polymer processing

We would like to present the new series called Polish polymer processing companies . Firstly Zakłady Maszyn Chemicznych „METALCHEM” leading polymer extrusion machinery producer. Some information from the official web page below. Almost since the beginning of its independent existence Zakłady Maszyn Chemicznych „METALCHEM” have produced machines for the chemical industry, gradually increasing the share of plastics processing machines. At present extruders, extrusion lines as well as spare parts for these machines, including chiefly the plasticizing units account for 100% of production. Major events in the history of METALCHEM: Zakłady Maszyn Chemicznych „METALCHEM” Sp. z o.o (Chemical Machinery Plant „METALCHEM” Ltd) is a single-plant company located in the industrial district on the outskirts of Gliwice. The company is a direct legal successor of the state enterprise having the same name. 25.02.1951r. The Minister of Chemical Industry issues an order on establishing a state compa...

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Mold balancing is design and mold manufacturing problem, machine, set up factors have lower impact. We can not skip factors result from viscosity changing, which are filling stage set up and polymer rheology. Factors which have impact on polymer flow parameters ( temperature , pressure , viscosity). It is important to secure symmetry distribution in velocity , shear rate , temperature , viscosity , for mold balancing . Title and body refer to mold, injection mold, but in the same way can be analyze any tool in polymer processing (e.g. extrusion die). Interesting problem is flow balancing in extrusion blow molding and parison centering, measured by wall thickness (e.g. botlle), the problem will be described soon. How mold balance impact parts? Each cavity is filled and packed in different stage for imbalanced mold. One cavity can be full filled during injection (over pack) and other partly filled during holding, when we fill shrinkage losses. Effect we receive parts with different st...

We will try to imagine how bimodal molecular weight distribution rise. We will focus on two main properties: processing and mechanical . We start from normal (unimodal) molecular weight distribution (please, start to analyze the graph). Macromolecules with short chains , are easiest to process, polymer has lower viscosity , long chains are responsible for mechanical properties the grow. Considering, what left (middle), can be replaced. The idea was simple, eliminating average properties, we receive polymer with key properties. Return to the most important, processing and final product properties , considering molecular weight distribution . Short fractions or single monomers are gaseous substance, waxes, their impact is questionable (easy degradation, responsible for bad odor) and appear for unimodal distribution , changing the distribution we eliminate them. Long fractions generally affect mechanical properties , e.g. stiffness , it is possible to reduce wall thickness (sho...

Once more, technical issue, from Massachusetts Institute of Technology web page click right on Rheological Behavior of Fluids than save target as on your drive, and run using Realplayer Conclusion and complement for part 1/2 , polymer viscoelasticity effects: Weissenberg and Barus . Weissenberg effect during shear flow between two coaxial cylinders appear climbing up along the rotating rod for no-newtonian fluids , that is melted polymers . The same effect can be observe during stain an paint mixing and can not be observe for newtonian fluids , e.g. water. Weissenberg effect is a result in generating during shear flow extra stain, called normal stresses . Barus effect appears during extrusion and it is observed by swelling extruded material leaving nozzle. For melted polymers the effect is big and describe as relation between flow and nozzle diameter, it is beetwen 1,2 - 2,5 . Depends on flow capacity, tool geometry, but the most on relation channel length/diameter and pol...

A polymer is a set of molecules with very high molecular weight called macromolecules . Macromolecules are composed of basic units called monomers . Monomers are groups of the same linked atoms. Molecular weight is a sum of atoms weight for molecule . Molecular weight impacts everything, viscosity , strength , thermal resistance , light transmition , but not density . Macromolecules are different, different in length, start from monomers and end up with “huge” macromolecules . This is the statistical (e.g. normal distribution) process of production, every lot (even bag!) from the same plant, from the same method, can be different in molecular weight distribution and average molecular weight. Different fractions have different impact on processing and application properties. Short fractions , or single monomers are gaseous substances, waxes and the advantages are problematic (easy degradation, there are responsible for bad odor) With molecular weight grow, viscosity will g...

