Reactive injection molding mold filling

Figure 4.70. Processability diagram (moldability) for the stage of mold filling in reactive injection molding dependence of material temperature (or average temperature on flow rate G). I - premature filling II - poor impregnation mixing III - flow instabilities.

Fig. 13.42 Simulation results of the RIM process involving a linear step polymerization T0 = Tw = 60°C, kf— 0.5L/moles, t(lii = 2.4 s. (a) Conversion contours at the time of fill, (h) Temperature contours at the time of fill. [Reprinted hy permission from J. D. Domine and C. G. Gogos, Computer Simulations of Injection Molding of a Reactive Linear Condensation Polymer, paper presented at the Society of Plastics Engineers, 34th Armu. Tech. Conf, Atlantic City, NJ, 1976. (Also published in the Polym. Eng. Sci., 20, 847-858 (1980) volume honoring Prof. B. Maxwell).]...

Reaction injection molding (RIM) is a fast, low-pressure, low-temperature, low-cost process for one-step conversion of reactive liquids into large finished solid plastic products. Liquid polyol and liquid diisocyanate are mixed by impingement, pumped instantly to fill a large mold cavity, and polymerize/ cure rapidly to form a thermoset polyurethane product. The cured polymer may be a stiffly flexible product such as automotive bumper covers, front ends, and trim or a rigid foamed product such as furniture and housings (cabinets) for computers, business machines, TY and radio. 

Experimental investigations of filling a thin rectangular mold with a reactive mixture showed that disturbances in stable flow are possible. Three filling patterns, depending on the injection rate, can occur stable, unstable, and transient. 

An analysis of the temperature distribution in a mold (Fig. 4.54) at the final moment of filling for two reactive systems with different values of G shows that the temperature along the central line increases monotonically downstream (at distance x) from the inlet nozzle. At high values of the gelation criterion, the temperature at locations close to the injection nozzle is maximum near the mold wall. Moving down stream, the position of the temperature maximum shifts to the center, except at the frontal zone. Here the temperature is nearly constant, because the major part of the... 

Industrial equipment use for reactive processing is limited by the permissible injection pressure. The model being discussed can also be used to estimate the pressure drop necessary to fill the mold. The pressure changes during the filling process, and the time dependence of the pressure is determined by the rheokinetic properties of the reactive mixture and the dimensions... 

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