. He has more than 40 years of experience in the plastics industry and assists clients with material selection, designing for manufacturability, process optimization, troubleshooting, and failure analysis. Contact: (928) 203-0408 + [email protected], NECTION MOLONG 68-2001 | 2 MINUTE READ So Many Routes to Molding Excellence! The first afternoon of Molding 2021 presents a smorgasbord of useful information on robotics, LSR molding, process control, “smart factories,” materials handling/drying/feeding, and more, Hoostpractions BY vseconioe v 418,z GET THE LATEST UPDATES FROM ‘You'll be able to choose from a Molding 2021 Conference, a live, inperson even coming Up Seb Ctra tw senne tone erin Rosemont, near Chicago are irport. tt on rac facet face with experts in primary machinery, controls, ¢ other topics, rt factory” networking, among |Ataatl An opportunity to interac in person wit ndusty expert in 2 sessions and tabletop exhints In recent blogs, we previewed the first two morning General Sessions on Green Molding and Digital ‘Manufacturing, as well as the three afternoon breakout sessions on Wed., Sept. 22. Here is @ summary of what you can expect in the first afternoon’s breakout sessions, Tues,, Sept. 21 Green Molding & Robotics/Automation: We already noted the Green Molding talks in this split-focus session, but you'll also hear about the new “collaborative” robots, or “cobots,” and where they fit in an injection molding operation, from Universal Robats; how to determine whether you need a robot with three, five, or six axes, from Sepro America; and how to choose which operations to automate, from Yushin America ‘Technologies for Optimizing Quality & Productivity: That’s an invitation hard to resist! Learn how to eliminate stringing and other headaches from nozzle tips, from consultant and Plastics Technology magazine's ‘Tooling Know-How columnist Jim Fattori, An eye-opening presentation on “How Second-Stage Injection Speed Influences Your Pracess”—yes, that's second-stage speed, not pressure—will be presented by RJG, Inc. Meanwhile, “Hot-Runner Solutions for the Medical Industry" will be the topic of Mold-Masters. Other talks in this wide-ranging session will cover “Adaptive Gravimetric Dosing Control with Remote Monitoring & Control,” from Micro Interface Design; how to optimize the drying process and control resin performance, from Novatec; ‘Smart Factories" as the future of plastics production with 4.0 connectivity and condition monitoring, from Wittmann Battenfeld; and factor selection for Design of Experiment (DOE) in injection molding, from consultant, trainer and frequent Plasties Technology contributor Suhas Kulkarni, ISR Mold -y Equipment: Another split-focus session will start out with an hour-long introduction to the essentials of LSR materials and processing (an excellent talk I heard at a company open house a couple ears agn) nresented hy RD Ahhott Other LSB tonics will ineiide calutions ta tndav’s multienmnanent eilieane 8/6‘molding needs, from Arburg; 2 GET THE LATEST upoaTEs FROM _ing, from Plustech, Ine. PLASTi¢s TECHNOLOGY as ving Systems Can Improve Switching gears, a speaker fro Performance in Molding,” and Stat unssAlow patente ote teesirews sn in Compact Resin Dryers.” ‘That's a lot to choose from! WE Later Conference website to register and check out the hotel option. 41 Parts Competition—it’s not too late to show off your company’s skills by submitting one of your own projects that you're proud of, TRENDING ‘Binpolymer Compounding on a Twine Scrow Exuder: Four Things You Need loKoow ao Sed Cincinnati BAAN ology Demonstrates 3D Printing with Recycled Mater