Biodegradation Plastics—PLA

Injection process
Pre-injection,
Material choices: PLA resin must packed by vacuum package.
If products being exposed temperature <55C, Amorphous PLA;
If products being exposed temperature >55C Crystalline morphology PLA.
In-line Dryer, 80C 2~3Hours ， moisture content:<0.025% （ 250ppm).
Barrel temperature: 170~230C, based on PLA resins.
Machine barrel cleans by high FMI PP/PS resins before injection.

Molding stage,
The mold must have enough cooling water channels, chiller and mold heater recommendation
Amorphous 20~30C; Crystalline Morphology 60~110C to increase crystallinity
Injection speed >150mm/s, Injection pressure: medium to high
Clean the machine barrel and hot runner with high viscous PP/PS before the machine shut down.

Products post-treatment (usually, amorphous no need post-heat treatment):

Heat treatment or annealing to remove internal stresses and
Improve the clarity and toughness of the product.

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 Biodegradation Plastics—PLA
Injection process: defects and solutions
Typical injection Reasons Solutions
defects for PLA
Gate high, Gate The material too stiff. Optimized resin
crown Hot runner tip temperature too low, Hold pressure too Higher tip temperature,
high lower hold pressure
Products PLA degradation in barrel and hot runner, material Lower the screw shear/RPM
brittleness, easy issue, Try new resin
to break Change new material/new type resin. Check the dryer, control the moisture <0.025%
Moisture in resin too high after drying machine Increase the injection speed and pressure
Injection speed too low, the parts short-shot

Transparent low The crystalline is too high. Change high transparent material
Material is wrong, easy to crystalline Improve the mold cooling
Mold cooling is not enough
Warpage and Heat stress too high Check mold cooling and reduce the machine temperature
shrinkage Wall thickness difference too large Review the parts design.
Degradation The molecule is sheared into small piece under heat Check the dryer capacity
and machine screw shear. Check material
Machine hot runner temperature set to high, shear too much.
Performance low PLA is sensitive to the high temperature Optimize the post injection Anneal treatment
in hot water New material with higher crystalline
Reduce the degradation in the machine and hot runner

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