Does your mold balanced? There will be the part of just preparing problem for mold balancing . Fundaments with mechanism in part 2/2 which formally is the first part. How to check mold balance? The eases way is to weigh parts from mold. I suggest go to the shop floor take the full shot and weigh on the most precise available weight. Date you can compile in the form presents below. The best you can do is to take more than one shot and count the average from the same cavity. You have two ways, try both, count deviation from maximum weight (first way) and from average weight (second way) for all cavities. Formulas are in the table, where indexes; m – maximum weight from all cavities, n – weight for the variable cavity, a – average weight for all cavities. Few conclusions from the above example. Cavities 7 and 10 are extreme first is the most second the least filled. Deviation from average gives the tendency +/- from average. Cavities 9 and 10 are the worst balanced. I would a...

Short and in the theme about mass thermoplastic polymer as high impact polystyrene, HIPS is. As I know there is not always known but all the power is in the name. Let’s try to decode. Impact is the resistance for cracking. This properties HIPS owes polybutadiene rubber . And that’s all. When you compare light transmission , HIPS is translucent and general purpose polystyrene, GPPS transparent.

There will be screenshots from Rheological Behavior of Fluids movie applied, it is available from Massachusetts Institute of Technology web page, Realplayer is an requirement. The movie is s great introduction for no-newtonian fluids (as polymers are) properties. There are many experiments which will be key for polymer processing understanding where this properties emerge. The movie history reaches latest 60th (fundaments for fluid mechanics and rheology are the same) it is not short more than 22 minutes but it is worth seeing more than once. As you listen carefully you will find answers for problems from: newtonian fluids , no-newtonian fluids (Bingham, pseudoplastic, dilatant fluids), viscoelasticity effects , Weissenberg effect , Barus effect , time dependent effects Viscoelasticity is the property of materials that exhibit both viscous and elastic characteristics when undergoing deformation. Viscous materials , resist shear flow and stain linearly with time whe...

25th July 2008 Autodesk® acquired Moldflow® , about plans I informed recently. The transaction is worth a total of USD 297 million. I wrote then… Moldflow® today is not only injection simulation software, CAE (Computer Aided Engineering) based on FEM (Finite Element Method) but offers process optimization, management and production control. This acquisition evidence of development in mold and plastic injection production and shows how plastics impact our life. Autodesk® sees it. CAD/CAM/CAE integration will not stop only on this tree systems in the way of full computer integration.

Terms, allegiances, connecting molecular weight (or range) and viscosity will be explained for polyethylene terephthalate, PET and how it influences applications and processing. Intrinsic viscosity, I.V we measure by measuring viscosity of solvent and polymer solution solved in it. How to interpreted I.V ? Molecular weight grow means longer polymer chains consistence intrinsic viscosity, I.V grow, forward, e.g. stiffness grow. I.V determinates PET resin application, for I.V : • 0,40-0,60 dl/g fiber • 0,76-0,84 dl/g bottles • 0,85-1,05 dl/g extrusion As we know the relations we can chose the adequate resin for the application. When we produce bottles in, injection stretch blow molding, ISBM for e.g. water we will chose higher I.V (0.82 – 0.84 dl/g), bottle stiffness will be the most important. For cosmetic packaging, when shapes are more complicated we will chose lower I.V (0.76 – 0.80 dl/g) for better flow properties, which will give better detail mapping.

