Injection Molding Vectra® Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP)
Transcription
Injection Molding Vectra® Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP)
Injection Molding Vectra® Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) Processing and Mold Design © 2013 Celanese LCP-007 AM 10/13 Celanese Maintains Leading Position in Engineered Materials Service temperature Engineering Polymers High-Performance Polymers (HPP) (TI1 > 150°C) Engineering Polymers (ETP) (TI1 90 – 150°C) Basic Polymers LCP – Vectra® /Zenite® PPS – Fortron® PCT – Thermx® PET – Impet® PBT – Celanex® PBT Alloy – Vandar® TPC-ET – Riteflex® POM – Hostaform®/Celcon® UHMW-PE – GUR® Long Fiber and Continuous Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastics* Amorphous LFRT – Celstran®, Factor ® Compel® CFR-TP – Celstran® Tapes, Rods and Profiles Partially crystalline TI1 = Temperature Index * with Matrix Polymers: PP, PA, PPS, PBT, POM and others on request © 2013 Celanese LCP-007 AM 10/13 Vectra® Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) 2 Liquid Crystal Polymers are Very Unique ► Melting range rather than sharp melt point and very low heat of fusion. ► High chain continuity, ordered molecular structure in both solid and melt phase. ► Flows extremely well under shear within the melting range. ► Inherently flame resistant. ► High heat deflection temperatures. ► Reinforcement reduced anisotropy increases load bearing capability. © 2013 Celanese LCP-007 AM 10/13 Vectra® Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) 3 LCP vs Semi-Crystalline Polymer Vectra® LCP maintains same molecular order in both the melt and solid phase. Nematic Liquid Crystal Random Coil Melt Extrusion Solid State Extended chain Structure ► High Chain Continuity ► High Mechanical Properties ► Inherent Property Anisotropy © 2013 Celanese LCP-007 AM 10/13 Lamellar Structure ► Low Chain Continuity ► Lower Mechanical Properties Vectra® Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) 4 Vectra® LCP– A History of Innovation 340 S resin (S135) HDT@ 1.8 MPa, °C 320 300 T resin (T130) 280 J resin (30% GF) Ei resin (E130i) 260 C resin (C130) 240 A resin (A130) L resin (L130) 220 200 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 Continuous Innovation to Meet Customer Needs © 2013 Celanese LCP-007 AM 10/13 Vectra® Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) 5 The Heat Deflection Temperature vs. Tm 30-35% Glass Reinforced Grades Reflow Peak Temp 350 DTUL/A @ 1.8 MPa 330 310 290 Vectra S135 PPA 270 PPS Vectra E130i PA HTN PA 46 250 Reflow Peak Temp PCT Vectra A130 230 210 240 260 280 300 320 340 360 380 Melting Temperature °C Reflow Peak Temperature is a Big Factor for Part Failure © 2013 Celanese LCP-007 AM 10/13 Vectra® Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) 6 Vectra® LCP Products Fillers and reinforcements – to match performance with application needs Filler Reinforcement Effect(s) Fiberglass Stiffness and strength Carbon fiber Enhanced stiffness and strength Mixed fillers/fibers Wear resistance and stiffness Mineral fillers Flatness and surface appearance Graphite flake Wear and chemical resistance Carbon black Electrostatic dissipation Proprietary fillers Improved platability Pigments Color concentrates © 2013 Celanese LCP-007 AM 10/13 Vectra® Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) 7 Vectra® LCP Grades Glass Fiber A115 A130 A150 Carbon Fiber A230 D3 Fiber / Filler A430 FDA A435 FDA E130i E150i E480i E130G S135 E440i E 463i /E471i E473i E488i S471 S475 E540i Mineral Graphite A625 Conductive A700 A725 A230-D3 J540 S540 S625 E820i Pd E830i Pd E840i LDS Plateable Unreinforced A950 LCP Alloy Blend V140 V143 XL V143 LC HDT Increases © 2013 Celanese LCP-007 AM 10/13 Vectra® Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) 8 Spiral Flow vs. Other Resins (30-40% GF) Vectra E130i PPS PCT PPA PET FR 0 50 100 150 Spiral Flow (Inches) Each molded at manufacturer’s recommended conditions and three injection pressures normalized to 30K psi. Cavity thickness = 0.125 in. High Flow = Thinner Walls and Complex Parts © 2013 Celanese LCP-007 AM 10/13 Vectra® Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) 9 Dimensional Stability Stable dimensions after exposure to surface mount technology temperatures (reflow soldering) ► Change of length vs. 4.149-inch tool dimension ► SIMM molded at manufacturer’s recommended conditions ► SMT simulated by hot oil bath exposure at 260°C 4.5 SHRINKAGE (mils/inch) 4 As molded SMT @ 260°C 3.5 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 0.5 0 Vectra E130i PPS 40GF PPS 40GF HF PPA 33GF V0 HTN 35GF V0 Dimensional Variations Can Cause Contact Failure © 2013 Celanese LCP-007 AM 10/13 Vectra® Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) 10 Water Absorption Cross section of blistering sample (connector housing) Water Absorption (ppm) 40000 LCP GF30 35000 Water Absorption (ppm) LCP GF30 PPS GF40 PA9T GF33 PA9T GF33 PA6TGF30 PA46 GF40 30000 25000 20000 15000 10000 5000 0 40000 PPS GF40 PA6TGF30 20 40 PA46 GF40 60 Time (hours) 80 100 Condition: 60°C; 95%RH 35000 30000 25000 20000 15000 10000 5000 0 20 40 60 80 Time (hours) Condition: 35°C; 85%RH 100 PA 6T GF30FR PA 46 GF30FR Condition: 40°C; 95%RH; 96 hrs; IR Reflow @ 265°C High Water Absorption + Temp = Quality and Reliability Problems © 2013 Celanese LCP-007 AM 10/13 Vectra® Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) 11 Automotive E&E Technology MID/LDS High Performance Connectors LCP Cookware Electronic Packaging Medical Tech Fibers © 2013 Celanese LCP-007 AM 10/13 Vectra® Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) 12 Challenges on Materials for Interconnects Trends in Interconnects Typical Design for Interconnects Lead-free soldering (ROHS and WEEE) Material Requirements Higher heat resistance High flow Improved flatness Miniaturization (complex, thinner) Stronger weldlines Higher frequency Electrical properties V-0 Halogen free © 2013 Celanese LCP-007 AM 10/13 Agency compliance Vectra® Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) 13 Challenges in Materials for Electronics Halogen-Free Materials Elimination of Halogen Flame Retardants Must Have Both Properties High Temperature Halogen-Free Polymers Increased Thermal Stability to Meet Lead-Free Soldering Requirements Lead-Free Soldering Process RoHS and WEEE © 2013 Celanese LCP-007 AM 10/13 Vectra® Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) 14 Molding Processing Recommendations ► Drying ► General Processing Guidelines ► Equipment ► Additional Considerations © 2013 Celanese LCP-007 AM 10/13 Vectra® Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) 15 Molding Drying Conditions ► LCP resins must be dried before molding to reduce the possibility of hydrolytic degradation. ► Dry LCP at 150 - 170°C for a minimum of 6 hours; overnight drying of LCP is preferred. Drying for up to 24 hours is acceptable and will not harm LCP. ► A dehumidified hopper dryer must be capable of maintaining -40°C dew point. Insure that filter element is clean and there is good air flow (>1 ft/sec. space velocity across the surface of pellets). Hopper dryers with dual desiccant cartridges (one active while the other is regenerated) are highly recommended for all grades. High Performance Applications Require Attention to Details © 2013 Celanese LCP-007 AM 10/13 Vectra® Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) 16 Molding Processing Temperatures Processing Temperatures in °C 1 2 3 4 D M W1, W2 A Series Ei Series S Series 270 to 280 315 to 325 330 to 350 275 to 285 315 to 325 340 to 360 280 to 290 325 to 335 345 to 365 285 to 295 335 to 345 355 to 370 290 to 300 335 to 345 355 to 370 285 to 295 335 to 345 360 to 370 80 to 120 80 to 120 80 to 120 Note: Processing conditions for V143XL / LC same as for Ei series © 2013 Celanese LCP-007 AM 10/13 Vectra® Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) 17 Molding Molding Variables – Injection Pressure. Molding by position transfer or pressure transfer is preferred using high injection speed. Data acquisition equipment and pressure transducers in the tool to monitor process is recommended "E130i Lot 1HMV" Lot 2 "E130i" Typical processing conditions Max. residence time in barrel If possible <5 min, typically 3-5 min (depends on temperature) Injection pressure PSP = 50 to 150 MPa Holding pressure PN ~ PSp Back pressure PSt < 10 bar Screw speed ns = vs/d · π Vs (periph. velocity of screw) ~ 0.1 to 0.3 m/s Injection speed Very high Nozzle Open or shut off nozzle © 2013 Celanese LCP-007 AM 10/13 1.5 1.55 1.6 1.65 1.7 1.75 1.8 1.85 1.9 Screw Retraction Time, s Data acquisition recommended to monitor process and quality control. Vectra® Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) 18 Molding Molding Variables – Injection Pressure ► Melting range rather than sharp melt point. Low heat of fusion results in very fast cure and cycle times. Typical cure time is a few seconds with a cycle time range of 4 to 13 seconds for small part molding (depending on cavitation). Very Low Heat of Fusion – The solid and nematic fluid phases have very similar structure. © 2013 Celanese LCP-007 AM 10/13 Vectra® Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) 19 Molding Molding Variables Injection Speed vs. Flow Length (0.1 mm Test Bar) Injection speed is a function of shear 30 Vectra E130i Flow Length (mm) 25 20 Low MV at high shear ► Long flow length ► Minimize filling pressure 15 10 PPS 40% GF 5 0 0 50 100 150 200 250 Injection Speed (mm/sec) © 2013 Celanese LCP-007 AM 10/13 Vectra® Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) 20 Molding Injection Molding Equipment ► Reciprocating screw injection molding machines: ‒ Barrel utilization 10-35% of machine capacity. For complex/critical designs increase barrel utilization between 20-50% of machine capacity. (Note: short consistent SRT is critical) ► Screw design guidelines: ‒ Feed zone: 1/2 of screw length ‒ Compression zone: 1/4 of screw length ‒ Metering zone: 1/4 of screw length ‒ L/D ratio: 16:1 to 24:1 ‒ Compression ratio: 2.5:1 to 3.5:1 ‒ Optimum clearance between screw and barrel ‒ 0.0015″ per side ► Nozzle tip: ‒ Reverse taper, small orifice diameter, 1.5 to 2.5 mm depending on grade and material selection ‒ Heater band with independent temperature controller ► Check ring – must hold 1 to 3 mm cushion ► Clamping systems – toggle or hydraulic system ‒ Clamp force – 2.0 to 3.5 tons per square inch cavity area depending on wall thickness © 2013 Celanese LCP-007 AM 10/13 Vectra® Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) 21 Molding Purging ► Switching from another material: ‒ Purge the material out of the machine with low MFI HDPE, then raise temperatures for molding Vectra LCP. ‒ Begin molding when material is flowing cleanly from the nozzle. ‒ Switching between grades of Vectra LCP: ‒ One grade of Vectra LCP can be used to purge another without using a purge compound. When the new grade is flowing cleanly, begin molding. ► Shutting down a machine: ‒ It is necessary to purge with another material if Vectra LCP is molded when machine is reheated. ‒ If a different polymer is to be molded, purge with HDPE. ‒ If the screw is to be pulled, purging with purge compound or HDPE is suggested. © 2013 Celanese LCP-007 AM 10/13 Vectra® Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) 22 Molding Regrind Extremely stable to reprocessing, 50% regrind UL listing. (Seven pass regrind study) ► Grinding process ‒ Hot feed ‒ Slow speed, shear cutter ‒ Close tolerance cutter* ‒ Closed loop system preferred * Per manufacturer specifications Note: Regrind must be dried before molding if not used in a closed loop system. Allow two hours longer than drying conditions recommended for the virgin material. © 2013 Celanese LCP-007 AM 10/13 Vectra® Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) 23 Molding Key Processing Tips ► Dry Vectra LCP grades < .01 percent and use on-line dehumidified hopper dryer. ► Use close tolerance screw and barrel. ► Inspect check valve for wear on a routine basis. ► Use press with good process control. ► Data acquisition and pressure transducers are best. ► Use independent nozzle heater control. ► Decompression < 3mm – none is preferred. ► Do not use sprue break. ► Use fast injection speed and moderate screw speed. ► Verify melt temperature is within the suggested range. © 2013 Celanese LCP-007 AM 10/13 Vectra® Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) 24 Part Design Part and Mold Design ► Runner Design ► Venting Design ► Additional Considerations © 2013 Celanese LCP-007 AM 10/13 Vectra® Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) 25 Part Design Recommended Runner Design for Vectra LCP Traditional Design ► Larger gates and runners area easier to fill ► Full round runner is best ► Cold-slugs wells ► Straight geometry ► Venting added before first shots Recommended Design ► Smaller is better ► Modified Trapezoid is best ► Remove cold-slug wells ► Curvy geometry ► Venting of the cavity added after first shots is critical and will lower the pressure to fill the cavity Why? Insulated by one piece of steel vs. two (easier to control temperature). It also removes potential errors by