UNIT- 6

PLASTIC PROCESSING

PLASTICS

Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as a main
ingredient. Their plasticity makes it possible for plastics to
be moulded, extruded or pressed into solid objects of various shapes. This adaptability, plus
a wide range of other properties, such as being lightweight, durable, flexible, and
inexpensive to produce, has led to its widespread use. Plastics typically are made through
human industrial systems. Most modern plastics are derived from fossil fuel-based
chemicals like natural gas or petroleum; however, recent industrial methods use variants
made from renewable materials, such as corn or cotton derivatives.

Types of Plastics

Plastics are classified on the broad basis of whether heat causes them to set (thermosetting)
or causes them to soften and melt (thermoplastic).

1. Thermosetting Plastics. These plastics undergo a number of chemical changes on heating

and cure to infusible and practically insoluble articles. The chemical change is not reversible.
Thermosetting plastics do not soften on reheating and cannot be reworked. They rather
become harder due to completion of any left-over polymerization reaction. Eventually, at
high temperatures, the useful properties of the plastics get destroyed. This is called
degradation. The commonest thermosetting plastics are alkyds, epoxides, melamines,
polyesters, phenolics and ureas.

2. Thermoplastic Plastics. These plastics soften under heat, harden on cooling, and can be
resoftened under heat. Thus, they retain their fusibility, solubility and capability of being
repeatedly shaped. The mechanical properties of these plastics are rather sensitive to
temperature and to sunlight and exposure to temperature may cause thermal degradation.
Common thermoplastic plastics are acrylics, poly tetra fluoro ethylene (PTFE), polyvinyl
chlorides (PVC), nylons, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystryrene, etc.

Thermosetting plastics are cross-linked polymers, and the thermo- plastics are linear and
branched-linear polymers. The method of processing a plastic is determined largely by
whether a plastic is thermosetting or thermoplastic.

Thermosetting plastics are usually harder, stronger, and more brittle than thermoplastics.
Since they do not soften when heated and roasted or charged at high temperatures,
thermosetting plastics have applications only in moderate service temperatures, for example,
saucepan handles. Thermoplastics are reclaimable while thermosetting plastics are not. They
have less load carrying capacity than thermosetting plastics. Moreover, reinforcement fibers
can be used to increase the load carrying capacity of the latter.

Properties of Plastics

Their great variety of physico- chemical and mechanical properties, and the ease with which
they can be made into various articles have found plastics their de application in the
engineering and other industries.

1. Their comparatively low density (1 to 2 g/cm3), substantial mechanical strength, higher

strength-to-weight ratio and high anti friction properties have enabled plastics to be
efficiently used as substitute for metals, for example, non-ferrous metals and alloys-bronze,
lead, tin, babbit etc., for making bearings.

2 With certain special properties (silent operation, corrosion resistance etc.), plastics can
sometimes replace ferrous metals.

3. From the production point of view, their main advantage is their relatively low melting
points and their ability to flow into a mould.

4. Simple processing to obtain machine parts. Generally there is only one production
operation required to convert the chemically manufactured plastic into a finished article.

5. In mass production, plastics substituted for ferrous metals allow the production costs to be
reduced by a factor of 1.5 to 3.5 and for non-ferrous metals by a factor of 5 to 20.

6. Good damping capacity and good surface finish of the product.

7. The high heat and electric insulation of plastics permits them to be applied in the radio and
electrical engineering industries as dielectrics and as substitutes for porcelain, ebonite,
shellac, mica, natural rubber, etc.

8. Their good chemical stability, when subjected to the action of solvents and certain
oxidizing agents, water resistance, gas and steam- proof properties, enable plastics to be used
as valuable engineering materials in the automobile and tractor, ship building and other
industries.

Disadvantages of Plastics

Plastics production also involved the use of potentially harmful chemicals which are added
as stabilizers or colourants. Many of these have not undergone environmental risk
assessment and their impact on human health and the environment is currently uncertain.
Such an example is phthalates which are used in the manufacture of PVC. PVC has in the
past been used in toys for young children and there have been concerns that phthalates may
be released when these toys are sucked.

Risk assessment of the effects of phthalates on the environment is currently being carried
out. The disposal of plastics products also contributes significantly to their environmental
impact.

