• A thermosetting plastic is a polymer that is
irreversibly hardened by heat. Thermosetting
plastics are also known as thermosets,
thermosetting polymers, or thermosetting
resins. The starting material for a thermoset is
a liquid or soft solid. Heat provides energy
for covalent bond formation, cross-linking the
polymer subunits and curing/hardening the
plastic.
• Examples: Bakelite (phenolic), Epoxy resin,
Melamine, Polyurethane, Silicone resin, etc.
A polymer of relatively low molecular weight,
usually intermediate between those of the
monomer or monomers and the final polymer or
resin that may be mixed with compounding
additives, and that is capable of being hardened
by further polymerization during or after a
forming process.
• A substance or mixture of substances added to a plastic or rubber
composition to promote or control the curing reaction.
• It is also an additive, which promotes the curing of a film.
• Example: Amines (Aliphatic amine, Aromatic amine, Modified
amines), Polyamide resin,Tertiary and secondary amines, Anhydrides,
Latent curing agents (Boron trifluoride-amine complexes,
Dicyandiamide, Organic acid hydrazide), etc.
• Any substance that is added
generally in small concentration
to resin in order to
Ø Alter their properties
Ø Facilitate processing
• Change the physical, chemical or
electrical properties of end
products.
• Reduce the cost.
FRP
• Reinforced plastics-Generally similar to laminates in a
number of applications.
• FRP- Polymeric resin and reinforcement usually in
fibre form along with other additives such as filler,
catalyst, initiator, lubricants etc.
• Both thermoplastics and thermosets are used in FRP.
• Reinforced materials are simply referred to as composite or filled plastics.
• The term composite is generally applied to fibre reinforced engineering structural
materials, in which the fibre are continuous or long enough that they can be oriented
to produce enhanced strength properties in one direction.
• For E.g. Polyester resin reinforced by continuous glass fibre.
• A reinforced plastic consists of two main components: a matrix, which may be either
thermosetting or thermoplastics and reinforcing filler, which usually takes the form of
fibres.
• Other materials such as fillers, pigments, catalyst may also be present.
• In general the matrix has a low strength in comparison to the reinforcement, which is
also much stiffer, but brittle.
• Both Thermoplastic and thermosets can be used. But thermosets are most dominating resin
used in FRP.
• The primary ones include polyester, Epoxy, Phenolic, Silicone, amino plastics and
polyurethane.
• The most important group of fibre composites are based on unsaturated polyester, because
they are
• Low cost, readily molded at moderate to low temperature, fire retardant, good mechanical,
physical and chemical properties, versatility in formulation etc.
1. Thermosets, when placed in a heated mold under pressure,
will conform to the shape of the mold and cure into a hard
infusible product.
2. Thermosetting molding compounds (thermosets) that
undergo a chemical reaction or cure (called polymerization
or molecular growth) during the molding operation.
3. Successful plastics molding is dependent on good mold
design and construction, the mold temperature, material
temperature, molding pressure, etc.
Ø Hand Lay up
Ø Spray Up
Ø Filament Winding
Ø Pulltrusion
Ø Compression Moulding
Ø Transfer Moulding
Ø Resin Transfer Moulding
Hand Lay-Up
• Hand lay-up technique is the simplest method of composite processing.
• The processing steps are quite simple
Ø First of all, mould is treated with a release agent to prevent sticking.
Ø Gel coat layers are placed on the mold-to give decorative and protective
surface
Ø Put the reinforcement (woven rovings or chopped strand mat)
Ø The thermoset resin is mixed with curing agent, and applied with brush
or roller on the reinforcement
Raw Materials Used in Hand lay-UP Process
Materials used
Matrix Epoxy, polyester, polyvinyl ester,
phenolic resin, unsaturated
polyester, polyurethane resins
Reinforcement Glass fiber, carbon fiber, aramid
fiber, natural plant fibers (sisal,
banana, hemp, flax, etc.)
