The Role of Plastication in the Rheology of Injection Molded Thermoplastics
P.J. Farrington, R.G. Speight and A.S. Bakharev
Moldflow Pty Ltd
Australia

Keywords: rheology, viscosity, plastication

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The thermal and mechanical stress imposed during the plastication phase of injection molding often leads to irreversible changes in the rheological properties of the material. These changes are not apparent in the viscosity data measured using standard test methods due to differences in melt preparation conditions. As a result, the accuracy of filling and packing simulations can be strongly dependent on the test method used to establish the viscosity data. This paper describes the role of plastication in the rheology of thermoplastics, and the consequences for software simulations of injection molding