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Development of an Ultrasonic Method for the Quality Control of Polyethylene Tanks Manufactured Using Rotational
Vitaliy Tyukanko1, Alexandr Demyanenko1, Vladislav Semenyuk1
1Department of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Manash Kozybayev North Kazakhstan University, Petropavlovsk 150000, Kazakhstan.
Polymers
|May 27, 2023
Summary
Ultrasonic signals effectively assess polyethylene tank quality, distinguishing sintering degrees and plastic brands. Tank wall thickness did not significantly impact results, but temperature changes did.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Non-destructive Testing
- Polymer Engineering
Background:
- Rotational molding is a common technique for producing polyethylene tanks.
- Quality control of these tanks is crucial for ensuring product integrity and performance.
- Existing methods may not fully capture variations in material properties and manufacturing processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effectiveness of ultrasonic signal (USS) analysis for quality control of rotational polyethylene tanks.
- To differentiate between various polyethylene brands, sintering degrees, and their impact on USS parameters.
- To develop a reliable method for assessing tank quality based on ultrasonic properties.
Main Methods:
- Exploration of polyethylene tanks from three brands (DOW, ELTEX, M350) with varying sintering degrees (normal, incomplete, thermally degraded) and thicknesses.
- Analysis of ultrasonic signal parameters, including amplitude and harmonic analysis (specifically the third harmonic, β).
- Correlation of USS parameters with temperature and material properties, including the derivation of equations and nomograms.
Main Results:
- Tank wall thickness showed no statistically significant effect on USS parameters.
- Increased temperature led to a decrease in USS parameters.
- The ELTEX brand exhibited distinct temperature stability compared to DOW and M350.
- Incomplete sintering (ICS) was identified by a lower bottom signal amplitude.
- Analysis of the third harmonic (β) accurately distinguished between the three sintering degrees (NS, ICS, TDS) with ~95% accuracy.
Conclusions:
- Ultrasonic signal analysis, particularly the third harmonic amplitude, is a viable method for quality control of rotational polyethylene tanks.
- The developed method can differentiate between polyethylene brands and assess sintering quality.
- This research provides a foundation for a new ultrasonic-based quality control technique for rotational molded tanks.
