In‐mold rheology and automated process control for injection molding of recycled polypropylene

Krantz, Joshua; Nieduzak, Zarek; Licata, Juliana; O'Meara, Sarah; Gao, Peng; Masato, Davide

doi:10.1002/pen.26836

In‐mold rheology and automated process control for injection molding of recycled polypropylene

Journal Article · Wed Jun 19 00:00:00 EDT 2024 · Polymer Engineering and Science

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/pen.26836· OSTI ID:2375534

^[1]; Nieduzak, Zarek ^[1]; Licata, Juliana ^[1]; O'Meara, Sarah ^[2]; Gao, Peng ^[3]; ^[1]

Department of Plastics Engineering University of Massachusetts Lowell Lowell Massachusetts USA
Department of Mechanical Engineering University of Massachusetts Lowell Lowell Massachusetts USA
Department of Plastics Engineering University of Massachusetts Lowell Lowell Massachusetts USA, Department of Engineering and Design Western Washington University Bellingham Washington USA

Abstract

Manufacturing plastic parts with secondary feedstocks has risen to the forefront of importance in recent years. However, the variation in molecular weight and rheology of secondary feedstock can lead to inconsistent part quality. This work evaluates the effectiveness of a novel closed‐loop adaptive process control system that adjusts nozzle pressure in response to in‐mold pressure data. Five different recycled polypropylene blends, with a broad distribution of flow properties, were evaluated to determine the effectiveness of the control system at reducing processing variation. The experimental results show that the process control strategy reduced the variation within the mold, as seen by in‐mold pressure curves and calculated in‐mold viscosity values. Additionally, the parameters that control the automated process adjustments were investigated, showing the importance of optimization. The analysis of the correlation between in‐mold rheology and mechanical properties showed a slight variation in the mechanical properties and parts weight with a coefficient of variation of under 5%. Overall, the results demonstrate the ability of pressure‐controlled molding and automated viscosity adjustment to reduce the variability when molding a secondary feedstock.

Highlights

Pressure‐controlled injection molding of recycled polypropylene.

Automated closed‐loop adaptive process control methodology.

Methodology resulted in a reduction in pressure variation during molding.

Changes in mechanical properties and in‐mold viscosity were investigated.

Results show the potential of pressure‐controlled molding at reducing variation.

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Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

OSTI ID:: 2375534

Journal Information:: Polymer Engineering and Science, Journal Name: Polymer Engineering and Science Journal Issue: 9 Vol. 64; ISSN 0032-3888

Publisher:: Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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