The first polish 100% biodegradable and 100% compostable bag from corn comes from BIOERG which is DIN EN 12432:2000 certificated. Photo http://www.plastech.pl DIN EN 12432:2000 Requirements for packaging recoverable through composting and biodegradation - Test scheme and evaluation criteria for the final acceptance of packaging

An introduction to optimization in polymer processing based on extrusion. Described methods are universal and can be applied in other polymer processes. We start from definition than optimization methods, how we acquire input and output date and for the end input and output data in extrusion. Every task to do we can present as an answer. Optimization would be looking for the best (extremum) in the possible answers with assumed criteria, defined target function (e.g. max. output , min. power consumption ). For small area statistical methods like regression analysis when full area is scanned is applied. For large area artificial intelligence methods have to be applied, e.g. neural networks, genetic algorithms and hybrid methods (connect more than one). Extrusion optimization is complex. There are many optimization criteria, they can be conflicting like max. output and min. power consumption and many input data ( geometrical, process parameters ). We have two ways of collect...

After plastic cards it is time to polymer banknote. For hundreds of years, banknotes have been made from rag-based paper. Today, banknote issuers are faced with the challenge of increasingly sophisticated counterfeiting techniques and there are serious doubts that paper remains a viable material for secure banknotes. CSIRO’s expertise in polymer and synthetic chemistry was used to develop a non-fibrous and non-porous plastic film, which the banknotes are printed on. This substrate gives high tear initiation resistance, good fold characteristics and a longer lifetime than paper. The substrate and the specially-developed protective overcoat prevent the absorption of moisture, sweat and grime so that the polymer banknotes stay cleaner. CSIRO has also developed a variety of overt and covert security features for use on polymer banknotes. These security features are produced from a combination of spectroscopic techniques, synthetic chemistry, nanotechnology, surface science microstructu...

The list of prize exhibitors at Plastpol 2008. Distinctions of Kielce Trade Fairs MAR-PACK Wytwórnia Opakowań z Folii, Maszyny - Chwaszczyno ADAPT PLASTICS - France FOMPOL Sp. z o.o. - Katowice KONEK PSN - Bydgoszcz LEISTER PROCESS TECHNOLOGIES - Kaegiswil, Switzerland Zakłady Azotowe w Tarnowie Mościcach BIOERG Sp. z o.o. - Dąbrowa Górnicza BIBUS MENOS Sp. z o.o. - Gdynia PLASTECH Paweł Wiśniewski - Toruń SMARTTECH Sp. z o.o. - Łomianki WADIM PLAST - Michałowice Medals of Kielce Trade Fairs : ENGEL POLSKA Sp. z o.o. - Warszawa DOSPEL PLASTICS - Częstochowa FRIUL FILIERE S.p.A. - Buia, Italy WADIM PLAST DOPAK Sp. z o.o. – PROSES Distinctions of Kielce Trade Fairs for stand arrangement DOPAK Sp. z o.o. - Wrocław BRENNTAG POLSKA Sp. z o.o. - Kędzierzyn-Koźle BASELL ORLEN POLYOLEFINS Sprzedaż Sp. z o.o. - Płock ALBIS POLSKA Sp. z o.o. - Poznań GRAFE POLSKA Sp. z o.o. - Lubliniec ZAKŁADY AZOTOWE W TARNOWIE-MOŚCICACH S.A. –...

For full story please visit University of Waikato web site. There will be no comment this time. The new process, developed over two years by University of Waikato chemical engineer Dr Johan Verbeek and Masters student Lisa van den Berg, can turn animal protein waste like blood meal and feathers into a biodegradable plastic using industry-standard plastic extrusion and injection moulding machinery. A process developed at the University of Waikato will allow animal waste to be turned into useful and biodegradable plastic. "Proteins are polymers so we know they can be turned into plastics," Dr Verbeek said. "Plant proteins successfully been used to make bioplastics, but animal protein has always ended up gumming up the extruder. The process we've developed gets round that problem. People said it couldn't be done, but we did it!" It's a source of plastic that doesn't rely on petroleum, so we also see it potentially being blended with conventional plas...

Just few words about 12th International Fair of Plastics Processing Plastpol which took place in Kielce, Poland 27-30 May, 2008. Sorry but there will be no sum up and statistics and even my own consideration the next time I will be prepared better. There are only two pictures of extrusion machines. The picture below presents machines from polish plastics machine manufacturer ZMCh Metalchem Gliwice one of it with high torque synchronous motor . PS. Have you visited Plastpol ? Please share your impressions.

