Specimen Preparation

Techniques
Dr. S SOUNDARARAJAN
Central Institute of Plastics Engineering & Technology(CIPET)
CHENNAI - 600032

SPECIMEN PREPATION
TESTING
TO ASSESS THE PERFORMANCE WITH RESPECT
TO ITS END USE
SUITABILITY OF THE RAW MATERIALS
FOR QC QUALITY CONTORL
TO MEET THE VARIOUS NATIONAL AND
INTER NATIONAL STANDARDS & SPECIFICATIONS

ASTM AMERICAN SOCITY FOR TESTING

MATERIALS
BIS BUREAU OF INDIAN STANDARDS
ISO INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR
STANDARDIZATION
BS BRITISH STANDARDS
TEST SPECIMEN PREPARATION FOR RAW
METERIALS
PRE DRYING IN OVENS TO REMOVE MOISTURE
IF ANY >O.2 % TP. FOR PE,PP NOT NESSARY
NYLON 80 C /1-8hrs
1-2%
PF 65 C/ 2-4hrs

DURING PROCESSING
SHEAR, THERMAL AND OXIDATIVE
DEGRADATION RESULTS IN STRUCTURAL
CHANGES
CHANGES IN MOLECULAR ORIENTATION
ANISOTROPIC PROBLEMS
CHANGES IN THE STATE OF POLYMER
DEVELOPMENT OF CRYSTALLINITY
REDUCTION OR RELEASE OF
RESIDUAL THERMAL STRESSES
WEAK FUSION BOUNDARIES
DUE TO INADEQUATE MELTING

THERMOPLASTICS RAW MATERIALS

BY INJECTION MOULDING
FOR SOME THERMOPLASTICS TWO RILL
MILLING AND COMPRESSION MOULDING
FOLLOWED BY CUTTING & MACHINING
OR BY PUNCHING
THERMOSETS RAW MATERIALS
BY COMPRESSION MOULDING OR TRANSFER
MOULDING
SHEETS
& PLASTICS PRODUCTS CUTTING AND
MACHINING

INJECTION MOULINDING
PARAMETERS
MELT TEMP, INJ PRESSURE, MOULD TEMP, CYCLE
TIME , SIZE AND SHAPE OF RUNNERS & GATES
TYPE OF SPECIMEN (GEOMETRY)
PREHEATING TEMP & TIME
INSERT TYPE MOULD CAVITIES ARE AVAILABLE
FOR ALL SPECIMENS
NOT NECESSARY TO FABRICATE LOT OF MOLDS
IF ALL THE SPECIMENS HAVE THE SAME
THIKNESS

INJ PRESSURE SHALL BE CONSTANT

FOR A GIVEN SET OF TEST SPECIMENS
CYLINDER TEMP SHOULD BE MAINTAINED
WITHIN + OR - 1 C
MOULD TEMP BOTH CAVITIES AND RUNNERS ARE
CONTROLLED BY CIRCULATING SUITABLE
LIQUIDS
MOULDING CYCLE CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE
SUPPLIERS OR BASED ON EXPERIENCE

METERIALS

STOCK
TEMP
DEG C

MOULD
TEMP
DEG C

PS

210

65

PC

300

90

NYLON 6 6

290

90

PET

285

20

FILLED PET

285

120

PBT

260

85

ACETAL

215

95

ACETAL MOD

210

95

ACETAL C.P

200

95

PMMA

230

60

ADVANTAGE OF COMPRESSION MOULDING

1) THERMAL SHRINKAGE
2) ORIENTATION EFFECT
3) PACKING STRESSING
ARE ELIMINATED
DISADVANTAGES
MATERIAL (MILLED SHEETS) MUST BE
COMPRESSED ,
MELTED, & MADE TO FLOW TO EXTREMITIES OF
MOLD
AN EXCEESS OF MATERIAL TO BE USED
& TRIMMING OF FLASHES MAY INTRODUCES
NOTCES AND STRESS CONCENTRATION POINTS

CAN BE USED ONLY FOR LIMITED

THERMOPLASTICS
e.g.
PE, PVC (HEAT SENSITIVE), PS, ABS,
CELLULOSICS
ONLY LIMITED INFORMATION AND FEW
STANDARDS AVILABLE FOR MACHINING,
CUTTING & PUNCHING

TWO ROLL MILLING

FOR OPTIMUM MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
MILLED SHEET SHOULD BE USED
INSTEAD OF GRANULES FOR COMPRESSION
MOULDING OF TP
IT CONSISTS OF TWO ROTATING CYLINDRICAL
ROLLERS HEATED BY HOT CIRCULATING
THERMOTHERM OILS
THE MATERIALS (GRANULES) MUST BE FLUXED
DUE TO SHEARING FORCES IN BETWEEN THE
COUNTER ROTATING ROLLERS

WARMING TIME 1 MIN

BLENDING 3 MIN
FRONT ROLLER MOVABLE
REAR ROLLER FIXED
AT THE END OF FLUXING OR BLENDING
THE GAP SHOULD BE 3-6 MM
DEPENDING UPON THE THICKNESS OF THE
SHEET
AFTER COOLING THE SHEET BAND WILL BE CUT
OFF FROM ONE OF THE ROLLERS

