Molding Process of Polymers and Composites

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Processing and Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 February 2025 | Viewed by 2791

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, National Chiayi University, Chiayi 600355, Taiwan
Interests: polymer processing; injection molding; mold design; mechanical design; materials analysis

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Guest Editor
Department of Mold and Die Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology (NKUST), Kaohsiung City 807618, Taiwan
Interests: structural vibration; fatigue and fracture; finite-element analysis; hyperelastic rubber material; mechanical design

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue will focus on the innovative aspects of the molding process of polymers and composites and will address a wide range of topics, from process design, experimental analysis, numerical simulations, material behavior, processing parameters and product quality enhancement. This Special Issue aims to compile cutting-edge research that contributes significantly to the advancement of molding technologies and material science. Molding processes are crucial for the development of the high-performance and complex-shaped materials employed across various industries. This Special Issue will provide a platform for researchers, engineers, and practitioners to share their latest findings and innovations in the field. The scope of this Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, the following areas:

  1. Innovative design and optimization of molding processes that lead to enhanced material properties and component functionalities.
  2. Experimental analysis and characterizations focusing on the relationship between process parameters and material behavior.
  3. Advanced numerical simulations that provide insights into the flow, heat transfer, and mechanical properties of polymers and composites during molding.
  4. Investigations into the effects of processing parameters on the quality of the molded products, including studies on minimizing defects and improving dimensional stability.
  5. Development of new materials and composites tailored for specific molding techniques, with the aim of improving performance and sustainability.

Prof. Dr. Chao-Ming Lin
Dr. Chia-Chin Wu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • molding process
  • polymers
  • composites
  • process design
  • experimental analysis
  • numerical simulation
  • product quality
  • material behavior

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

32 pages, 14147 KiB  
Article
Study of Injection Molding Process to Improve Geometrical Quality of Thick-Walled Polycarbonate Optical Lenses by Reducing Sink Marks
by Jiri Vanek, Martin Ovsik, Michal Stanek, Jan Hanzlik and Vladimir Pata
Polymers 2024, 16(16), 2318; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16162318 - 16 Aug 2024
Viewed by 750
Abstract
This study investigates the challenges and potential of conventional injection molding for producing thick-walled optical components. The research primarily focuses on optimizing process parameters and mold design to enhance product quality. The methods include software simulations and experimental validation using polycarbonate test samples [...] Read more.
This study investigates the challenges and potential of conventional injection molding for producing thick-walled optical components. The research primarily focuses on optimizing process parameters and mold design to enhance product quality. The methods include software simulations and experimental validation using polycarbonate test samples (optical lenses). Significant parameters such as melt temperature, mold temperature, injection pressure, and packing pressure were varied to assess their impact on geometric accuracy and visual properties. The results show that lower melt temperatures and higher mold temperatures significantly reduce the occurrence of dimensional defects. Additionally, the design of the gate system was found to be crucial in minimizing defects and ensuring uniform material flow. Effective packing pressure was essential in reducing volumetric shrinkage and sink marks. Furthermore, we monitored the deviation between the predicted and actual defects relative to the thickness of the sample wall. After optimization, the occurrence of obvious defects was eliminated across all sample thicknesses (lenses), and the impact of the critical defect, the sink mark on the planar side of the lens, was minimized. These findings demonstrate the substantial potential of conventional injection molding to produce high-quality thick-walled parts when these parameters are precisely controlled. This study provides valuable insights for the efficient design and manufacturing of optical components, addressing the growing demand for high-performance thick-walled plastic products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molding Process of Polymers and Composites)
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21 pages, 8143 KiB  
Article
Debinding of Yttria-Stabilised Zirconia/Bimodal Stainless Steel 316L Bi-Materials Produced through Two-Component Micro-Powder Injection Moulding
by Al Basir, Abu Bakar Sulong, Norhamidi Muhamad, Afifah Z. Juri, Nashrah Hani Jamadon, Farhana Mohd Foudzi and Nabilah Afiqah Mohd Radzuan
Polymers 2024, 16(13), 1831; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16131831 - 27 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1596
Abstract
The fabrication of bi-material micro-components via two-component micro-powder injection moulding (2C-µPIM) from 3 mol% yttria-stabilised zirconia (3YSZ) and micro/nano bimodal stainless steel 316L (SS 316L) powders has received insufficient attention. Apart from this, retaining the bonding between ceramic and metal at different processing [...] Read more.
The fabrication of bi-material micro-components via two-component micro-powder injection moulding (2C-µPIM) from 3 mol% yttria-stabilised zirconia (3YSZ) and micro/nano bimodal stainless steel 316L (SS 316L) powders has received insufficient attention. Apart from this, retaining the bonding between ceramic and metal at different processing stages of 2C-µPIM is challenging. This study investigated the solvent and thermal debinding mechanisms of green bi-material micro-parts of 3YSZ and bimodal SS 316L without collapsing the ceramic/metal joining. In this research, feedstocks were prepared by integrating the powders individually with palm stearin and low-density polyethylene binders. The results demonstrated that during the solvent debinding process, the palm stearin removal rate in the bi-materials composed of 3YSZ and bimodally configured SS 316L feedstocks intensified with an increase in temperature. The establishment of interconnected pores in the solvent-debound components facilitated the thermal debinding process, which removed 99% of the binder system. Following sintering, the debound bi-materials exhibited a relative density of 95.3%. According to a study of the microstructures using field emission scanning electron microscopy, an adequate bond between 3YSZ and bimodal SS 316L was established in the micro-part after sintering. The bi-material sintered at 1350 °C had the highest hardness of 1017.4 HV along the joining region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molding Process of Polymers and Composites)
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