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DURING COOLING?
Dr Nick Henwood
SPE Rotational Molding Division TOPCON
Independence, OH
08 May 2012
PRESENTATION OVERVIEW
ANATOMY OF THE
COOLING CYCLE
COOLING STAGE 1
degF
500
450
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
COOLING STAGE 2
degF
PIAT
500
450
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
COOLING STAGE 3
degF
PIAT
500
450
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
COOLING STAGE 4
degF
PIAT
500
450
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
DE-MOLDING
PIAT
COOLING SUMMARY
Peak Internal Air
FAST initial cooling no release
Crystallization / solidification
SLOW secondary cooling post release
Mold opened
Ambient air
COOLING POLYETHYLENE
& OTHER POLYMERS
PE is a semi-crystalline polymer
COOLING POLYETHYLENE
PE is a semi-crystalline polymer
Solid PE contains areas that are
crystalline & areas that are amorphous
Crystalline areas are responsible for
shrinkage
Variable (uncontrolled) shrinkage
creates warpage
Shrinkage (& warpage) are affected by
the rate of cooling & the release point
Melt State
of PE
Totally
Amorphous
Solid State
of PE
Partially
Amorphous
Partially
Crystalline
Tie Molecules
Increases
Amorphous
Phase
Flexibility
Transparency
Ductility
Long-term properties
Crystalline
Phase
Stiffness
Opacity
Brittleness
Shrinkage
Tie Molecules
Ductility
Resistance to fatigue
Long-term properties
ESCR
FAST Cooling
SLOW Cooling
VARIATIONS in Cooling
VARIABLE Effects
Variations BETWEEN Mouldings
Variations WITHIN the SAME Moulding
0.939 g/cm3
15 C/min (27F/min)
FAST Cooling
(eg water quench)
0.936 g/cm3
<1 C or F / min
0.945 g/cm3
0.950
Density (g/cm3)
0.945
0.940
0.935
0
20
40
60
Cooling Rate (degC/min)
80
100
300
250
200
150
100
50
Variations in RT:
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
7.0
8.0
9.0
10.0
CONCLUSIONS &
DISCUSSION POINTS
Maximum
Difference
100
90
Temperature (F)
80
70
60
50
MAXIMUM VARIATION = 74 F
40
30
20
10
0
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
17 degF
450
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
0
10
15
20
Cooling Time (min)
25
30
35
250
200
150
100
50
0
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
7.0
Linear Shrinkage (%)
8.0
9.0
10.0
Release
Temp.
(F)
Predicted
Shrinkage
(%)
NORMAL COOLING
230
2.9
240
4.0
STICK-UP
120
1.2
300
200
100
0
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
7.0
8.0
9.0
10.0