Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 15, 2025
05:32
A Soft Tooling Process Chain for Injection Molding of a 3D Component with Micro Pillars
Published on: August 4, 2018
12.6K
Influence Analysis of Modified Polymers as a Marking Agent for Material Tracing during Cyclic Injection Molding
Tom Eggers1, Sonja Marit Blumberg1, Frank von Lacroix1
1Volkswagen AG Wolfsburg, Berliner Ring 2, 38440 Wolfsburg, Germany.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|September 28, 2023
Summary
Modified polymers (MP) integrated into injection molding (IM) offer reliable traceability for recycled plastics. This marking technology ensures product data integrity and monitors polymer aging without affecting material properties.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science and Engineering
- Polymer Processing and Manufacturing
- Sustainable Plastics Technology
Background:
- Injection molding (IM) is a key polymer manufacturing technique facing challenges with increased use of recyclates.
- Economic and ecological drivers necessitate enhanced reliability, reproducibility, and verifiable recycling degrees in IM.
- Need for material identification and data storage in polymers to meet regulatory and quality control demands.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate modified polymers (MP) as an inherent marking technology within the injection molding process.
- To investigate the influence of MP on material process behavior and component properties.
- To assess the traceability of MP through the IM process and recycling stages.
Main Methods:
- Integration of modified polymers (MP) into the injection molding (IM) process.
- Experimental evaluation of MP's effect on material process behavior.
- Analysis of mechanical and thermal component properties.
- Investigation of MP traceability from virgin material to recycled products.
Main Results:
- Modified polymers (MP) showed no discernible influence on the investigated material, process, or component properties.
- Traceability of MP was confirmed from the initial material through the recycling process.
- The IM process combined with MP proved to be a feasible approach for reproducible manufacturing with high quality.
Conclusions:
- Modified polymers (MP) are suitable for inherent marking in injection molding, ensuring traceability and data integrity.
- This technology supports the use of recyclates by enabling verifiable recycling degrees and product monitoring.
- MP can effectively monitor the aging state of polymers during the injection molding and recycling lifecycle.
Keywords:
circular economyinjection moldingmarking agentmodified polymerspolymersprocess optimizationprocess predictabilityrecyclingtraceabilitytracingMore Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:14Polymer Classification: Architecture
2.8K
Polymers are classified as linear or branched on the basis of their chain architecture. The polymer chains in linear polymers have a long chain-like structure with minimal to no branching at all. Even if a polymer features large substituent groups on the monomer, which appear as branches to the skeleton, it is not considered a branched polymer. A branched polymer contains secondary polymer chains that arise from the main polymer chain. The branching occurs when the polymer growth shifts from...
2.8K
01:26Polymer Classification: Stereospecificity
2.5K
Polymerization generates chiral centers along the entire backbone of a polymer chain. Accordingly, the stereochemistry of the substituent group has a significant effect on polymer properties. Polymers formed from monosubstituted alkene monomers feature chiral carbons at every alternate position in the polymer backbone. Relative to the predominant orientation of substituents at the adjacent chiral carbons, the polymer can exist in three different configurations: isotactic, syndiotactic, and...
2.5K
01:17Ziegler–Natta Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview
3.3K
Ziegler–Natta polymerization is another form of addition or chain‐growth polymerization used for synthesizing linear polymers over branched polymers. The catalyst used for polymerization is the Ziegler–Natta catalyst, named after Karl Ziegler and Giulio Natta, who developed it in 1953. This catalyst is an organometallic complex of titanium tetrachloride and triethyl aluminum, with the active form of the catalyst being an alkyl titanium compound. Using the Ziegler–Natta...
3.3K
01:21Polymer Classification: Crystallinity
2.9K
Unlike ionic or small covalent molecules, polymers do not form crystalline solids due to the diffusion limitations of their long-chain structures. However, polymers contain microscopic crystalline domains separated by amorphous domains.
Crystalline domains are the regions where polymer chains are aligned in an orderly manner and held together in proximity by intermolecular forces. For example, chains in the crystalline domains of polyethylene and nylon are bound together by van der Waals...
Crystalline domains are the regions where polymer chains are aligned in an orderly manner and held together in proximity by intermolecular forces. For example, chains in the crystalline domains of polyethylene and nylon are bound together by van der Waals...
2.9K
01:20Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview
2.1K
The polymerization process that involves carbanion as an intermediate is called anionic polymerization. It is also a type of addition or chain-growth polymerization. Anionic polymerization gets initiated by a strong nucleophile such as an organolithium or a Grignard reagent. The most commonly used initiator for anionic polymerization is butyl lithium. Monomers involved in anionic polymerization must possess a vinyl group bonded to one or two electron-withdrawing groups. For instance,...
2.1K
01:08Molecular Weight of Step-Growth Polymers
2.2K
Step growth polymerization involves bi or multifunctional monomers. Bifunctional monomers react to form linear step growth polymers, whereas multifunctional monomers react to form non-linear or branched polymers.
As the step-growth polymerization involves step-wise condensation of monomers, the molecular weight also builds up eventually. Consequently, high molecular weight polymers are obtained at the late stages of the polymerization, where 99% of monomers have been consumed.
The extent of the...
As the step-growth polymerization involves step-wise condensation of monomers, the molecular weight also builds up eventually. Consequently, high molecular weight polymers are obtained at the late stages of the polymerization, where 99% of monomers have been consumed.
The extent of the...
2.2K