Plastic processes rotational molding

The crossed polarizer effects of both types are used in analysis work. The concentration of optically active organic materials is determined by the degree of rotation. In plastic processing the residual strains in molded materials as well as the degree of orientation of polymers is determined by the effect on polarized light. Crossed polarizers are used with special wave plates to control the amount of light that passes through an optical system. 

A distinction should be made between machine conditions and processing variables. Machine conditions are basically temperature, pressure, and processing time (such as screw rotation/rpm, and so on) in the case of a screw plasticator, die and mold temperature and pressure, machine output rate (lb./hr), and the like. Processing variables are more specific such as the melt temperature in the die or mold, melt flow rate, and pressure used. 

Important are behaviors associated and interrelated with plastic materials (thermoplastics, thermosets, elastomers, reinforced plastics, etc.) and fabricating processes (extrusion, injection molding, blow molding, forming, foaming, rotational molding, etc.). They are presented so that the technical or non-technical reader can readily understand the interrelationships. 

Rotational molding creates a wide variety of plastic products that cannot be made effectively, efficiently, or economically by other means. What sets this method apart from others is that it can create thin-walled, hollow parts that exhibit no weld lines or scarring from ejector pins and from the process itself. It also has the advantage of having little scrap and minimal molded-in stresses, due to the low pressure and low shear rate characteristics of the process. Finally, it can be used to make parts that are very large which would be impossible to manufacture by other methods. 

In South Africa, owing to the diversity and small production volume of specific motor car models, it is not economically feasible to blow-mold HDPE fuel tanks. The only cost-effective plastic tank manufacturing process used in South Africa is rotational molding, using LLDPE with a density of 0.939 g/cm3. Some selected properties of LLDPE before and after petrol exposure are compared to HDPE in Table 16.2. It is clear that owing to weaker mechanical properties, LLDPE is far less suitable than HDPE for petrol containment, mainly because of its lower crystallinity. 

Figure 7.81 Schematic diagram of rotating mold system used in continuous extrusion blow molding. Reprinted, by permission, from A. B. Strong, Plastics Materials and Processing, 2nd ed., p. 489. Copyright 2000 by Prentice Hall, Inc.

The organic cellulose ester plastics are versatile materials and can be processed by almost any hot-processing technique used for thermoplastics. The principal techniques for all three plastics are injection molding and extrusion. Blow molding is also possible. Butyrate and propionate powder are used in tluidized-bed and electrostatic coating processes, as well as in the rotational molding process. 

The term dispersion refers to how well the pigments are wetted out in the plastic matrix (see below), whereas distribution refers to the uniformity of color in the part. Finally, in referring to the parts fabrication process, the term molder is used below to represent any the following pieces of equipment injection molding machine, injection or extrusion blow molding machine, or rotational molding machine. 

Aside from PTFE and PCTFE, copolymers of TFE and a few other fluorocarbon polyuners are processed by melt-processing methods. Commercial fluoropolymers that have found application in chemical processing industries include PFA, FEP, ETFE, ECTFE, and PVDF. These plastics are fabricated into parts by common techniques such as injection molding, transfer molding, blow molding, compression molding, rotational molding, and extrusion (Table... 

Polyolefin - Polyolefins are a large class of carbon-chain elastomeric and thermoplastic polymers usually prepared by addition (co)polymerization of olefins or alkenes such as ethylene. The most important representatives of this class are polyethylene and polypropylene. There are branched and linear polyolefins and some contain polar pendant groups or are halogenated. Unmodified polyolefins are characterized by relatively low thermal stability and a nonporous, nonpolar surface with poor adhesive properties. Processed by extrusion, injection molding, blow molding, and rotational molding. Other thermoplastic processes are used less frequently. This class of plastics is used more and has more applications than any other. Also called olefinic resin, olefinic plastic. 

Rotational Lining - Rotational lining is a process by which a hollow object is lined with a plastic. The surface of the part, contrary to rotational molding process, is prepared to adhere the liner to the mold wall. See also Rotational Molding. 

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