ME332 재료가공(Materials Processing)

Polymer Processing Technology

Tai Hun Kwon

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

POHANG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

 2003 by T. H. Kwon
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Why Polymer Processing?

Advances in
Various plastic materials
Plastic based composites

Merits of using plastic components:

Strength to weight ratio is high reduce weight
Good formability Versatile complicated parts
Good for Mass production

Replace metallic components with plastic components

Conventional Applications:
1. Electric appliances, Automobile components, etc.
2. Precision optical products such as CD, DVD, Lenses

Futuristic Applications
Microstructures,
Microfluidics,
Nanotechnology, etc.

Multidisciplinary research for the futuristic goal is in need and thus

asks us to understand macromolecular behavior in more detail.
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Examples of Futuristic Applications

1. Chaotic mixing in screw extrusion

(a)

(b) (c)

(d) (e)

Fig. 0.1 Chaos screw proposed by Kim and Kwon(1995): (a) schematic of
chaos screw, mixing experimental results at zones (b) without and (c) with
barrier,
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2. Chaotic Micromixers (Barrier embedded Micromixer, BEM)

Barrier Slanted grooves

30µm
240µm
40µm
60µm
9µm
100µm

(a)
Barrier Hyperbolic point Elliptic point

Elliptic points
(b) At the zone with barrier (c) At the zone with
on slanted grooves only slanted grooves

Fig.0.2 Barrier Embedded Micromixer: (a) schematic view, (b) and (c)
corresponding cross-sectional velocity fields. Slanted grooves cause the cross-
sectional velocity field of (c) and the velocity
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Experimental observation

Phenolphthalein

Flow

NaOH Interface
(a)

(b)

(c)

Fig. 0.3 Mixing experimental results of: (a) T-channel, (b) only slanted grooves
and (c) BEM at the indicated positions at Q = 10.0µl/min (Re ≈ 0.457). Only
the phenolphthalein portion at the interface between phenolphthalein and NaOH
streams shows red color.

Numerical simulations by Finite Element Method

At the entrance 1st cycle 2nd cycle 5th cycle

7th cycle 10th cycle 13th cycle 15th cycle

Fig. 0.4 Cross sectional view of mixing patterns after several cycles in BEB
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3. Microlens arrays

(a)

(b)

(c)
Fig. 0.5 Proposed fabrication process and result: (a) Step 1, X-ray irradiation,
(b) Step 2, thermal treatment, and (c) fabricated microlenses by a modified
LIGA process.

Fig. 0.6 Relaxation of free volume: relation between temperature and specific
volume of polymer.
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(a) TH = 105°C (b) TH = 115°C

Fig. 0.7 Predicted microlens shapes (nominal diameter of 1500µm) in
comparison with experimental ones (solid) at two different heating
temperatures of (a) 105°C (b) 115°C: predictions without considering the
relaxation process (dotted), and with considering the relaxation process
(broken).

1
Microlenses

2
Seed layer
deposition
3

Ni electroplating

Mold insert

(a) (b)
Fig. 0.8 Fabrication of the microlens mold insert for the hot embossing: (a)
sequence of steps and (b) photographs of Ni-electroplated mold insert.
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Fig. 0.9 Surface profiles of the injection molded φ 500µm micro-lenses (PC)
with mold insert.

(a) f200 µm microlens (b) f200 µm microlens

array mold insert array embossed PMMA

(c) f300 µm microlens (d) f300 µm microlens

mold insert embossed PC

Fig. 0.10 SEM images of the mold insert and replicated polymers
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PART I. POLYMER PROCESSING TECHNOLOGIES

Extrusion Process

Single Screw Extruders

Twin Screw Extruders

Injection Molding Process

Compression Molding Process

Transfer Molding Process

Blow Molding Process

Thermoforming Process
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1.1 Screw extrusion process

Fig. 1.1 A single screw extruder

Fig. 1.2 A conventional single screw

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Fig. 1.3 Corotating twin screw elements

Fig. 1.4 Counter-rotating twin screw elements

Fig. 1.5 Static mixers

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1.2 Injection molding process

Fig. 1.6 An injection molding machine

Fig. 1.7 Reciprocating screw injection molding

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1.3 Compression molding, Transfer molding

Fig. 1.8 Schematic view of the compression molding process

Fig. 1.9 Two stages of the injection/Compression molding process

Fig. 1.10 Schematic view of the transfer molding process

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1.4 Blow molding process

Fig. 1.11 Schematic view of the blow molding process

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1.5 Thermoforming process

Fig. 1.12 Schematic view of the thermoforming process

(a) Vacuum forming, (b) Plug-assisted vacuum forming