International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer 35 (2008) 991–994

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International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer

j o u r n a l h o m e p a g e : w w w. e l s e v i e r. c o m / l o c a t e / i c h m t

Using thermally insulated polymer film for mold temperature control to improve
surface quality of microcellular injection molded parts☆
Hui-Li Chen a,⁎, Rean-Der Chien b,c, Shia-Chung Chen d,e
a
Department of Computer Application Engineering, Far East University, Tainan 74448, Taiwan, ROC
b
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Nanya Institute of Technology, Chung-Li 32024, Taiwan, ROC
c
R & D Center for Mold and Molding Technology, Chung Yuan Christian University, Chung-Li 32023, Taiwan, ROC
d
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chung Yuan Christian University, Chung-Li 32023, Taiwan, ROC
e
R & D Center for Membrane Technology, Chung Yuan University, Chung-Li 32023, Taiwan, ROC

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Available online 10 June 2008 Microcellular injection molding provides many advantages over conventional foams and their unfoamed
counterparts, but its applications are limited by visible surface quality problems such as silver streaks and
Keywords: swirl marks. In this study, a mold temperature control method was proposed which a thermally insulated
In-mold decoration composite polymer film (82%PET + 18%PC) stick on the surface of mold core is used to achieve heat transfer
Microcellular
delay at the plastic's melt–mold surface interface during the microcellular injection molding process to
Variable mold temperature
improve surface quality of molded parts. Effect of film thickness on the part surface quality, was also
Surface quality
Flow marks investigated using surface roughness measurements and visual inspection of the molded parts. It was found
that the surface quality of parts can be greatly improved without a significant increase in cycle time when
comparing with parts molded without polymer film. The surface roughness can decreases from 5.6 to 1.8 μm
when polymer film thickness increases from 0.125 to 0.188 mm. Meanwhile, the flow marks of gas bubbles on
the part surface can be removed completely at film thickness of 0.188 mm. The usefulness by stick a polymer
film on the surface of mold core for mold temperature control in improving part surface quality during
microcellular injection molding has been successfully demonstrated.
© 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction The advantages of microcellular structures have attracted sig-

Plastic foaming technology was developed several decades ago and
is widely used in commercial applications. The products made using
this process offer many advantages such as sound absorption,
insulation, light weight, a reduction of shrinkage, and the avoidance
of sink marks, etc. can be obtained through it formed small bubbles in
the plastic products. This technology also allows for production within
closer part tolerances and, in some cases, a shortened cooling. Despite
these advantages, the applications using standard foaming techniques
have been limited by low mechanical strength as well as the large size
and the non-uniformity of the bubble cells. Nevertheless, when the
microcellular foaming technology was developed by Martini et al., it
presented new possibilities in the plastic foaming field [1]. This new
technology offered a method to repossess the mechanical strength
loss and the lack of uniformity of those cells by conventional foaming
methods [2].
☆ Communicated by W. J. Minkowycz.
⁎ Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: allie819@ms27.hinet.net, hlchen@cc.feu.edu.tw (H.-L. Chen).
nificant attention from the polymer association and led to the
development of various microcellular foaming processes such as
thermoforming [3], extrusion [4,5], injection molding [6–9], and
others. The microcellular injection molding process is one of the most
promising methods among those developed and was first commer-
cialized by Trexel, Inc. [9]. In this process, the inert gas blowing agents
such as nitrogen (N2) or carbon dioxide (CO2) are first injected into the
machine barrel and dissolved into a polymer melt to create a single
phase polymer/gas solution. This is followed by cavity filling, which
creates millions of micron sized voids within the solidified parts. This
process produces parts with a microcellular structure using lower
injection pressures and shorter cycle times while eliminating the need
for a packing stage and improving the dimensional stability of the
molded parts. Therefore, it is now being widely used for commercial
purposes throughout the world, and its market is now growing
rapidly.
Despite all of the advantages of microcellular foam injecting
molding, it is not a panacea for solving all problems encountered in
conventional foam injection molding. There are light-scattering or
strip-type flow marks (e.g. bright sliver streaks or swirl marks) that
appear on the microcellular foam injecting molded part surface. This