Most plastics are non-degradable, and they may take a long time to break down once they are
landfilled. With more and more plastic products, particularly plastics packaging, being
disposed of soon after their purchase, the landfill space required by plastics waster is a
growing concern.

Applications of Plastic

With the development of high performance engineering plastics, they are successfully
competing with other engineering materials. They are replacing sheet metal parts, zinc and
Al alloy castings and C.I.

They are being increasingly used in automobile industry, where weight reduction one of the
means of fuel economy. The initial use of plastics in this direction was for fascia panels,
interior fittings, and other non-load bearing components.

Now structural parts such as bumpers, brake fluid tanks and some body parts are also being
made of plastics. Products from thermoplastic plastics cannot be used at high temperature.
Typical examples are refill and body of Pen, carry bags etc. Switch boards and Chairs are
made from thermosetting plastics. Smaller sizes of dust bins and water tanks are made from
thermoplastic plastics, while the bigger sizes from thermosetting plastics.

PLASTIC PROCESSING

Plastic processing can be defined as converting the plastics’ raw ingredients into (semi-)
finished products.

These bulk plastics come in resin, granules, pellets, powders, sheets, preforms, or fluids and
are converted into formed shapes or parts. Plastic materials can contain various additives that
may influence their properties and processability.

PROCESSING OF THERMOPLASTIC PLASTICS

The common forms of raw materials for processing plastics into products are: - pellets,
granules, powders, sheet, plate, rod and tubing. Liquid plastics are used especially in the
fabrication of reinforced plastic parts. Thermoplastics can be processed to their final shape
by moulding and extrusion processes. However, extruding is often used as an intermediate
process to be followed by other processes, for example, vacuum forming or machining.
INJECTION MOULDING

An important industrial method of producing articles of thermoplastics is injection moulding,

The process is essentially as follows:

The moulding material is loaded into a hopper from which it is transferred to a heating
section by a feeding device, where the temperature is raised to 150°C -370°C and pressure is
built up. The material melts and is forced by an injection ram at high pressure through a
nozzle and sprue into a closed mould which forms the part.

The mould is in at least two sections, so that it may be split in order to eject the finished
component. For the process to be competitive, the mould must be fairly cool (between
ambient temperature and the softening point of the plastic) and consequently the mould must
be cooled by circulating water.

The improvement to the ram type injection moulding machine lies in the separation of the
plasticizing and filling actions. The single-screw pre-plasticizer is probably the most
successful design for injection moulding machines. The rotation of the screw provides the
plasticizing action by shearing and frictional effects and the axial motion of the screw
provides the filling action.

Injection moulding machines have a high production capacity: some can produce from 12 to
16 thousand parts per shift. This method is suitable for making parts with complex threads
and intricate shapes, thin-walled parts etc. Typical parts include Cups, containers, housings,
tool handles, toys, knobs, plumbing fittings, electrical and communication components such
as telephone receivers etc.

EXTRUSION PROCESS

The extrusion process, in many cases, produces material in an intermediate form for
subsequent reprocessing to its final component form. The process is the same as for metals,
that is, the expulsion of material through a die of the required cross-section. The earliest
extrusion machines were of the ram type. The cylinder of the machine (container) is filled
with prepared plastic and extruded through a die under the pressure of the ram. The
advantages of this machine are simplicity in operation and a controlled pressure which can
be virtually as high as required. If the polymer can be plasticized by pressure, then the ram
extruder is advantageous in view of its simplicity. But for plastics which require heat, the
separate pre-processing may be regarded as a draw back. Another major drawback of this
type of machine is the reciprocating action of the ram which is time wasting since the ram
must be withdrawn after its power stroke and a new dolly of material inserted in the
container. Also, with many materials, the die orifice must be cleaned between each working
stroke.

Nowadays, the ram machine is mainly used for "wet extrusion" that is for extruding plastics
which have been softened by the addition of solvents. Although useful in homogenizing
materials which contain hard inclusions, wet extrusion has the disadvantage of producing a
component from which the solvent has to be removed.

