Hi everyone
I need 3 mm thick TPU sheets to advance the PhD thesis. I tried very hard to produce them by hot pressing method. But it was a very difficult and time consuming process. Unfortunately, I did not have the proper facilities and equipment.
Do you know of another more accessible and faster method that I can produce in our laboratory with a sheet 3 mm thick and with width of 5 cm and a length of 15 cm, for example.
From your statement that no proper equipment is available to you, it probably means that you don't have access to a sheet Extruder
That makes compression moulding your choice, I see you may have troubles if starting from pellets; it would help if you have access to a 2-roll mill (rubber processing equipment, but also exists in a cheaper form as a pasta making machine), heat the polymer pellets in an oven, roll them through the mill and then press the sheet in the mould.
Dear all, try solvent casting. RIM if any also is a solution. My Regards
Dear Ehsan,
We must agree that the chemistry of TPUs could be very different, while the number of TPU grades is extremely high. I have not totally understood :
a) if the TPU is produced by you in the frame of thesis (maybe it is not yet an optimal formulation!) or
b) you need only some plates of 3 mm thick (150 x30 x 3 mm3).
a) Based on my experience, the compression molding is a technique a lot used at laboratory scale, but it is needed to find the best processing conditions and to have a maximum of information about your TPU to prevent its degradation at temperature, by presence of moisture, etc.
Is it sure that this TPU has good characteristics?
b) You can order and buy plates of TPUs of 3mm and then to obtain the specimens required for your study. Take attention in the selection of TPU at the Shore hardness that is needed and at the requirements of application.
Unfortunately, I can’t to help you practically, because just…I’m retired !!!
Good luck in your study and best regards,
Marius
Abdelkader BOUAZIZ
I think it is not possible to produce a sheet with a minimum defect and a thickness of 3 mm using the solvent casting method. This method may be more suitable for thin sheets.
Could you please explain the RIM method more?
Ivan Ivanov
Thanks. pasta making machine is good idea but I'm not sure if I can do this with small diameter roller (about 25 mm) that they have. I should try it
RIM stands for 'Reaction Injection Molding', it is a well known process for polyurethane molding items. My Regards
https://reactioninjectionmolding.com/rim-process/
http://creativeurethanes.com/reaction-injection-molding-rim/
Another interesting document.
https://meridian.allenpress.com/rct/article-abstract/53/3/542/91280/Polyurethane-Reaction-Injection-Molding-Process?redirectedFrom=fulltext
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