Project

Sustainable injection moulding of thermoplastic polymers and composites

Code
bof/baf/4y/2024/01/928
Duration
01 January 2024 → 31 December 2025
Funding
Regional and community funding: Special Research Fund
Research disciplines
  • Engineering and technology
    • Materials recycling and valorisation
    • Polymer processing
    • Polymer recycling
    • Polymers and plastics
Keywords
sustainablilty injection molding composites plastics circularity modelling recycling
 
Project description

Conventional injection molding has limitations in scope of integration within sustainable processing, both at level of process stability and end-product quality. Within this project, focus will be on processing of polyolefins and its composite blends, both virgin and industrial and post-consumer recycled waste streams. Combining modelling tools and experimental validation will offer in-depth understanding of opportunities to optimize conventional injection molding processes, considering complexity of sustainable resources. Flow simulation modelling will predict process parameters based on their macromolecular structure. This comprises integration of blend-related characteristics (i.e. rheological behavior, physical chemical analysis). Derived parameters will be applied at injection molding equipment to evaluate end-product using characterization techniques such as morphology, thermal analysis and mechanical characteristics.