Ar>&ina ultrasonics to the mouldina

of plastic powders
4-i. U. FAIRBANKS

Both thermosetting and thermoplastic powders have been experimentally moulded into
small cylinders by the application of high-intensity 20 kHz ultrasonic energy and pres-
sure without the use of external heat. Thermoplastic powders have also been fused and
extruded through a small orifice by the use of ultrasonic energy and pressure alone.

Materials
The type of thermoplastic powders used during the experi-
ments were acrylics and vinyls and the types of thermo-
setting powders used were phenolics and allylics. The
20 kHz ultrasonic
sizes and shapes of the plastic powder particles varied; the horn
thermopiastics were nearly spherical in shape and haid a size
range of approximately 50-200 pm in diameter while the
thermosetting powders were irregular in shape and ranged
from l-2 000 pm in thickness.

Equipment
Three types of equipment configurations were used during
the investigation so that it was possible to: mould plastic
powder using one ultrasonic radiation source; mould
plastic powder using two ultrasonic radiation sources;
melt the plastic powder and extrude the plastic melt using
one ultrasonic radiation source.
For moulding the plastic powder a 50 mm long steel
cylinder with a 13 mm diameter hole was used. When
only one radiation source was used, the bottom end of the
cylinder was closed with a plug which rested on a calibrated
spring. The ultrasonic horn tip was inserted into the open
top end of the cylinder and the pressure applied through
the ultrasonic horn to the plastic powder. A schematic
diagram of the apparatus is shown in Fig. 1.

When two ultrasonic sources were used, the cylinder was

placed horizontally with a horn entering from each end
Fig.1 Schematic diagram of the apparatus used for ultrasonically-
to compact the plastic powder. The required static pres-
aided compression moulding of plastic powder using one ultrasonic
sure was obtained by placing a calibrated spring between source
the ultrasonic horn assembly and a stationary support.
A schematic sketch of this apparatus is shown in Fig.2.
The cylinder used for ultrasonically melting the plastic
powder for extrusion contained a 10 mm diameter hole
and had an outside diameter of 12 mm. A 1.5 mm
diameter hole was drilled into the side of the cylinder
near the bottom just above the end of a fitted plug. The
unit was fitted with a piston at the top of the cylinder,
placed in a transverse hole drilled in the ultrasonic horn,

Professor Fairbanks is in the Department of Chemical Engineering, Fig.2 Schematic diagram of the apparatus used for ultrasonically-
West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, USA. aided compression moulding of plastic powder using two ultrasonic
Paper received 24 April 1973. sources

22 ULTRASONICS. JANUARY 1974

 Table 1. Variables and levels used in uttrasonicSy&fed
4

r-l
compression moulding of plastic powders

Variables Levels
Piston
Ultrasonic intensity U 23.5 35.5 47.5
[W cmm21

Static pressure P 0.7 1.4 2.1

[kg cmm21

Duration of process T 15 30 45
[sl

Ultrasonic horn Table 2. Regression equations for the lengthy of thermo-

,Aastic and thermosetting plastic powder fused

Thermoplastic Thermosetting plastic

y = 0.48 + 0.53U + 0.23p + y=O.63+0.132u-

0.07 1T + 0.013UT t
0.018UP - 0.031PT +
0.02ou2 -I-0.033P2 t
Fig.3 Schematic diagram of the apparatus used for extrusion of 0.007T2
ultrasonically-neated polymer powders
0.041P + 0.061T t
0.013UT + 0.003UP -
0.048PT + 0.025U2 -
0.132P2 - 0.069T2

and assembled in position in a hydraulic press. A schema- Table 3. Calculated optimum conditions to produce
tic sketch of this assembly is shown in Fig.3. maximum fusions

Ultrasonic units Thermo-

Thermo- setting
Three ultrasonic units were used, all of which had a fre-
Variable plastic plastic
quency of 20 kHz. Two were equipped with 13 mm
diameter horns having flat radiating ends. These units
Ultrasonic intensity U 35.5 94.5
were capable of producing up to 75 W and were used for
[W cme21
compression moulding of the powder. The other unit
was capable of producing up to 150 W and was fitted with Static pressure P 0.5 1.2
a 38 mm diameter adapter horn through which a 13 mm 1kg cmm21
hole was drilled for the extrusion assembly.
Duration of process T 65 40
Experimentation and results IsI

