Cooling and orientation characteristics of TPU granule melt during injection molding


Publish Time:

2021-11-12

During the injection molding process, the TPU granule melt undergoes a complex cooling and solidification process as it flows through the mold cavity. Because the temperature of the mold cavity wall is usually lower than the glass transition temperature or melting point of the TPU granule, the melt begins to cool from the moment it enters the mold cavity. A layer of melt in contact with the mold wall quickly solidifies, forming a non-moving shell. The melt inside, however, remains at a higher temperature.

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Cooling and orientation characteristics of TPU granule melt during injection molding

  During the injection molding process, the TPU granule melt undergoes a complex cooling and solidification process as it flows through the mold cavity. Because the temperature of the mold cavity wall is usually lower than the glass transition temperature or melting point of the TPU granule, the melt begins to cool from the moment it enters the mold cavity. A layer of melt in contact with the mold wall quickly solidifies, forming a non-moving shell. The inner melt, however, remains at a higher temperature.

  During the filling process, the melt flow front continues to move forward under the pressure. At the same time, the melt forms a radial flow toward the mold wall. This process causes a large amount of molecular shear orientation, and this flow direction is quickly fixed by the cooling effect. Therefore, the molecules near the surface show significant orientation, while the molecules in the middle layer have relatively less orientation due to the lack of velocity difference.

  In this case, the material in the middle layer exhibits isotropic characteristics, while the surface material, due to the orientation effect, its mechanical properties are significantly enhanced in the orientation direction. This characteristic makes the TPU granule have certain structural and performance characteristics after injection molding, providing possibilities for further processing and application.