Selection of thermoforming polymers
Release time:
2025-02-19
As part of the product development process, engineers must qualitatively analyze the appearance of a component and its use environment, load, stress and life expectancy, and then determine the best balance of material properties, quality and cost.
In general, every thermoplastic polymer is suitable for thermoforming processes. These materials have elasticity, hardness and resistance when in a thermal environment, and their modulus changes under load. As the temperature rises beyond the thermal deformation temperature, the material becomes rubbery and has the critical temperature value for heat treatment of thermoplastic polymers.
Nevertheless, the selection of materials for specific applications should be mindful that no single material can fully meet the requirements of the standard, and there may be several optimal solutions, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Thermoformed materials can also be custom blended to improve one particular performance parameter, but this is usually to the detriment of another, less important performance in the project being developed. The material can also be reinforced to meet the requirements of specific parameters of the molding process and achieve higher product quality.
Selection basis
Appearance, mechanical properties and working environment play an important role in material selection and must be balanced to determine which performance characteristics are most important.
The appearance of the thermoformed part is its first opportunity to make a good impression. The material must be able to meet quality requirements in terms of surface uniformity, color, gloss and texture.
The material must meet the minimum requirements for impact strength, tensile strength, and creep resistance to meet the load requirements and service stress requirements during its expected life.
Thermal properties are critical, and the selection of a resin with substandard thermal properties is one of the most common causes of component failure. The material must meet thermal performance requirements throughout the desired temperature range. Low temperatures can make plastics brittle, while high temperatures can make them melt and deform.
Chemical resistance is another key factor in the selection of materials. The resin series can generally tolerate or not tolerate a variety of chemicals, such as acids or solvents, but there are some exceptions. Various substances that will be exposed during processing, assembly, packaging and actual use must be considered.
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