There were no good answers , more there were no answers at all. The exhibitions starts tomorrow and if you would like to receive two tickets for…: The largest exhibition in Central Europe 12th International Fair of Plastics Processing Plastpol 27-30 May, 2008 Kielce, Poland …just pass over the password: polymer processing at the checking desk and you should get it. See you there! Best regards, Piotr S.

There is a books recommendation widget on right as you have probably noticed. I would like to present full package and books are on of the puzzle in it. I only recommend publications which I know, read and come back. I have chosen from one of the affiliate programs and wanted to be the global one. It helps to present the book. The choice always belongs to you. There is the last recommendation. When you search for books choose authors which are known experts because they represent quality. E.g. Johannaber Fredrich, Klemens Kohlgruber, Michaeli Walter, Osswald Tim A., Potente Helmut, Rao Natti S., Rauwendall Chris, Tadmor Zehev, White James L., Wilczyński Krzysztof and some more most of them are height professors and industrial experts in polymer processing.

This is huge subject. Many resins, many processes. I will focus on selected problems which can be interesting for packaging and one stage method, ISBM (injection stretch blow molding). In this way we had defined the resin, it will be bottle grade with intrinsic viscosity I.V. in range 0,76-0,84 dl/g .In the early 1940s PET was used for the first time in synthetic fiber application this is still on of its major uses. Bring over by checking yours cloths tag (polyester). The most important is to understand polymer morphology. PET the one which comes in the bag has crystalline structure (temp. softening and melting point 250 dC) during injection step and rapid cooling then stretching and blowing we receive amorphous structure . The reason for it is that when we cool polymer chain can not position themselves to establish crystalline structure . When we consider the bottle which has the amorphous structure filled with hot water it will be softening from 60 dC (carefully with experimen...

I would like to analyze dyeing and it influence on polymer processing and the final product properties. The key point will be the crystallization . Thermoplastics we can divide into that with amorphous (irregular) and semi crystalline structure (regular) it means crystalline in some area and amorphous in other. Crystallization fallows through the nucleation process when crystals rise and grow. Nucleation impacts on polymer processing and product properties by increasing: • crystallization temperature (reduces cooling time in injection and extrusion molding up to 20%!), • transparency, • mechanical properties. the reason for it is that we have more crystallization centers and fine grained structure opposite to large sferolits. Everything would be ok if we had this knowledge otherwise it can happen that when we dye polymers e.g. with phthalocyanine pigments (blue and green colors) we will receive “natural” nucleation. There is one feature not always desired the shrin...

This is a book which I do not have to recommend for people who are involved in the extrusion process. For those who are not just briefly one sentence. This book demonstrates how extrusion theory can be applied to actual extrusion problems such as screw design, die design, and troubleshooting . The recommendation can be the author achievements in the extrusion field in numbers of equations and patents.

One of the topics which will come back are simulations and engineering in the polymer processing this is the reason I could not pinch the comment that Autodesk® announces intent to acquires Moldflow® As I have noticed Autodesk® is active on this field lately. Moldflow® today is not only injection simulation software, CAE (Computer Aided Engineering) based on FEM (Finite Element Method) but offers process optimization, management and production control. This acquisition evidence of development in mold and plastic injection production and shows how plastics impact our life. Autodesk® sees it. CAD/CAM/CAE integration will not stop only on this tree systems in the way of full computer integration.

I like this picture. What do you think?

