Research Initiation: Fracture Characterizaton of Injection Molded Thermoplastic Elastomers

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This project deals with a novel molding method, namely, low thermal inertia mold (LTIM) of thermoplastic elastomers (TPE). The LTIM technique enables surfaces of the part to be heated and cooled rapidly using thermoelectric elements. The thermoplastic elastomers are unique in that they exhibit thermal reversibilities and rubbery mechanical properties. The objective of this project is to improve the fracture properties of molded TPE's through a systematic investigation of the effect of mold temperature on the fracture energy. The fracture properties will be correlated with the thermomechanical history of the processed TPE's using a computer simulation package known as 'C-flow', developed by Cornell University. Based on this correlation, the optimum mold temperature can be prescribed to yield the best fracture strength attainable. The LTIM can then aid in optimizing the fracture property by controlling the kinetics of solidification which govern the microstructure of the two-phase system and the overall anisotropy of the molded TPE part.