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Rheology and Testing of Polymers Lab: Experiment No. - 5
Rheology and Testing of Polymers Lab: Experiment No. - 5
Rheology and Testing of Polymers Lab: Experiment No. - 5
of Polymers lab
EXPERIMENT NO. -5
EXPERIMENT NO. - 5
Object: Determination of
melt flow index of polymer
material.
Equipment: M F I Tester
Standards
ASTM D1238 – Standard Test Method for
Melt Flow Rates for Thermoplastics
ISO 1133 – Determination of Melt Mass
Flow Rate (MFR) and Melt Volume Flow
Rate (MVR) of Thermoplastics
ISO 1133 was updated in 2011 – it now
specifies tighter tolerances on the
temperature in the cylinder and on the
time duration over which the material is
subjected to that temperature.
MELT FLOW INDEX
The melt flow index (MFI) or melt
flow rate (MFR) is a measure for the
ease of flow of melted plastics.
It is often used in the plastic
industry for quality control of
thermoplastics.
It is defined as the mass of
polymer, in grams, flowing in
ten minutes through a capillary
of a specific diameter and length
by a pressure applied via
prescribed alternative
gravimetric weights for
alternative prescribed
temperatures.
Melt flow indexer
The is the most popular device
in the plastic industry to
determine material viscosities
and is often used to test batch-
to-batch consistency.
Melt flow indexer
Melt flow rate is very commonly used for
polyolefins, polyethylene being measured
at 190 °C and polypropylene at 230 °C.
The plastics engineer should choose a
material with a melt index high enough
that the molten polymer can be easily
formed into the article intended, but low
enough that the mechanical strength of
the final article will be sufficient for its
use.
Melt flow indices are often listed on
data sheets of thermoplastic
materials.
In general, a higher MFI indicates a
lower material viscosity, and when
comparing polymers of the same
class, a lower melt flow rate
corresponds to a higher molecular
weight and/or less branching.
Why is polymer testing required?
This testing method may seem very basic but is
the best technique to rank the polymer samples
as per its test results. Many polymer processors
give high importance to this evaluation based
ranking.
Moreover, medical device, food, and
pharmaceutical packaging manufacturers have
set polymer melt flow testing as their clearance
criteria for suppliers. They use the test results as
benchmarks to ensure that the material will
match the intended behavior during its
Scope
Melt Flow Rate measures the rate of extrusion of
thermoplastics through an orifice at a prescribed temperature
and load.
It provides a means of measuring flow of a melted material
which can be used to differentiate grades as with polyethylene,
or determine the extent of degradation of the plastic as a
result of molding.
Degraded materials would generally flow more as a result of
reduced molecular weight, and could exhibit reduced physical
properties. Typically, flow rates for a part and the resin it is
molded from are determined, and then a percentage
difference is calculated. Alternatively, comparisons between
"good" parts and "bad" parts may be of value.
The MFI test is used widely among the various
segments of the plastics industry. Resin
suppliers, for example, look for MFI
variations as a QC check to detect and
troubleshoot variations in their
polymerization and/or compounding
processes.
As part of their materials-inspection
procedures, some processors use the test to
determine the amounts of recycled material
that can be used in their product while still
maintaining end-product specifications.
Melt Flow Index Testing – Why it is
Important for Plastics?
What makes plastic so popular among people? Its
flexibility to fit into any application makes is the first
choice. It can be easily molded into any shape and
recycled. You can find polymers in the wide range of
colors, which eliminates the need to die according to
the application.
For instance, a toy manufacturer doesn’t have to do
the dying process because he can get colored
polymers. He just needs to mold it into different
shapes. Melt flow index is the property of the
plastic that which for of plastic is suitable for
which application. A Melt flow index
tester determines the flowing property of the
Why is it important to test
properties of molten plastic?
Viscosity is another property of plastic that is important to
measure to check its suitability of the product for the
particular application.
Plastic is often used after melting it down. A manufacturer
should know how his raw material would behave when he
actually starts processing it?
This would help him choose the best raw material for his
production line. There are huge resources available to
know what specification are required for which
applications. But you cannot know the exact values unless
you perform the test. For instance, you cannot judge the
melt flow index of polymer just by looking at it unless you
melt it to test it using a standardized machine.
What do you gain from melt flow
testing?
A typical index value for verifying in-house
material
Quality check of entrance materials
Comparison of new materials in a product
development setting
Evaluation tool for new material suppliers
Quick comparisons of batches of material
Estimation of flow properties for simple
extrusion processes
Predictions of how a polymer will behave in a
number of processing techniques
Importance of Melt Flow Index
Testing in Polymers
Polymers are used in manufacturing a wide range of
products.
A good quality polymer can bring profit and branding,
whereas low-quality polymer can bring safety issues, sales
loss, and downfall in branding.
Hence, an efficient polymer test method is used by
manufacturers to rank the polymer material by evaluating
its melt flow properties.
Significance
A small sample of about 5 grams is heated above its
melting or softening point and forced to flow through a
capillary using a piston actuated by a specified weight,
usually 2.16 kg or 5 kg.
The weight of melt in grams flowing through the
capillary in 10 minutes is the melt flow index.
In general, a higher MFI indicates a lower material
viscosity, and when comparing polymers of the same
class, a lower melt flow rate corresponds to a higher
molecular weight and/or less branching.
Procedure
A small amount of the polymer sample (around 4
to 5 grams) is taken in the specially designed MFI
apparatus. A die with an opening of typically
around 2 mm diameter is inserted into the
apparatus.
The material is packed properly inside the barrel
to avoid formation of air pockets.
A piston is introduced which acts as the medium
that causes extrusion of the molten polymer.
The sample is preheated for a specified
amount of time: 5 min at 190 °C
for polyethylene and 6 min at 230 °C
for polypropylene.
After the preheating a specified weight
is introduced onto the piston. Examples
of standard weights are 2.16 kg, 5 kg, etc.
The weight exerts a force on the molten
polymer and it immediately starts
flowing through the die.
A sample of the melt is taken after the
desired period of time and is weighed
accurately.
MFI is expressed in grams of polymer
per 10 minutes of duration of the test.
Results: The Melt Flow Index of the
given polymer sample is ------------- 0C