Plastic Material Selection and Testing

Date: October 27-28, 2009 (AP8416)

Time: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Cost: $860 USD -- Save $100 by taking with "Plastic Part Failure Analysis." Both courses only $1,295 USD ($100 savings).

CEU's: 1.5

Instructor: Michael Sepe

Location: Akron Polymer Training Center, Akron, OH, 44325-5405

Course Overview: This course defines the fundamentals that determine plastic properties; short-term and long-term property evaluations, property modifications, establishing the cost/performance profile and selecting a material supplier.

Course Outline:

1. Defining the fundamentals that determine plastic properties

• Molecular weight - the foundation of polymer technology  
  • The relationship to viscosity 
  • The relationship to properties 
  • Methods of measurement 
  • New technologies that change the rules  
• Methods of polymerization - addition and condensation polymers 
  • Effect on properties 
  • Effect on processing  
• Polarity - Why nylon absorbs water but not gasoline 
• Amorphous and semi-crystalline polymers - the one thing you must know about polymer structure  
  • Detecting the presence of crystalline structure  
  • Effects on processing  
  • Effects on properties  
  • The role of polymer blend  

2. Property Evaluations - Short-term

• Tensile, flexural, and compressive properties  
• Impact properties - various methods of measurement  
• Thermal properties  
• Other properties - chemical resistance, optical, radiation resistance 
• Why the data sheet properties do not work for material selection  
• The behavior behind the numbers  
• The role of material property databases and selection utilities  

3. Property Evaluations - Long-term

• Effects of temperature  
  • Reduction in strength and stiffness at elevated temperatures 
  • Dimensional stability 
  • Structural changes due to thermal aging 
  • Thermal degradation and oxidation  
  • Loss of ductility at reduced temperatures
• Chemical resistance - effects of temperature and time
• Creep resistance, stress relaxation, and fatigue 
  • Defining the mechanisms 
  • Data presentation
  • Accelerated testing methods - advantages and pitfalls
• The fundamental equivalence of temperature and time
• Environmental stress crack resistance - the differences from chemical attack
• Radiation resistance - weathering, ultraviolet, sterilization  

4. Property Modifications   

• Fillers and reinforcements  
  • Glass fibers - the long and the short of it
  • Minerals - talc, mica, calcium carbonate and the new nanocomposites  
  • High performance fibers
  • What gets used where and why
• Impact modifiers
• Colorants
• Stabilizers - importance to processing and part performance

5. Establishing the Cost/Performance Profile    

• Defining application requirements
• Matching requirements to a cost-effective material family
• Design properties versus inherent properties
• Designing for manufacturing - wall thickness, viscosity & process selection
• The role of simulation

6. Selecting a Material Supplier

• Sampling versus sustained performance
• Quality systems and audits
• Technical support
• Majors versus independent compounders
• The role of distribution

7. Case Studies - Successes and Failures

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