Spray-Up
• Mould is treated with a release agent to prevent sticking.
• Gel coat layers are placed on the mold to give decorate and protective
surface
• The gun sprays the mixture of chopped fiber resin and catalyst on to a
mould.
• Rolled out to remove entrapped air and give a smooth surface
• Poor roll out can induce structural weakness by leaving air bubbles,
dislocation of fibers and poor wet out.
• Sparay up method is used for lower load carrying parts like small boats,
bath tubs, fairing of trucks, etc.
Raw Materials Used in Spray-UP Process
Materials used
Matrix Epoxy, polyester, polyvinyl ester,
phenolic resin, unsaturated
polyester, polyurethane resins
Reinforcement Glass fiber, carbon fiber, aramid
fiber, natural plant fibers (sisal,
banana, hemp, flax, etc.)
Filament Winding
• Simple hallow shapes, rocket motors, gas bottles,
pipes, tubes, cylinders and sphere shape and is
frequently used for the construction of large tank and
pipe work for the chemical industry.
• Particularly suitable for pressure vessels.
• Highest strength to weight ratios and can have glass
contents of upto 80% by weight.
Selected winding methods and design Filament wind pattern
• Roving or simple strands passed through a resin bath, which is mounted, on the lathe-
traversing head.
• Fibre emerges from the bath via nip rollers (to remove excess resin) pass through a
vertical comb before being wrapped around the rotating former (mandrel).
• Mandrel mounted on a shaft, fitted to a lathe so that it can rotate.
• Fibre orientation and thickness can be varied to give optimum performance. This ensure
very high strength to be achieved and is particularly suited to pressure vessels.
• Used to provide a protective laminate on the outside of steel pressure pipes where
external corrosion can takes place.
• Limitation-Used for products which have some degree of symmetry about a central axis.
Pultrusion
• Reinforcement is impregnated with resin and pulled through a
heated die, which gives the product shape.
• Product emerges from the die at speed upto 1.5m/min and then
passes through a tunnel oven to accelerate the curing of the resin.
• The pultruded composite is eventually cut to length for storage.
• Continuous production method similar in concept with extrusion
• Profiles, structural I-beams, L-channels, Tubes, angles, rod etc.
• Machine- Reinforcement handling system (creel as used in textile
weaving), a resin impregnation station and material forming area.
• Continuous yarn, woven cloth and mat reinforcement used.
• Open and closed profile with close tolerance and multi cellular
profiles are possible.
Transfer Moulding
• Used for the manufacture of small components and is particularly
suitable with multi-Cavity moulds and where small inserts are to
be molded in.
• Tooling costs are higher than for compression moulding.
• Pre-weighed quantity of DMC is placed in a heated transfer pot by
hand.
• Ram compresses the material and causes it to flow into the heated
mould cavity where it cures.
• Mould mounted between the platens of a press.
• To reduce transfer time and increase overall efficiency the
moulding compound may be preheated in an oven or high
frequency pre-heater such as microwave oven.
• Mould temperature=155 to 170° C both for polyester and epoxy
resin compounds .
• Moulding pressure =5 to 100 MPa depending on the type of
compound to be processed, mould design, temperature.
Resin Transfer Moulding (RTM)
• It is also known as resin injection moulding.
• Closed mould, low pressure process in which a dry reinforcement
preform is preplaced and impregnated with a liquid resin in an
injection or transfer process, through an opening in the centre of a
mould.
• Suitable for use with Polyurethane polyester and epoxy resin.
Compression Moulding
• It is a process in which a moulding polymer is squeezed into a
preheated mould taking a shape of the mould cavity and
performing curing due to heat and pressure applied to the material.
• The method is used for moulding thermoset materias but some
thermoplastic and FRP parts may also produced by compression
moulding.
• The method uses a split mould mounted in a hydraulic press.
(2) & (3) Charge is (4) Opening the
(1) Charge is loaded mould halves &
compressed & cured
removing the part
from the cavity
• In compression molding, the thermoset compound is placed in the
open heated mold.