For the extrusion of plastics, single-screw machine has completely replaced the ram type
machine. There are two basic types of screw extruders: the melt extruder and the plasticizing
extruder. In the former, the material is delivered to the extruder already melted and thus the
function of the extruder is merely to push the material to the die and through the orifice. In
the plasticizing extruder the material is in the form of granules or particles and so the extrude
has to compress and work it until it melts before delivering it, under pressure, to the die
orifice.

Fig. below illustrates a screw type extrusion machine. It consists of a water cooled screw
having a special thread form to suit the material being extruded; a barrel in which the screw
rotates (including a form of heating in the case of a plasticizing extruder); and an extrusion
die.

The material is fed from a hopper through a port in the cylinder where the rotation of the
screw imparts both axial and rotary motion to the particles. The restricting effect of the die at
the far end builds up a pressure in the particulate mass which is then worked by shearing and
heated by frictional effects until it is in a plastic state and can be extruded.

Complex shapes with constant cross-sections can be extruded with relatively inexpensive
tooling. The extruded product can be coiled or cut into desired lengths.
SHEET FORMING PROCESS

Many plastic articles are formed from sheet. The processes resemble those for metals but
require very low forces. Even atmospheric pressure may be sufficient. In "Drape forming",
the sheet is heated to a moderate temperature. It is then clamped at the edges and stretch-
formed over a die. One of the problems encountered is that the portions of the sheet first
touching the die will be chilled and remain thicker than the rest. This is overcome or
minimized by blowing hot air between the sheet and the die.

Vacuum forming is a process, in which a heated plastic sheet is changed to a desired shape
by causing it to flow against the mould surface by reducing the air pressure between one side
of the sheet and the mould surface. The process consists of clamping the heated plastic sheet
over a mould in such a way that the air between the sheet and mould can be evacuated. This
vacuum, of increasing intensity, draws the sheet against the surface of the mould, where it
cools and solidifies. The solidification will take place earliest in those regions which touch
the mould first, (Fig. a). This will cause differential cooling, and, as a result of non-uniform
temperature distribution, there will be a marked change in thickness along any given section
of the component.

Thinning is clearly worst where the sheet contacts the mould first (high spots on the mould)
and near the peripheral clamping ring. This effect is reduced in drape forming by replacing
the clamping ring by a movable ring or drape, so that part of the profile is achieved before
evacuation occurs, (Fig. b). There is still a definite depth limitation, however, and additional
steps must be taken to eliminate thinning in very deep components. Where one of the
difficulties is the restriction of movement at a right-angle corner, (Fig. c), the same circuit
which is used to extract air can be used earlier in the cycle, to blow hot air between the sheet
and the mould. The air pressure acts as a cushion and the air temperature delays cooling of
the sheet.

This method is also known as "Thermo-forming". Since high strength of the mould is not a
prerequisite, these are usually made of aluminium. So, tooling cost is quite less. Product
applications Refrigerator liners, Packaging, Appliance housings, Panels for shower stalls and
advertising signs.
PROCESSING OF THERMOSETTING PLASTICS

Compression moulding and Transfer moulding are the most common methods of processing
thermosetting plastics. Although suitable for thermoplastics also, the main application of
these methods is to thermosets.

COMPRESSION MOULDING

Compression moulding is the Plastic equivalent of closed-die forging. In this Material

process, a premeasured quantity of plastic in the form of particles or briquettes, is aced in a
heated mould and compressed at suitable pressure and temperature. Hydraulic presses are
usually employed provide the pressure (which may range from 20 to 30 MPa or even higher
up to 80MPa in some cases) for compressing the plastic compound. Other equipment, such
as friction and screw presses, can also be used. The object of compression moulding is to
bring the plastic to virtually molten state. Thus the process is, effectively, forming from the
liquid state, the material being held in the mould until the curing stage is over when
polymerization is complete. The process is rather slow with the phenolics, and urea resins,
but some of the newer resins have shorter curing times and this has improved the production
rates appreciably.
When the plastic is completely trapped between the male and female die, it is called as
positive mould". Closer tolerances can be held if a small flash is allowed to extrude, usually
along the male die perimeter in "Semipositive moulds". More plastic is lost in "flash
moulds", similar to those used in impression-die forging.

Typical product applications are Dishes handles, container caps, fittings, electrical and
electronic components, washing machine agitators and housings etc.

