Morphological zones and orientation in injection‐molded polyethylene

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Abstract
The properties of injection‐molded plastics parts are affected by resin properties, molding geometry, and molding conditions. The thermomechanical history, which results from the interactions between resin properties and molding conditions, controls the development of microstructure within the article. In turn, the microstructure controls the ultimate behavior of injection‐molded parts. Morphology and orientation and their distributions are among the most important microstructural characteristics affecting the ultimate mechanical and physical behavior of molded articles. This work summarizes some of the results of an extensive experimental and theoretical program to study the factors affecting the development of morphology and orientation in injection‐molded polyethylene. In particular, various experimental techniques are employed to study the distribution of morphology and orientation in simple moldings and to relate these characteristics to resin properties and molding variables. Furthermore, an attempt is made to employ mathematical models to explain and predict some of the observed phenomena especially in relation to the distribution of morphological zones in the molding. It appears that model predictions are in good agreement with experimental results.