Three sets of experimental studies were made. In the ultra-
sonic compression moulding studies both thermoplastic
and thermosetting plastic powders were used, while in the
ultrasonic melting and extrusion studies only thermoplastics
were used.
Compression moulding with one ultrasonic source
With the plug inserted in the bottom of the cylinder a
weighted portion of plastic powder was poured into the
cavity. This occupied approximately half the length of
the cylinder. The whole assembly was then lowered onto
a calibrated spring for initial static compression and ultra-
sonic energy was applied to the system for a determined
length of time. The apparatus was then disassembled, the
fused cylinder of plastic powder removed, and its length
measured for depth of fusion.
Factorially designed sets of experiments were run using
time, pressure and ultrasonic intensity as the variables
(Table 1). After each experimental run the length of the
fused portion of the plastic formed from the powder was
measured and recorded. Table 2 gives the calculated regres-
sion equations for a thermoplastic and for a thermosetting
plastic. The results show that ultrasonic intensity (v) was
Maximum length of fusion y 0.8 1.0
[cm1
twice as influential as time (T) in promoting fusion with
thermosetting plastic powder 01 is the length of plastic
powder fused in centimetres). However, for the thermo-
plastic powder ultrasonic intensity and time have about
equal influence in promoting fusion of the powder
particles.
It appears that the most important variable interaction is
between pressure and time for both thermoplastic and
thermosetting powders, and was found to be in a negative
direction. It is of interest to note that pressure was a
negative factor for the fusion of thermosetting powder
while positive for the fusion of thermoplastic powder.
Note should also be made of the fact that the regression
equations are valid only within the range of the experi-
mental data. Extensive extrapolation of the curves outside
the experimental data range may lead to erroneous results.
Table 3 lists the calculated values of the variables required
to obtain maximum fusion of the plastic powder particles
within the range of the experiment. For the thermosetting
plastic powder the calculated maximum length was IO mm

ULTRASONICS. JANUARY 1974 23

while for the thermoplastic powder 8 mm was found to
be the maximum fused length.

Compression moulding using two ultrasonic sources

In order to increase the depth of fusion of plastic powder

two ultrasonic horns were used, one at each end of the
steel cylinder. A calibrated compression spring was used
to load the horns against the plastic powder and no attempt
was made to synchronize them. It was found that each
horn produced the same individual effect as when using
a single ultrasonic source and that homogeneous fusion
of the polymer powder was obtained throughout the length
of plastic cylinder formed.

Ultrasonic melting of powder and extrusion of melt

Fig.4 Photomicrograph showing the fused polymer section
near the unfused powder. Magnification is 50x
With a metal plug in the bottom of the steel cylinder and a
small wooden plug in the extrusion orifice, the steel cylinder
was half filled with a thermoplastic powder. The assembly
was placed in a hydraulic press and ultrasound applied to
the side walls of the cylinder using an intensity of 100 W
applied to the transducer. An estimated heat balance
showed that 80% of the ultrasonic energy was used to heat
up the steel cylinder and its contents to above the glass
transition temperature of the plastic. The acylic polymers
gave a smoother extrusion product than did the vinyl
polymers. A substantial decrease of approximately one-
half in extrusion pressure occurred while ultrasonic power
. . .. . . . .

Fig.5 Photomicrograph showing the degree of diffusion of plastic

Microscopic examination powder particles. Approximately six original powder particles
are shown. One constituent of the modified polymer powder has
Samples of the moulded plastic and extruded plastic were been charred in the process of ultrasonic moulding. Magnification
metallographically polished and surfaces examined with a is 150x
microscope. Fig.4 shows incipient fusion of vinyl powder
particles. These particles are sufficiently fused together
so that light rubbing by hand will not separate them. Near
the top of the photomicrograph it can be seen that com-
plete circumferential fusion of the particles has taken place.
Magnification is 50x.
Fig.5 is a 150x magnification of a modified vinyl powder
in which one constituent has been charred in the process
of the ultrasonic moulding. The photomicrograph shows
approximately six original powder particles which have
been fused by the introduction of ultrasonic radiation and
pressure.
Fig.6 shows a 250x magnification photomicrograph of the
junction produced in the fusion of plastic powders by
Fig.6 Photomicrograph showing the junction where the two
two ultrasonic sources. No visible line of demarkation ultrasonically-fused sections meet. The filler material is fibre glass.
could be seen. Magnification is 250x

4. The addition of ultrasound during extrusion moulding

Conclusions
1. The addition of ultrasonics during compression mould-
ing of plastic powder provides energy for fusion of the pow-
der particles without the addition of external heat.
2. The addition of ultrasound during compression moulding
of plastic powder requires a nominal amount of static
pressure applied to the system.
3. The addition of ultrasound from two sources in compres-
sion moulding of plastic powder provided a thicker moulded
part with no line of demarkation where the fusion zones
meet.
of plastic powder not only provides energy for fusing the
powder but reduces the friction of the plastic flow through
the extrusion orifice.
Acknowledgements
The author wishes to express his thanks to his students
George McCullev. Daniel Daniels. David Brown III. Jav
Snyder, and Benjamin Hodgskins’whose work contributed
to this paper. The author also wishes to thank the Branson
Sonic Power Company of Danbury Connecticut for supply-
ing the instrumentation used in this investigation.

24 ULTRASONICS. JANUARY 1974