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Submicron laser‐textured vents for self‐cleaning injection molds
Author(s) -
Sorgato Marco,
Zanini Filippo,
Masato Davide,
Lucchetta Giovanni
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.49280
Subject(s) - wetting , materials science , clogging , mold , deposition (geology) , polymer , contact angle , composite material , degradation (telecommunications) , texture (cosmology) , condensation , chemical engineering , sediment , geology , paleontology , telecommunications , image (mathematics) , physics , archaeology , artificial intelligence , computer science , engineering , history , thermodynamics
Clogging of venting slots in injection molds is a common maintenance problem caused by the degradation and the accumulation of gaseous and volatiles by‐products of polymer melting. In this work, the effect of laser‐induced periodic surface structures on the self‐cleaning properties of venting slots is investigated. The degradation of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) over different surfaces is characterized by reproducing the mechanisms that occurs in mold cavities when the air is pushed through the venting channel. An imaging technique is developed for the quantification of the sediment that deposits on sample surfaces due to condensation of by‐products of PET melting. The experimental results indicate that the use of a multiscale texture minimizes the deposition of residues on the vent surface reducing it from 17.2 to 3.1%. A linear dependency between contact angle and clogging ratio indicates the efficacy of the model that explains vent self‐cleaning properties considering their wetting properties.