TRANSFER MOULDING

Transfer moulding is a modification of compression moulding in which the material is first

placed in a separate chamber (transfer pot) from which it is pushed through an orifice (sprue)
into the mould cavity (by the action of a punch) as the mould closes. The material to be
moulded is often pre-heated by radio-frequency methods and, where it is desired to improve
toughness and strength, reinforcing fillers may be used.

The process has got the following advantages:

1. There is little pressure inside the mould cavity until it is completely filled, at which stage
the full liquid pressure is transmitted.

2. The plastic acquires uniform temperature and properties in the transfer pot prior Space to
transfer. The plastic is further heated Channels by shearing through the orifice, viscosity is
reduced, and the plastic fills the intricate mould cavities.

3. It scores over normal compression moulding in that cold presses can be used, since,
heating of the plastic is affected, not by press itself, but by a simple heating jacket round the
transfer chamber.

Field of Application: - It is used less for mass production. Its chief application is in short
runs where the shape of the moulding would make readjustment of the injection moulding
machine profitable.
OTHER PROCESSING METHODS FOR PLASTICS

CALENDERING

It is an intermediate process where the extruded plastic sections are reduced to sheet which
may or may not, then be formed to final shape by vacuum forming. It is clear that the
Calendering process can be used only for thermoplastics and not for thermosetting plastics.

Calendering is in some ways similar to rolling process in that the material is compressed
between rolls and emerges as sheet, (Fig. a). However, there are differences. There is
appreciable thickening after the material has reached minimum thickness at the roll gap and
the pre-calendered material is not in sheet form, but of indefinite shape. The method of
producing wide sheet and foil is illustrated in Fig. b. The thermoplastic melt is fed to a multi
roll calendar. The first roll gap serves as a feeder, the second as a metering device, and the
third roll gap sets the gauge of the gradually cooling plastic which is then wound, with about
25% stretching onto a drum.

Calendering is a high-production rate (typically 100 m/min) process, mostly for flexible
PVC, for example, upholstery, rainwear, shower curtains, tapes, etc. and rigid PVC, for
example, trays, credit cards, laminations. PVC is also calendered into the well-known
transparent film widely used for packaging.

ROTATIONAL MOULDING

In this process, also called "roto- moulding", large relatively thin- walled hollow (open or
closed) parts are made. A measured quantity of polymer powder is placed in a thin-walled
metal mould. The mould is closed and is rotated about two mutually perpendicular

axes as it is heated. This causes the powder to sinter against the mould walls, building up the
wall thickness of the component. At the end of the heating and sintering operations, the
mould is cooled while it is still rotating. Cooling is done by applying cold water and air to
the outside of the rotating mould. The rotation is then stopped, and the component is
removed. To increase production rates, three moulds at the end of three arms joined together
to the central spindle (just like centrifuge casting) are used, with one mould for each stage of
the process, that is, load-unload, heat and cool positions.

The process is simple as no pressure is employed and the part is free of moulded in stresses.
The technique is extensively used for the production of toys in P.V.C. such as boats, horses
etc. Large containers of polyethylene (or up to 20,000 liter capacity) and large components
like laminated petrol tanks for motor cars are made from polythene (outer shell) and nylon
(inner shell). Other products include Trash cans, boat hulls, buckets, housings, and carrying
cases etc.

BLOW MOULDING

In this process, a hot extruded tube of plastic, called a parison, is placed between the two part
open mould. The two halves of the mould move towards each other so that the mould closes
over the tube. The tube gets pinched off and welded at the bottom by the closing moulds.
The tube is then expended by internal pressure, usually by hot air, which forces the tube
against the walls of the mould. The component is cooled, and the mould opens to release the
component. Typical product applications are: Plastic beverage bottles and hollow containers.

REACTION INJECTION MOULDING (RIM)

This method differs from the conventional injection moulding process in the sense that it is
not the molten polymer, which is injected into a mould, but a mixture of two or more
monomers (reactants) are forced into a mould cavity. Chemical reaction takes place between
the constituents of the mixture giving off heat to form a plastic polymer, which solidifies
producing a thermoset component. The major application include Automotive bumpers and
fenders, thermal insulation for refrigerator and freezers and stiffness for structural
components.