• The material may be in powder form or as a preform.
• As the mold closes, the heat and pressure cause the material to flow,
compressing it to the required shape and density as defined by the
mold.
• Continued heat and pressure produce the cure that hardens the
material.
• The thinner the part, the shorter the cure; conversely, thicker pieces
take longer to cure.
• Part design should have as uniform a wall thickness as possible.
1. The mold consists of two halves, one containing the cavity or cavities (the
female section) and one containing the core or cores (the male section).
2. Each is mounted on press supports or grids which are in turn fastened to the
stationary or moving platens.
3. Generally, the cavities are in the lower half to permit easy loading of the
molding compound.
4. This operation may be manual or automatic.
5. In the case of automatic operation, movable loading trays are incorporated,
in conjunction with trays or forks to receive molded parts from the mold.
6. A predetermined amount of molding material is placed into the open mold.
7. By closing the mold and compressing the material, the desired shape is
achieved.
8. Both thermosets and thermoplastics may be compression molded.
9. Flashing (Breathing) is necessary to allow the air or gases to
escape.
10. The cure duration is dependent on the type of molding compound,
mold temperature, pressure on the material, and material
temperature.
11. For thermosets, the material can be cold, but more often it is
preheated close to the “setting” temperature.
12. The mold is heated using steam or electric heaters, and remains
closed until the part is “cured” or “set”; the hot part is then
ejected.
A typical cycle, with the mold at recommended temperature and with
adequate pressure available, would proceed as follows:
1. Air-clean the mold of all flash or foreign matter.
2. Load the material into the cavities.
3. Close the mold completely; or before closing it, interject a brief “breathe
cycle” by opening the mold slightly to release any air and gases trapped in the
molding compound.
4. Complete the cure time.
5. Open the mold and activate the knock-out assembly.
6. Remove the molded parts.
7. Clean the mold with an air blast.
Compression molding of thermosetting materials has certain advantages over transfer or
injection molding, as follows:
1. Waste of material in the form of sprue, runners, and transfer-culls is avoided.
2. Internal stress in the molded article is minimized by the shorter and multidirectional flow
of the material under pressure in the mold cavity.
3. In the case of high impact types with reinforcing fibers, maximum impact strength is
gained. This results because reinforcing fibers are not broken up as they are when forced
through runners and gates in transfer and injection molding, and because fibers are more
randomly positioned, as compared to the more oriented fibers resulting from flow into
transfer or injection molds.
4. A maximum number of cavities can be used in a given mold base without regard to
demands of a sprue and runner system.
5. Compression molding is readily adaptable to automatic loading of material and automatic
removal of molded articles. Automatic molding is widely used for small items such as wiring
device parts and closures.
Compression molding of thermosetting materials has certain advantages over transfer or
injection molding, as follows:
6. This technique is useful for thin wall parts that must not warp and must retain
dimensions.
7. Parts with wall thicknesses as thin as 0.025 inch are molded; however, a minimum
wall thickness of 0.060 inch usually is recommended because thermosetting materials
are brittle as compared to more resilient thermoplastics.
8. For parts weighing more than 1.5 kg, compression molding is recommended because
transfer or screw injection equipment would be more expensive for larger parts.
9. For high-impact, fluffy materials, compression molding normally is recommended
because of the difficulty in feeding the molding compound from a hopper to the press or
preformer.
10. In general, compression molds usually are less expensive to build than transfer or
injection types.
1. In the case of very intricately designed articles containing undercuts, side draws, and
small holes, the compression method may not be practicable, because of the need for
complicated molds and the possibility of distorting or breaking mold pins during the
flow of the material under high pressure.
2. Articles of 0.35 inch or more thickness may be more advantageously made by transfer
molding, particularly a thick article of small area, in which there is little flow. Thus, for a
heavy handle, compression molding would be slower than transfer or injection.
