Thin-walled Micromolding

描述（由申请人提供）：目前，宏观和微观注塑行业之间存在严重脱节。制造商的聚合物材料数据表预测物理和机械性能，包括流动，不能预测0.020”厚度以下的性能。由于特性已被证明在薄壁应用中是非线性的，因此低于0.020”的数据可能无法准确预测。虽然有许多ASTM标准的材料性能表征的宏注射成型零件，没有存在的微成型。该方案的目标是预测聚合物材料在具有纳米体积特征的微腔中的流动。这一信息将加速薄壁（<0.010"）微注射成型零件的设计，用于许多商业应用。为了实现这一目标，我们将首先创建标准来评估壁厚<0.010"的材料的物理性能。这些同样的标准在描述材料科学的新改进或新工艺方面也很有用。在第一阶段，我们将开始研究和描述一个这样的过程。我们将比较“纯”和“处理”聚合物在薄壁微注塑样品生产中的性能。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Currently, there is a serious disconnect between macro and micro injection molding industry. Manufacturers' polymer material data sheets that predict the physical and mechanical properties including flow do not predict properties below 0.020" thickness.. Since properties have proven to be non-linear in thin-walled applications, data below 0.020" may not be able to be accurately predicted. Although there are numerous ASTM standards for material property characterization of macro injection molded parts, none exist for micro- molding. The goal of this proposal is to predict the flow of polymer materials into micro cavities with nano volume features. This information will accelerate the design of thin-walled (<0.010") micro injection moldable parts for numerous commercial applications. In order to achieve this goal we will start by creating standards to evaluate the physical properties of materials with wall thicknesses of <0.010". These same standards would be useful in characterizing new enhancements or processes in material science. In Phase I, we will begin to investigate and characterize one such process. We will compare "neat" to "treated" polymer performance in the production of thin-walled micro injection molded samples.