Polymer composites compression molding

Cai H, Bashar MT, Picot JJC (2004). Thermal and mechanical anisotropy in compression molded carbon fiber/resin composites. Polymer Composites 26 684-688. 

BISMALEIMIDE POLYMERS. These relatively new polymeric materials were developed to serve the increasing requirements for materials of high strength in high-temperature applications. Currently, a high percentage of the bismaleimides produced are used for printed circuit boards (PCBs). The materials usually are cured with aromatic amines and then compression molded into the PCBs. Future uses include aircraft structural components where bismaleimides may prove superior for high-temperature skin surface applications as compared with present epoxy composites. 

Another application of PTFE dispersions is the preparation of a variety of compositions with other materials, such as mineral fillers, other polymers in powdered form by co-coagulation. The dispersion of the other component is blended with the PTFE dispersion and the blend is then coagulated. The resulting composition can be processed by extrusion with lubricants (see processing of fine powders) or by compression molding.16... 

Material. Optically clear films (about 5 mils thick) of three SA (saturated acrylic) plastics (3) that contained 25, 33, and 50% of an acrylic graft rubber (referred to as SA-1, SA-2, and SA-3) were compression molded. The acrylic graft rubber latices were latex blended with a resin latex composed primarily of methyl methacrylate, and the blend was coagulated. The compositions of these three polymers are as follows SA-1, 79/17/4 wt %—methyl methacrylate/butyl acrylate/styrene SA-2, 72/23/5 wt %—methyl methacrylate/butyl acrylate/styrene SA-3, 59/34/7 wt %—methyl methacrylate/butyl acrylate/styrene. All three graft rubbers contained low levels of a crosslinking comonomer (less than 1.0 wt %). 

Impact Failure. Standard notched Izod impact measurements have been made over wide temperature ranges on specimens cut from compression molded %-inch thick sheets of BPA polycarbonate and two BPA carbonate-silicone block polymers (Figure 4) (see Table I for compositions and properties). In the homopolymer a ductile-brittle transition occurs at 0° to —15°C, as reported previously (4, 5). Introduction of 15 and 25% silicone lowers the transition to —45° and —110°C (block polymers A and B). As indicated in Table I, this increase in toughness at low temperature is accompanied by the reduction of modulus and yield stress. 

Extrusion is a cost effective manufacturing process. Extrusion is popularly used in large scale production of food, plastics and composite materials. Most widely used thermoplastics are processed by extrusion method. Many biopolymers and their composite materials with petroleum-based polymers can also be extruded. These include pectin/starch/poly(vinyl alcohol) (Fishman et al. 2004), poly(lactic acid)/sugar beet pulp (Liu et al. 2005c), and starch/poly(hydroxyl ester ether) (Otey et al. 1980), etc. In this study, composite films of pectin, soybean flour protein and an edible synthetic hydrocolloid, poly(ethylene oxide), were extruded using a twin-screw extruder, palletized and then processed into films by compression molding process or blown film extrusion. The films were analyzed for mechanical and structural properties, as well as antimicrobial activity. 

One noteworthy aspect of the blend study of polymers mixed in the melt pertained to optimization of impact strength relative to acrylonitrile content in the copolymer. For this study, the polymer blends were compression-molded and tested with a Tinius Olsen Izod Tester. The composition of the acrylic copolymers and the blend composition are given in Table I. The change in... 

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