A Guide to Polyolefin Blow Molding Z Bellows-Shaped Shields and Doublewall Instrument and Tool Carrying Cases
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A Guide to Polyolefin Blow Molding z Bellows-shaped shields and doublewall instrument and tool carrying cases. Polyolefins for Blow Molding H H This book contains extensive Polyolefins are the most widely used information on polyolefin blow molding; plastic for blow molding. This book, “A C = C however, it makes no specific Guide to Polyolefin Blow Molding,” recommendations for the processing of contains general information LyondellBasell Chemicals’ resins for H H concerning materials, methods and specific applications. For more detailed equipment for producing high quality information, please contact your polyolefin blow molded products at LyondellBasell polyolefins sales optimum production rates. Figure 1. Ethylene monomer representative. molecular structure Blow-Moldable Polyolefins and Other Products from LyondellBasell Applications Chemicals offers an extensive range of Polyolefins that can be blow polyolefin resins, plus polyolefin-based molded include: tie-layer resins not only for blow z Low density polyethylene (LDPE) molding, but also for: z Linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) z Injection Molding z Medium density polyethylene z Film Extrusion (MDPE) z Extrusion Coating z High density polyethylene (HDPE) z Sheet and Profile Extrusion z Ethylene copolymers, such as H H H H H H H H H H z Wire and Cable Coating ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) z Rotational Molding and Powder z Polypropylene and propylene coating C C C C C C C C C C copolymers (PP) z Blending and Compounding In general, the advantages of z Flame Retardant Applications H H H H H H H H H H polyolefin blow molding resins are good z Pipe processability, light weight, good toughness, outstanding chemical LyondellBasell also produces Figure 2. Polyethylene molecular resistance and relatively low cost ethyl alcohol, ethyl ether, ethylene glycol and ethylene oxide. Information on all these chain. compared to other plastics. products also can be obtained from your Furthermore, the basic properties of LyondellBasell sales representative. polyolefins can be modified to cover a broad range of end use properties. Polyolefins can also be coextruded with various other polymers, including Polyolefins are ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH), nylon Thermoplastics Derived from and tie-layers, to produce multilayer containers with improved barrier Petrochemicals properties. Polyolefins are plastic resins Major application areas for polymerized from petroleum-based polyolefin in blow molded products gases. The two principal gases are H H include: ethylene and propylene: Ethylene is the principal raw material for making H H–C–H H H H H–C–H z Packaging for such products as milk and other foods, cleaning polyethylene and ethylene copolymer resins; propylene is the main ingredient C C C C C C fluids, medicines, cosmetics and personal care products for making polypropylene and propylene copolymer resins. H H H H–C–H H H z Automotive items, such as gas tanks, oil bottles and windshield Polyolefin resins are classified as thermoplastics, which means that they H fluid containers, air ducts and seat backs can be melted, solidified and melted z Consumer products, including toys, again. This contrasts with thermoset housewares and sporting goods resins which, once molded, can not be reprocessed. Figure 3. Polypropylene molecular z Objects for materials handling, including 55-gallon drums and Polyolefin resins for blow molding chain. chemical carboys generally are produced in pellet form. z Industrial products, such as The pellets are about one-eighth inch business machine fluid containers, long and one-eighth inch in diameter and are usually somewhat translucent 1 and water-white in color. Polyolefin molecular network where oxidation may resins sometimes will contain additives, occur. In some processing techniques such as thermal stabilizers. They can where high temperatures are reached, also be compounded with colorants, oxidation can adversely affect the antistats, UV stabilizers, etc. to meet polymer’s properties. specific end-use needs. Density Effects of Molecular Structure Polyolefin blow molded products The uses for polyolefin resins are have a mixture of crystalline and primarily determined by three basic amorphous areas. Molecular chains in properties. These are: crystalline areas are arranged somewhat parallel to each other. In z Average Molecular Weight amorphous areas, they are randomly z Molecular Weight Distribution arranged. This mixture of crystalline z Crystallinity, or Density and amorphous regions (Fig. 5) is necessary for the proper balance of These properties are essentially properties in good blow molded fixed by the catalyst technology and products. A