It will be an information from Poland about past event the conference “Innovation in polymer processing” - science and industry partnership . For more information use http://www.polimer2008.pl/ sorry only polish. The reason I am writing about it is the Prof. James L. White person. One of the important person in the world’s polymer processing made a speech “Polymer Processing: Past, Present, Future” The subject says everything, we were experienced with the past of our industry and the evolution in process modeling (single / twin screw extrusion, and injection molding). It was not the only lecture this day. I would just mention that there were from both science and industry sites. Congratulation for students an interesting idea and perfect realization. Photographer Kinga Kurowska, comes from http://www.tworzywa.pl/ Dr. James L. White The University of Akron Professor of Polymer Engineering, Founding Director of the Institute of Polymer Engineering, Harold A. Morton Professor of Polyme...

I would like to interest you in thermoplastic engineering Cyclo Olefin Polymer. The reason I thought that you can find some application for it. For me what I see from the first study it is transparent, resistance for: acids, alcohols and fragrances and possibility to convert in various processing methods For more information please visit: http://www.zeonchemicals.com/zzCOP.aspx

I start with a new page element the new consideration called recommendation. The first is a magazine about polymer and rubber called: British Plastics & Rubber. http://www.polymer-age.co.uk/ Why? We can find information from polymer world on the web site, this is standard. What next? We find archive articles from the previous magazines, with download option, free of charge. Free of charge is the on-line version for current publication the print one is not. Advantage: clear categories, you will find what you need at the specific topic.

Not just about Eastman Chemical Company products but the trade name is perfect for properties of copolyesters. There is one more which I know SK Chemicals (in Poland known from PET installation) and maybe someone else but sorry if I skip it. Some information from chemistry. Amorphous transparent copolyester is produced by the reaction of terephthalic acid (TPA) with ethylene glycol (EG) which a certain amount of EG is replaced with cycloheksane dimethanol (CHDM). The most important factor is the proportion between EG and CHDM. When we increase the CHDM level we prevent crystallization, increase chemical resistant, transparency, and improve processability (lower melt temp., less restricted drying). For the reason I am involved in polymer field I promote even I do not know about it polymers. The key point is to replace glass, on the other hand to replace polymers such as: PMMA, SAN, etc. in the packaging segment. These materials have some adventures comparing to copolyesters, primo the...

It will less serious than the last time. Would you decided what to do in life after seeing a movie? I think some of you have done it even me I wanted to become a sport’s agent, but it was before seeing “Jerry Maguire” directed by Cameron Crowe. Please enjoy episode from “The Graduate” (1967) about… …plastics. “...just one word...plastics...it is a great future in plastics..." and all true. What was yours first contact with plastics and what makes that you think about them? Maybe you remember the beginning?

I found polymer processing as something: new/fresh (it was for me, and it is comparing to tooling methods), exciting (later about it), growing (new: processes, tools, machines, materials, etc.) and mystery (viscoelasticity). It was about 10 years ago in Poland at Warsaw University of Technology. What I like in polymers the most? We know about the non-Newtonian characteristic of melted polymers. For that who are not familiar with basic terms for polymer processing I will prepare some more detailed information in the near future. Briefly it is non-linear characteristic between shear stress , and shear rate , known as a flow curve . For Newton fluids (ex. water, petrol, melted metals, etc.) the curve is straight and dynamic viscosity , (the most important term in polymer processing!!!) is constant. For melted polymers ( pseudoplastics fluids , viscosity falls with increasing shear rate) we can mark out tree characteristics stages for viscosity, linear for small shear rates, 1/10-10 [1/...

I would like to welcome everyone who is visiting the polymer processing’s blog. First of all I apologize for any language mistakes. I hope that I will be not prevent from supporting in helpful information and will not discourage you from visiting it. I am going to do one’s best. Why I decided to do it? I have started from http://www.tworzywa.blogspot.com/ this is about polymer processing. I understand you could not notice it because it is in polish. Most of my knowledge based on global sources and it is sometimes different from that I find in Poland. It is more complex. In this way of thinking about polymer processing I am away from that I see around and it sometimes helps but for this blog will be not competent. There are many others reasons but about them in the future. Both blogs will be living separate life because have different views. I hope meet from time to time. Both will be a record from my experience in the polymer processing field. Tools which I have explored, my point of ...