MOULD RESISTANCE

Slip casting is a low-pressure filtration method where capillary suction provides the driving force (of the order of 0.1-0.2 MPa) for liquid removal and formation of a cast layer at the mould surface. The casting rate is controlled by the resistance to flow by the cast layer and the mould. Usually, the mould resistance is negligible and the increase in the cast layer thickness, Z, with time, t, can be written as follows ... 

In accordance with its extraordinary high toxicity for fungi the active ingredient is mainly used as a fungicide, e.g. for paint film protection, in non-film forming decorative wood stains, in the leather industry for the protection of wet blues, in adhesives and sealants, pulp, paper and cardboard, etc. Surface coatings treated with the fungicide may lose mould resistance when exposed to... 

Moist pulp, papers with an antimicrobial finish, hygienic papers (e.g. paper towels) and mould resistant packaging material (e.g. soap wrappers) are produced with the addition of non-volatile microbicides which are virtually insoluble in water, so that good retention is guaranteed. Water soluble microbicides can be applied together with size solutions and coating mixes. Proposals are 2-phenyl-phenol and Dichlorophen (III.5.4.1 and III.5.7.3) and carbamates (III.9). 

Table 3 Mould resistance of Preventol TP OC 3082 in exterior paints.

Plastics are rarely just made of plastic or polymers. Pure polyvinyl chloride (PVC) the plastic used in most shower curtains, for example - is a white, brittle solid that does not possess the supple, mould-resistant, flower-patterned qualities of a shower curtain. To make many plastics more versatile, flexible, flame retardant, purple or countless other qualities, chemicals called plasticizers or plastic additives such as bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), BPA or polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), must be included. Plasticizers are not... 

Acid resistance (pH < 7) Alkali or base resistance (pH >7) Hydrocarbon resistance Solvent resistance UV resistance Mould resistance Heat resistance... 

Solid, rubbery silicones likewise retain their plasticity at low temperatures and are resistant to many forms of chemical attack they are now incorporated in paints for resisting damp and for waterproofing. Silicones are also used in moulds to avoid sticking of the casting to the mould. 

These transformers may be PVC taped, thermoplastic (polypropylene) moulded, fibreglass taped, polyester resin cast or epoxy resin cast depending upon the system voltage and the surroundings. HT indoor transformers, for instance, are generally polyester or epoxy resin cast, and are economical with good dielectric properties. They are resistant to humid, chemically contaminated and hazardous areas. Outdoor HT transformers, how-ever. may be epoxy... 

Creep of polymers is a major design problem. The glass temperature Tq, for a polymer, is a criterion of creep-resistance, in much the way that is for a metal or a ceramic. For most polymers, is close to room temperature. Well below Tq, the polymer is a glass (often containing crystalline regions - Chapter 5) and is a brittle, elastic solid -rubber, cooled in liquid nitrogen, is an example. Above Tq the Van der Waals bonds within the polymer melt, and it becomes a rubber (if the polymer chains are cross-linked) or a viscous liquid (if they are not). Thermoplastics, which can be moulded when hot, are a simple example well below Tq they are elastic well above, they are viscous liquids, and flow like treacle. 

These super-alloys are remarkable materials. They resist creep so well that they can be used at 850°C - and since they melt at 1280°C, this is 0.72 of their (absolute) melting point. They are so hard that they cannot be machined easily by normal methods, and must be precision-cast to their final shape. This is done by investment casting a precise wax model of the blade is embedded in an alumina paste which is then fired the wax bums out leaving an accurate mould from which one blade can be made by pouring liquid super-alloy into it (Fig. 20.4). Because the blades have to be made by this one-off method, they are expensive. One blade costs about UK 250 or US 375, of which only UK 20 (US 30) is materials the total cost of a rotor of 102 blades is UK 25,000 or US 38,000. 

The very low density materials (VLDPEs) introduced in the mid-1980s are generally considered as alternatives to plasticised PVC (Chapter 12) and ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) plastics (see Chapter 11). They have no volatile or extractable plasticisers as in plasticised PVC nor do they have the odour or moulding problems associated with EVA. Whilst VLDPE materials can match the flexibility of EVA they also have better environmental stress cracking resistance, improved toughness and a higher softening point. 

Polymer Clarity of moulding Temperature resistance Toughness... 

In broad tonnage terms the injection moulding markets for high-density polyethylene and polypropylene are very similar. The main reasons for selecting polypropylene have been given above. In favour of HDPE is the inherently better oxidation and ultraviolet resistance. Whilst these properties may be greatly improved in polypropylene by the use of additives these may increase the cost of polypropylene compounds to beyond that which is considered economically attractive. It is for this reason that HDPE has retained a substantial part of the crate market. 

PTFE is used for lining chutes and coating other metal objects where low coefficients of friction or non-adhesive characteristics are required. Because of its excellent flexing resistance, inner linings made from dispersion polymer are used in flexible steam hose. A variety of mouldings are used in aircraft and missiles and also in other applications where use at elevated temperatures is required. 

At the present time they are used for a variety of electrical and chemically resistant mouldings, for corrosion-resistant linings, for coatings, for flexible printed circuits and for wire insulation. One particular growth area arising from... 

Copolymers of chlorotrifluoroethylene and ethylene were introduced by Allied Chemicals under the trade name Halar in the early 1970s. This is essentially a 1 1 alternating copolymer compounded with stabilising additives. The polymer has mechanical properties more like those of nylon than of typical fluoroplastic, with low creep and very good impact strength. Furthermore the polymers have very good chemical resistance and electrical insulation properties and are resistant to burning. They may be injection moulded or formed into fibres. 

A 50 50 mol/mol copolymer of hexafluoroisobutylene (CH2 = C(CF3)2) and vinylidene fluoride was made available by Allied Chemical in the mid-1970s as CM-1 Fluoropolymer. The polymer has the same crystalline melting point as PTFE (327°C) but a mueh lower density (1.88g/cm ). It has excellent chemical resistance, electrical insulation properties and non-stiek characteristics and, unlike PTFE, may be injeetion moulded (at 380°C). It is less tough than PTFE. 

Poly(vinyl alcohol) is employed for a variety of purposes. Film cast from aqueous alcohol solution is an important release agent in the manufacture of reinforced plastics. Incompletely hydrolysed grades have been developed for water-soluble packages for bath salts, bleaches, insecticides and disinfectants. Techniques for making tubular blown film, similar to that used with polyethylene, have been developed for this purpose. Moulded and extruded products which combine oil resistance with toughness and flexibility are produced in the United States but have never become popular in Europe. 

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