Sunday, September 4, 2016

Processes That Are Used In Structural Foam Moldings

By Dorothy Hughes


Motionless gases are introduced to a melted polymer for reducing density and weight of molded products and it also increases the product strength. This is done by the injection of lower pressure. Low pressure makes the equipment be used, thus, resulting to a mass production of its parts. This process is lesser in cost compared to the conventional injection molding.

Molten resin with chemical blowing agent or a nitrogen gas is being used by this process. The mixture will be injected into the structural foam, wherein the gas will expand, and which it makes the mold to be filled with foam. The sides of mold or its walls will turn into solid, but the center will remain foamed. Its weight will reduce by 20 percent because it does not have equal weight in all of its parts.

The structure produces bigger and stronger parts compared to injection molding. Parts will have natural direction, will be understandable and relaxed because they are produced in low pressure. Unlike any other processes, these are made thicker and stiffer products.

The cast aluminum and the cast steel are the materials used in this processing. These are lighter grade materials and are inexpensive compared to normal injection molding. In a conventional molding machine process, foaming actions will go to these tools and feed gates will be used, speed will also be necessary.

The cast aluminum tool is the most commonly used in this processing of molds because the pressure is low. It used to keep the mold cool rather than the cast steel. Though it may cost much than cast steel, but it will be built quickly. And also, aluminum tools will last longer when is being take cared properly.

If it is made with using the conventional machines, the tools will be built faster for the possibility of usage of higher machine clamp pressures. The structure, when molded, will definitely have a surface with spirals on it. This is because of foaming action in which some bubbles will come to the surface in some parts. The cross section for the structure looks like a sandwich, in which a cellular internal core is in between two solid walls.

Thermoplastic solutions are also provided by some companies to help in ensuring the best solutions to customer requirements. The blowing agents in this process are being mixed to thermoplastic pellets that is in high heat, then a foam core becomes its part. This will suit to the large parts that are needing strength and rigidity.

The growth and inflation of bubbles in thermoplastic foams are due to the presence of very small voids in the heated and melted polymer. And because of the heat and water drops, it can be considered that bubbles and gas diffusion of neighboring bubble can be seen. The number of growing bubbles will depend on the critical radius to the average radius of micro void that is present in the melt.

The procedure of forming solids, gases, or liquids is called nucleation. Nucleation occurs when the polymer started melting, this procedure has supersaturated gases released by blowing agents. Gas evolves when the cells reach its critical size, resulting to decomposition and diffusion of blowing agents until it ruptures.




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