totally amorphous polyolefin manufacturing process used to produce would be grease-like and have poor a specific grade of resin. physical properties; a totally crystalline The basic building blocks for the gases polymer would be very hard and brittle. from which polyolefins are derived are HDPE resins have molecular chains hydrogen and carbon atoms. For with comparatively few side branches. polyethylene, these atoms are Therefore, the molecular chains are combined to form the ethylene packed more closely together. The Figure 4. Polyethylene chain with monomer, CA, i.e., two carbon atoms result is crystallinity up to 95%. LDPE side branches. and four hydrogen atoms (see Fig. 1). resins generally are 60 to 75% In the polymerization process, the crystalline, while LLDPE resins’ double bond connecting the carbon crystallinity levels range from 60 to atoms is broken. Under the right 85%. PP resins are highly crystalline, conditions, these bonds reform with but they are not very dense. For other ethylene molecules to form long polyethylene, the higher the crystallinity, molecular chains (Fig. 2). The resulting the higher the resin density. Density is a product is polyethylene resin. primary indicator of the level of For polypropylene, the hydrogen crystallinity in a polyethylene. and carbon atoms are combined to Polyolefin blow molding resins have the form the propylene monomer, following density ranges: CH3CH:CH2, which has three carbon atoms and six hydrogen atoms (Fig. 3). • LLDPE resins have densities The third carbon atom remains pendant ranging from 0.910 to 0.940 grams and spirals regularly around the per cubic centimeter (g/CM3). backbone chains. • LDPE resins range from 0.916 to Ethylene copolymers, such as 0.925 (g/CM3) ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) are made by the polymerization of ethylene units • MDPE resins range from 0.926 to with randomly distributed comonomer 0.940 (g/CM3) groups, such as vinyl acetate (VA). • HDPE resins range from 0.941 to The polymerization of monomers 0.965 (g/CM3) creates a mixture of molecular chains • PP resins range from 0.890 to of varying lengths. Some are short, 0.905 (g/CM3) others enormously long, containing several hundred thousand monomer EVA copolymers’ densities are units. For polyethylene, the ethylene Figure 5. Crystalline (A) and functions of the proportion of vinyl chains have numerous side branches. amorphous (B) regions in acetate incorporated into the resin; as For every 1,000 ethylene units in the VA increases, density increases. polyolefin. molecular chain, there are about one to The density of polyethylene resins ten short or long branches. The influences numerous properties (Table branches radiate three-dimensionally 1). With increasing density, some (Fig. 4). properties, such as stiffness, are Branching affects many polymer enhanced, while others, such as properties, including density, hardness, environmental stress crack resistance flexibility and transparency. Chain and low temperature toughness, are branches also become points in the reduced toughness. 2 Molecular Weight Table 1: General Guide to the Effects of Polyolefin Physical Atoms of different elements, such Properties on Resin Mechanical Properties and as carbon, hydrogen, etc., have Processing. different atomic weights. For carbon, the atomic weight is 12, and for hydrogen, it is 1. Thus, the molecular Melt Index Density weight of the ethylene unit is the sum of Increases Increases its six atoms (2 carbon + 4 hydrogen) or 28. The molecular weight of an individual polymer molecule is the sum total of teh atomic weights of all Chemical Resistance Stays the Same Increases combined ethylene units. Every polyolefin resin consists of a Clarity Increases Decreases mixture of large and small chains, i.e., chains of high and low molecular Elongation at Break Decreases Decreases weights. The molecular weight of the polymer chain generally is in the Flexibility Stays the Same Decreases thousands. The average of these is called, quite appropriately, the average Gloss Improves Stays the Same molecular weight. As average molecular weight increases, resin Heat Resistance Decreases Increases toughness increases. The same holds (softening point) true for telongational properties and environmental stress crack resistance Impermeability to Gases/Liquids Stays the Same Increases (cracking brought on when a molded part is subjected to stresses in the Low Temperature Flexibiity Decreases Decreases presence of solvents, oils, detergents, etc.). Melt Viscosity Decreases Stays the Same Melt Index Melt Index (for polyethylene)and Mechanical Flex Life Decreases Decreases Melt Flow Rates (for Polypropylene) are an indirect, simple measurement of Stress Crack Resistance Decreases Decreases the polymer’s average molecular weight. Polyethylene resin melt index Tensile Strength at Break Decreases Increases is expressed in terms of