TWO ROLL MILL M/C

SHEET PREPARATION
TWO ROLL MILLING OF PLASTICS
SINO

METERIA TEMPoC
L

REHEATI
NG TIME

MILLING
TIME

SPEED OF
FASTROL
L RPM

ABS

165-170 1 min

3-5 min 40-50

PVC

160-180 1min

3-5 min 40-70

PE

135-170 1min

3-5 min 40-50

COMPRESSION MOULDING OF
THERMOPLASTICS
MILLED SHEET STOCK IS USED AS CHARGE IN THE MOULD OF
COMPRESSION PRESS
CLOSE THE PRESS WITH LIGHT PRESSURE (0.4-0.8 Mpa)
FOR 5-15 MINUTES FOR PREHEATING
APPLY THE FULLPRESSURE FOR 5-6 MIN WHILE
MAINTAINING THE MOULD .TEMPS

DURING PREHEATING THE MATERIAL MELT

& ATTAIN FREE FLOWING STATE
AT FULL PRESSURE IT WILL BE COMPACTED WHILE
COOLING
IT WILL BE SOLIDIFIED
THE SHEET SHOUD BE FREE FROM VOIDS &BUBBLES and
weld lines
TEST SPECIMENS MAY BE PUNCHED OR MACHINED
BY COUNTER CUTTER.

Compression moulding of TP
(THERMO PLASTICS)
materials

Mould
Temp

preheating
time

Moulding
pressure

LDPE
LLDPE

150 c

5-10 min

3.5-4.0
Mpa

HDPE

177

10-15

4-6

PVC -P

150-180

5-7

5-10

PVC -R

182

6.9

ABS

177

6.9

COUNTOUR

CUTTER

COMPRESSION MOULDING
FOR THERMOSET
CM-BATCH PROCSS
THE MOULD CAVITY DIMENSION SHOULD
BE INTRODUCED
IN ONE SINGLE
CHARGE.
SPECIMENS ARE PREPARED DIRECTLY
IF BULK FACTOR IS HIGH LIKE IN FRP WITH
TEXTILE
SHROUDS SHEETS ARE PREPARED AND TEST
SPECIMEN ARE PREPARED BY MACHINING

MOULDING CONDITIONS FOR THERMOSET MATERIALS

BYCOMPRESSION
METERIALS

MOULD
TEMP
C

MOULDING
PRESSURE
MPA

CURE TIME PER mm

OF
THICKNES

PF

160-170

10-40

60 S

UF THIO UREA
CELLULOSE
WOODFLOUR

140-150

15-35

30-60 S

MF CELLULOSE
WOODFLOUR
MINERAL FILLR

150-160

15-35

30-60S

COARSE FIBER

150-160

30-50

30-60S

POLYESTER
UNSATURSTED

130-160

5-30

30-40S

EPOXYRESIN

150-170

5-30

35-60S

COMPRESSION & TRANSFER

MOULDING

TRANSFER MOULDING
TM ALL SPECIMENS CAN BE PREPARED IN A
SINGLE CYCLE e-g TENSILE , FLEXURAL , IZOD OR
CHARPY, COMPRSSION, DISCS
IMPROVED SURFACE FINISH CAN BE OBTAINED
MATERIALS : WITH VERY SOFT PLASTICITY &
LONG CURE TIME
NOT SUITABLE : FOR LONG FIBERS
FACTERS AFFECTING: MOULD TEMP, PLUNGER
PRESSURE, RADIO FREQ,. PREHEATING,
PLASTICITY
HIGHER TENSILE STRENGTH, FLEXURAL
STRENGTH THAN CM SPECIMENS .
DESIGNING OF MOULD.ASTM D747

MOULDING CASTING
CASTING ASTM D702 FOR ACRYLICS
NYLONS, UNSATURATED
POLYESTER, EPOXIES, POLYURETHANES
FOAM CUTTING
USING A FOAM CUTTER
HOT TUNGESTON WIRE
WITH THE HELP OF MARKINGS
OVER FOAM SLABS
RECTANGULAR AND DUMBBELL
TEST SPECIMENS

TEST SPECIMENS

OTHERS TEST SPECIMENS SIZES FLEXURAL CHARPY HDT

127 X 12.7 X 3.2 -6.4-12.7 mm
FLEXURAL ASTM D790
CHARPY IMPACT ASTM D256 B
HDT D648
IZOD IMPACT ASTM D256 A
63.5 X 12.7 X 3.2-12.7
CLTE ASTM D 696
50-150 X 12.7 X 3.2-6.4

ABRASION D 1044
100 mm DIA X 3.2 T
100 X 100 X 3.2
ELECTRICAL DISC OR SQUARE
50 DIA X 3.2 t OR 50X 50 SQUARE
X3.2
WaTER ABSORPTION D570
50 mm DIA DISC X 3.2 mm THICK
COEFFICIENT OF FRICTION D1894
50 X 50 X 3.2
SHEAR ST D732
50X 40 X 3 12.7

HARDNESS D 785
ANY TEST SPECIMEN
6 mm thick
DENSITY D 792
ANY SPECIMEN
12.7 X 12.7 X3.2

VICAT SOFETENING POINT D1525

12.7 X12.7 X 3.2
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY C 177
9 INCH DIA X T 4-6 or 50 mm dia > 1mm t
FLAMMABILITY D 635, UL 94 V, HB
127 X 12.7 X 3.2
OXYGEN INDEX D 2863
127 X 6.5 X 3.2
MARTENS TEMP DIN 53458
120 X 13 X 10

OPTICAL PROPERTIES
CLARITY ( D1746), GLOSS (D523), HAZE
&LUMINOUS TRANSMITTANCE (D1003)
100 mm dia disc
100 x 100 square film 0r sheet

Thermoset as per IS 867

cross breaking strength (flexural )

127 x 13 x 9.8 +or 0.2
charphy impact 127 x 12.7x 12.7
izod impact 63.5 x12.7 x 12.7
electrical 100 or 50 mm dia x 3.2
water absorption
50 mm dia x3.2