Saturday, September 3, 2016

Processes That Are Used In Structural Foam Moldings

By Dorothy Hughes


This process involves motionless gases which are present in a polymer that is melted in order to reduce weight and density while increasing the strength of the product. This also involves injecting in low pressure. Involving lower pressure will make the equipment to be utilized that will result to a very large production of parts in a machine. And it also cost lesser than the conventional injection molding.

In this process, a molten resin that contains a chemical blowing agent or nitrogen gas is used. This mixture is injected to structural foam, and this leads to the expansion of gas inside, resulting to the filling of foam inside the mold. The walls of the mold becomes solid and the center part is still foamed. 20 percent of weight reduction will happen because of the walls that are solidified and core that is foamed.

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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