Fabrication techniques

SAN resins possess many physical properties desked for thermoplastic appHcations. They are characteristically hard, rigid, and dimensionally stable with load bearing capabiHties. They are also transparent, have high heat distortion temperatures, possess exceUent gloss and chemical resistance, and adapt easily to conventional thermoplastic fabrication techniques (7). 

Poly etrafluoroethylene is manufactured and sold in three forms granular, fine powder, and aqueous dispersion each requires a different fabrication technique. Granular resins are manufactured in a wide variety of grades to obtain a different balance between powder flows and end use properties (Pig. 1). Pine powders that are made by coagulating aqueous dispersions also are available in various grades. Differences in fine powder grades correspond to their usefulness in specific appHcations and to the ease of fabrication. Aqueous dispersions are sold in latex form and are available in different grades. A variety of formulation techniques are used to tailor these dispersions for specific appHcations. 

As the laminate industry grew, this anisotropic behavior was accepted and fabrication techniques adapted to it. For example, expansion and contraction space was left between wall panels, very strong adhesives were developed for bonding the product to substrates, special substrates were qualified, and where it was necessary to cut holes into the laminates the corners were radiused to prevent cracking from stress concentration. 

Some apphcations require PE with a very high molecular weight nearly 10 times that of common PE materials. These resins are essentially nonbranched and require special catalysts, synthesis, and fabrication techniques. 

Catalyst Selection. The low resin viscosity and ambient temperature cure systems developed from peroxides have faciUtated the expansion of polyester resins on a commercial scale, using relatively simple fabrication techniques in open molds at ambient temperatures. The dominant catalyst systems used for ambient fabrication processes are based on metal (redox) promoters used in combination with hydroperoxides and peroxides commonly found in commercial MEKP and related perketones (13). Promoters such as styrene-soluble cobalt octoate undergo controlled reduction—oxidation (redox) reactions with MEKP that generate peroxy free radicals to initiate a controlled cross-linking reaction. 

Polysulfones are easily processible by other thermoplastic fabrication techniques, including extmsion, thermoforming, and blow mol ding. Extmsion... 

Extrusion Resins. Extmsion of VDC—VC copolymers is the main fabrication technique for filaments, films, rods, and tubing or pipe, and involves the same concerns for thermal degradation, streamlined flow, and noncatalytic materials of constmction as described for injection-molding resins (84,122). The plastic leaves the extmsion die in a completely amorphous condition and is maintained in this state by quenching in a water bath to about 10°C, thereby inhibiting recrystallization. In this state, the plastic is soft, weak, and pHable. If it is allowed to remain at room temperature, it hardens gradually and recrystallizes partially at a slow rate with a random crystal arrangement. Heat treatment can be used to recrystallize at controlled rates. 

The aimual production value of small, sealed nickel—cadmium cells is over 1.2 biUion. However, environmental considerations relating to cadmium are necessitating changes in the fabrication techniques, as well as recovery of failed cells. Battery system designers are switching to nickel —metal hydride (MH) cells for some appHcations, typically in "AA"-si2e cells, to increase capacity in the same volume and avoid the use of cadmium. 

Unsaturated polyester resins predominate among fiber-reinforced composite matrices for several reasons. A wide variety of polyesters is available and the composites fabricator must choose the best for a particular appHcation. The choice involves evaluation of fabrication techniques, temperatures at which the resin is to be handled, cure time and temperature desked, and requked cured properties (see Polyesters, unsaturated). 

Polymers with exceptional heat stability which require special fabrication techniques such as the polyphenylenes. These materials form part of a group of exceptionally heat-stable materials which will be considered further in Chapter 29. 

Residual stresses occur from welding and other fabrication techniques even at very low stress values. Unfortunately, stress relief of equipment is not usually a reliable or practical solution. Careful design of equipment can eliminate crevices or splash zones in which chlorides can concentrate. The use of high-nickel stainless steel alloy 825 (40% nickel, 21% chromium, 3% molybdenum and 2% copper) or the ferritic/austenitic steels would solve this problem. 

Labor cost in a structure is directly related to part count. If part count can be reduced, then labor costs (and inventory costs) wili decrease. Composite structures are generally composed of many fewer parts than are metal structures. Integral part design and fabrication techniques reduce fastener count and bonding operations. Thus, composite structures can have cost elements that are considerably lower than those for metal structures. 

Two keys to the future use of composite materials are (1) achieving lower raw material cost and (2) developing innovative fabrication techniques that are uniquely suited to the characteristics of composite materials. This duality of approaches is leading to considerable success with composite structures right now, but they also hold the key to the even wider use of composite materials in the future. Let s address the two keys individually. 

Fabrication techniques, inspection procedures, installation praetices (except as noted). 

Shell and tube exchangers-most commonly used for all applications in the chemical and allied industries there are several advantages to this type of heat exchanger large surface area in a small volume, good mechanical layout, reliance on well-established fabrication techniques, wide range of... 

Physical realizability is often the most difficult of the above three corollary questions to answer. In general, to answer this question it is necessary to know 1) whether the materials and components required by the engineering design are available and 2) whether the manufacturing (and/or fabrication) techniques and skilled craftsmen needed to fabricate the product are also available. These two assessments are difficult to make because they often involve the projection of future technological developments. Technological developments usually do not occur according to schedule. 

For all materials other than basic constructional steels and cast irons, reputable suppliers have information bases and applications laboratories from which information can be obtained. Trade organizations representing categories of materials suppliers are excellent sources of information some are listed at the end of this chapter. The materials suppliers should be consulted in conjunction with equipment suppliers in order to ensure that the information generated is fully applicable to the end use to which the material is to be put. Fabrication techniques should be agreed between the two types of suppliers, since some materials cannot be cast or welded and forging cannot make some items. 

Most fabrication techniques have implications for corrosion performance. Riveted and folded seam constmction creates crevices as shown in Figure 53.8. Those materials that are susceptible to crevice corrosion should be fabricated using alternative techniques (e.g. welding). Care should be taken to avoid lack of penetration or lack of fusion, since these are sites for crevice corrosion to initiate. 

The relatively high cost of tantalum has been a limiting factor in its use. Fabrication techniques, in which thin linings of tantalum are used, result in equipment at a much lower cost than an all-tantalum construction. 

Polytetrafluorethylene (p.t.f.e.) This polymer does not absorb water, has no solvents and is almost completely inert to chemical attack molten alkali metals and sodium in liquid ammonia are the rare exceptions. Furthermore it does not soften below 320°C, is electrically inert and has a very low coefficient of friction. It is more expensive than general purpose plastics, requires special fabrication techniques, is degraded by high energy radiation, and has a low creep resistance. 

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