only cutting one half of the tool. © 2013 Celanese LCP-007 AM 10/13 Vectra® Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) 26 Part Design Runner Sizes Traditional Runner Design ► Runner sizes started around 0.200″ (5.1 mm) ► Large runner sizes with E-Series cause too much pressure loss in the runner system. When the material reaches the part, there’s not enough pressure to push it into the intricacies of the design. © 2013 Celanese LCP-007 AM 10/13 Recommended Runner Design ► Runner sizes start around 0.060″ (1.5mm) and stepping down 0.010″ (0.25 mm) at each split. ► The reduction of runner size, properly sized, adds shear in a controlled manner to a material that thrives on shear. ► It also keeps the material flowing with a constant pressure (without pressure drops). The material shear increases the heat in the runner system. ► All steps must be smoothly transitioned to eliminate any sudden pressure drops. Vectra® Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) 27 Part Design Runner Design Traditional Runner ► Imbalanced flow, doubled cavitation adds shear Preliminary 24-Cavity Runner Design © 2013 Celanese LCP-007 AM 10/13 Improved Solution ► Balanced flow, improved quality Recommended 24-Cavity Runner Design Vectra® Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) 28 Part Design Venting Design ► Since LCP has very low shrinkage, polish vent lands in cavity, polish runner and runner vents and allow adequate draft to aid mold release. ► Add abundant inserts so venting and wall thickness can be adjusted to balance flow without recutting the tool. ► Create short shots to help locate vent (size and depth) location. ‒ Place vents where dark flow lines appear in the part. ‒ Increase venting for runners until flash appears in the land area. © 2013 Celanese LCP-007 AM 10/13 Vectra® Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) 29 Part Design Gate Design ► Typical runner/gate: ‒ Conventional cold runner ‒ Hot runner with cold sub-runner ‒ Direct hot runner (Ø as small as possible) ► Very narrow runner cross sections ► ► ► ► (round, trapezoidal, half-round) for high shear (and material saving) Gate usually at the front (in the main stress direction) As few gates as possible, preferably one Usually a pin gate, for flat components also a film gate, small dimensions (e.g., Ø 0.3 - 0.5 mm) Avoid sharp corners and edges (external radii 1.5 x s, internal radii 0.5 x s) Gates and Runner are Very Important Component of the Part Design © 2013 Celanese LCP-007 AM 10/13 Vectra® Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) 30 Part Design Redesigned sprue and runner and resolved knit line, gassing and bow issues. © 2013 Celanese LCP-007 AM 10/13 Vectra® Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) 31 Part Design Flex Modulus vs. Wall Thickness for Vectra E130i 30000 E130i 25000 MPa 20000 15000 10000 5000 0 0 © 2013 Celanese LCP-007 AM 10/13 1 2 3 Thickness, mm Vectra® Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) 4 5 32 Part Design Mechanical properties are proportionally better in thinner wall sections than thick ones. Effect of wall thickness on rigidity (Vectra E130i Natural ) 250 Tensile strength 200 150 100 50 0 4mm 3.2mm 1.6mm 0.8mm 0.7mm 0.6mm Thickness of the test bar Uniform Wall Thickness Will Improve Mechanical Performance © 2013 Celanese LCP-007 AM 10/13 Vectra® Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) 33 Vectra® LCP Selection Criteria ► Thermal requirements. Lead free ‒ Heat deflection temperature (HDT/A) 300°C ‒ Impact strength, even at cryogenic temperatures ‒ Very low coefficient of thermal expansion ► Non-stick or friction requirements ‒ Minimal wear with low coefficient of friction ► Chemical resistance ► Low outgassing ► Sterilization resistance ‒ Resistant to all sterilization methods: hot steam, radiation or chemical ► Flammability requirements ‒ Inherently flame-retardant UL-V0 ► Biological compatibility ► Easy flowing ‒ Fills long, thin-walled moldings ► Output rate ‒ Fast cycles ‒ High replication accuracy ► Dimensional requirements ‒ Very low mold shrinkage ‒ Excellent shape retention throughout the service temperature range ‒ Dimensionally stable because of low water absorption ► Mechanical property requirements ‒ High strength in thin-walled designs ► Barrier properties ‒ Minimal fuel, H2, O2 and H2O permeability Meet Two or More Requirements, Vectra LCP Can Be a Solution © 2013 Celanese LCP-007 AM 10/13 Vectra® Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) 34 Thank you. Questions? For Additional Information Contact: Cory Pierson, Field Technical Service Cory.pierson@ticona.com Edson Ito, Vectra® LCP Technical Marketing Edson.ito@ticona.com © 2013 Celanese LCP-007 AM 10/13 Contact Information Disclaimer This publication was printed on 1 October, 2013 based on Celanese’s present state of knowledge, and Celanese undertakes no obligation to update it. Because conditions of product use are outside Celanese’s control, Celanese makes no warranties, express or implied, and assumes no liability in connection with any use of this information. Nothing herein is intended as a license to operate under or a recommendation to infringe any patents. Copyright © 2013 Celanese or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Americas 8040 Dixie Highway, Florence, KY 41042 USA Product Information Service t: +1-800-833-4882 t: +1-859-372-3244 Customer Service t: +1-800-526-4960 t: +1-859-372-3214 e: info-engineeredmaterials-am@celanese.com Europe Am Unisys-Park 1, 65843 Sulzbach, Germany Product Information Service t: +(00)-800-86427-531 t: +49-(0)-69-45009-1011 e: info-engineeredmaterials-eu@celanese.com Asia 4560 Jinke Road, Zhang Jiang Hi Tech Park Shanghai 201203 PRC Customer Service t: +86 21 3861 9266 f: +86 21 3861 9599 e: info-engineeredmaterials-asia@celanese.com © 2013 Celanese LCP-007 AM 10/13 Vectra® Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) 36 Typical Design Checklist 1. What is the function of the part? 2. What is the expected lifetime of the part? 3. What agency approvals are required? (UL, FDA, USDA, NSF, USP, SAE, MIL spec) 4. What electrical characteristics are required and at what temperatures? 5. What temperature will the part see? And, for how long? 6. What chemicals will the part be exposed to? 7. Is moisture resistance necessary? 8. How will the part be assembled? Can parts be combined into one plastic part? 9. Is the assembly going to be permanent or one time only? 10. Will adhesives be used? Some resins require special adhesives. 11. Will fasteners be used? Will threads be molded in? © 2013 Celanese LCP-007 AM 10/13 Vectra® Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) 37 Typical Design Checklist 12. Does the part have a snap fit? Glass filled materials will require more force to close the snap fit, but will deflect less. 13. Will the part be subjected to impact? If so, radius the corners. 14. Is surface appearance important? If so, beware of weld lines, parting line, ejector location, and gate vestige. 15. What color is required for the part? Is a specific match required or will the part be color coded? Some glass or mineral filled materials do not color as well as unfilled materials. 16. Will the part be painted? Is a primer required? Will the part go through a high temperature paint oven? 17. Is weathering or UV exposure a factor? 18. What are the required tolerances? Can they be relaxed to make molding more economical? 19. What is the expected weight of the part? Will it be too light (or too heavy)? 20. Is wear resistance required? 21. Does the part need to be sterilized? With what methods (chemical, steam, radiation)? © 2013 Celanese LCP-007 AM 10/13 Vectra® Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) 38 Typical Design Checklist 22. Will the part be insert molded or have a metal piece press fit in the plastic part? Both methods result in continuous stress in the part. 23. Is there a living hinge designed in the part? Be careful with living hinges designed for crystalline materials such as acetal. 24. What loading and resulting stress will the part see? And, at what temperature and environment? 25. Will the part be loaded continuously or intermittently? Will permanent deformation or creep be an issue? 26. What deflections are acceptable? 27. Is the part moldable? Are there undercuts? Are there sections that are too thick or thin? 28. Will the part be machined? 29. What is the worst possible situation the part will be in? (For example, the part may be outside for an extended period of time and intermittently put in water, or the part may see a constant high load while submerged in gasoline at 150°F.) Parts should be tested in the worst case environment. © 2013 Celanese LCP-007 AM 10/13 Vectra® Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCP) 39