pps proceeding
Symposium: S04 - Modeling and Simulation Oral Presentation
The prediction of mechanical performance of isotactic polypropylene on the basis of processing conditions
Caelers Harm (1)*, Govaert Leon (1), Peters Gerrit (1)
(1) Eindhoven University of Technology - Noord-Brabant - Netherlands
The yield kinetics of isotactic polypropylene depend strongly on the structure. Processing conditions like cooling rate, pressure and flow, determine the morphology for a large extend. We have linked the yield kinetics of isotactic polypropylene directly to the processing conditions (pressure, cooling rate) experienced during molding. Commercially available polymers of which the crystallization- and deformation kinetics are measured in previous studies were selected. The temperature history was calculated and combined with a crystallization model to predict the crystallization kinetics. Structural features like the average lamellar thickness followed from the model and were used to predict yield stresses. For validation purposes these were compared with experimentally obtained yield stresses, measured on samples processed under similar conditions as described in the model. Experiments and modelling will be elucidated and results of both will be compared.