3. In order to ensure complete filling out of the mold, it may be necessary to place the
charge of plastic into an optimum position in the mold, and in some cases to use
preforms of special shape. This is particularly important if the mold does not provide a
means of confining the charge.
4. Polyester and alkyd compounds are particularly troublesome, and require positive
means of confinement in order to fill the cavity completely.
5. It is necessary that surfaces or land areas, for the molds be cleaned
between successive shots.
6. Also slight fins or flash must be expected on molded articles where the
mold sections meet.
7. Another important consideration is the plastics’ degree of rigidity at that
point of final cure when ejection is to take place.
8. In some cases, compression molding of thermosetting material may be
unsatisfactory for production of articles having extremely close dimensional
tolerances, especially in multiplecavity molds and particularly in relation to
nonuniformity of thickness at the parting line of the molded article. In such
cases, transfer or injection molding is recommended.
• Wiring devices—wall plates, outlet boxes and receptacles, switches.
• Closures—bottle and tube caps for drugs and cosmetics.
• Electrical switch gear—home and low-voltage circuit breakers.
• Automotive parts—brake and transmission parts, grilles and body
parts, ignition parts.
• Dishware—melamine dishware.
• Small appliances—knobs, handles, bases for motor mounts and
cookers.
• Housings—sanitary tubs, stall shower units or bases, electrical
outlet boxes.
SMC
ØS h e e t Molding
Compound Offers
Superior Strength and
Electrical Insulation.
Ø Glass reinforcement is
between 10% and 60%,
and glass length is
between 1/2-inch and 1-
inch (25mm).
ØThermoset Sheet Molding Compound (SMC) is a mixture of polymer resin, inert fillers,
fiber reinforcement, catalysts, pigments and stabilizers, release agents, and thickeners and
possesses strong dielectric properties.
ØManufacture of sheet molding compounds is a continuous in-line process.
ØThe material is sheathed both top and bottom with a polyethylene or nylon plastic film to
prevent auto-adhesion.
ØThe paste is spread uniformly onto the bottom film.
ØChopped glass fibers are randomly deposited onto the paste.
ØThe top film is introduced and the sandwich is rolled into a pre-determined thickness.
ØThe sheet is allowed to mature for 48 hours.
ØSheet molding compounds can be molded into complex shapes. Superior mechanical
properties and surface appearance, plus excellent electrical insulation make this thermoset
material ideal for automotive Class A body panels, high-strength electrical parts, business
equipment cabinets, personal watercraft, and various structural components.
DMC
• Dough moulding compound (DMC) is an uncured dough-like thermoset compound
used to make glass reinforced plastic (GRP) products.
• It is formed into products by compression moulding.
• Compression moulding involves placing a measured amount of DMC into a heated
mould, then forcing it into the mould cavities using a heated plug.
• The heated plug and mould softens the DMC and allows it to flow into the mould
cavities.
• After a few seconds, heat from the plug and mould begins to cure the DMC, which
solidifies and hardens.
• The whole process takes up to about 3 minutes to complete. This is called the cycle
time.
Dough moulding compound (DMC) is a dough-like substance that is
composed of:
• Resin, (unsaturated polyester resin, or epoxy resin)
• Chopped glass fibres, usually up to 12.5 mm long
• Inert fillers (e.g. calcium carbonate)
• A catalyst
• A release agent
• Other additives that will give the DMC its required physical and
chemical properties.
The Moulding Process:
The compression moulding process has four main stages:
Charging the mould with DMC: A measured amount of dough moulding compound is placed
into the heated female mould.
Closing the mould: The heated male side of the mould (the plug) is closed, forcing the dough
moulding compound into the mould cavities. Heat from the mould initially softens the dough
moulding compound so that it flows into every part of the mould very accurately, then it cures
the compound.
Curing the compound: The mould stays closed until heat from the mould cures and hardens
the compound, usually within about 2 - 3 minutes.
Ejecting the product: When the DMC has cured and hardened sufficiently, the plastic
moulded product is ejected from the mould.