0735-1933/$ – see front matter © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2008.04.017
992 H.-L. Chen et al. / International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer 35 (2008) 991–994
affects both part clarity and aesthetics and limits this technology to
applications involving interior products, in spite of the various merits
of the process [10,11]. The cause of the flow marks generated on the
surface of foamed injection molded parts is a complicated issue. Cha
and Yoon et al. [12,13] pointed out that swirl marks are caused by the
gas that is trapped on the mold surface as the plastic/gas solution
begins to solidify. The disturbances that the trapped gas causes form
grooves on the part surface. Silver streaks are oriented in the direction
of the flow path. Michaeli and Cramer [14] reported that silver streaks
result from macroscopic gas bubbles, which are sheared on the cavity
wall during the filling phase. Their fragmentation leads to many small
microscopic gas bubbles causing dents in the surfaces of foamed parts.
The different light reflection properties of those dents appear as silver
shining streaks on the surface of the parts.
There have been many trials to eliminate the surface trouble of
foamed products through mold and process technology. Through the
setting of appropriate process parameters the surface qualities can
only be improved within certain limits. New research shows that
different process variants of foam injection molding such as breathing
molds, gas-counterpressure, structured the cavity surface can increase
the surface quality effectively [14]. Besides these, Cha and Yoon et al.
[12,13] proposed that the temperature at the moment when the swirl
mark is formed on the surface is the glass transition temperature (for
the amorphous state) or the melting point (for the crystalline state)
which shows drastic flow change. Below these temperatures, there is
no slip condition which doesn't show flow movement. These
temperatures can be assumed to be the moment that swirl marks
developed. If a plastic/gas solution does not solidify when it contacts
the mold surface, any gas that has escaped from the solution will be
forced to flow to the cavity end and then out through the gas vent,
thus removing any swirl marks. However, maintaining a high mold
temperature above the glass transition temperature or the melting
point during the filling process and then lowering the mold
temperature to below deflection temperature during the post-filling
process will be difficult without greatly increasing cycle time and
energy consumption. A momentary mold surface heating method was
presented by Kim et al. [15] to eliminate the weld line in molded parts.
Fig. 1. Schematic of the part dimension and the 9 different measuring positions are also identified.
The bright surface molding method [16] was also proposed to remove
the swirl mark of foam injection molded parts by adding heat to a
mold. In addition, a heat insulating coating on the cavity surface
enables an increase of the surface quality of a foamed part with only a
minor increase in cycle time [12,14]. The coating causes a heat transfer
delay which may result in a higher contact temperature at the plastic's
melt–mold surface interface. In this instance flow marks are deformed
and corrected by the high contact temperature on the part surface.
Although exterior mold surface heating, such as induction heating
[15,16], can provide sufficient heating rates without significant
increase in cycle time, the coil design and the accompanying operation
still require additional effort and cost. A mold surface treatment [12]
can as a way to remove the flow marks; however, it also faces
challenges. The thermal stress developed in the coating layer due to
the differences in thermal expansion coefficients between coating
layer and mold may lead to the crack of the coating during mass
production. So, in the present study, we proposed a thermally
insulated composite polymer film (82%PET + 18%PC) stick on the
surface of mold core for mold temperature control is used to achieve
heat transfer delay at the plastic's melt–mold surface interface during
the microcellular injection molding process to improve surface quality
of molded parts. Effect of film thickness on the part surface quality was
investigated via surface roughness measurement and outward
appearance observation. Then test results were also compared with
those of regular microcellular foam injection molded parts. Hopefully,
the mold surface temperature can be efficiently controlled during the
microcellular injection molding process, the surface quality of molded
parts can be greatly improved without a significant increase in cycle
time then microcellular foam injection molding will thus be even
more competitive.
2. Experimental work
An Arburg 420C Allrounder 1000-350, equipped with a pressure
sensor (Kistler, type 6157) to monitor the cavity pressure and a Mucell
supercritical fluid system, was used for the molding experiments.
Nitrogen (N2) was used as the gas source. A rectangular plate mold
 H.-L. Chen et al. / International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer 35 (2008) 991–994
Fig. 2. A polymer film sticks on the surface of mold core for heat transfer delay. In
addition, polymer film fixed position system was also identified.
with dimensions of 100 mm (length) × 100 mm (width) × 2 mm
(thickness) was designed for the experiments as depicted in Fig. 1.
Specialized 82%PET + 18%PC composite polymer films, 0.125 mm
and 0.188 mm thick, respectively, (Bayfol polycarbonate/ polyethylene
terephthalate polyester film, manufactured by Bayer Corporation)
with very low thermal conductivity were custom manufactured for
the IMD (In-Mold Decoration) process used in this experiment as
thermally insulated material. A polymer film fixed position system
was also designed to get good polymer film alignment.
GE Company supplied a transparent PC resin (grade HF-1130) with
a glass transition temperature of 140 °C that was utilized as the
microcellular injection molding material. The PC resin was dried at
120 °C for 3 h before processing. Then the dissolving N2 level was set at
0.3% and the volume expansion ratio was 5%.
The microcellular foam injection molded parts used as the
reference samples were molded with a mold temperature of 60 °C
using water heating, a melt temperature of 300 °C, and an injection
flow rate of 90 cm3/s. Then, in order to investigate the influence of
polymer film thickness on the part surface quality for microcellular
foam injection molding process, 82%PET + 18%PC composite polymer
films with 0.125 mm and 0.188 mm thick, respectively, were set it on
the surface of mold core to molded parts (see Fig. 2) under the same
molding conditions as previously described (a mold temperature of
60 °C, a melt temperature of 300 °C, and an injection flow rate of
90 cm3/s). Five samples were molded under the same molding
Fig. 3. Surface visual quality molded under (a) no film layer, (b) with film thickness of 0.125 mm, and (c) with film thickness of 0.188 mm.
993
Fig. 4. Surface roughness under the condition of no film and film thickness of 0.125 mm
and 0.188 mm was used for molding.
condition and used for evaluation surface quality testing. A 3D color
laser microscope (VK850, KEYENCE Corp., Japan) was used to measure
the surface roughness at nine different positions as shown in Fig. 1
(every measurement area was 1.7 mm2). The average surface rough-
ness value was calculated from the data collected at these nine
positions. The averaged surface roughness values of the five samples
were used for our analyses and correlation. Since the vertical laser
beam of the 3D laser microscope is used directly, the accuracy of the
surface roughness measurements can be achieved within 1% error.
Our experiments also included a visual inspection of the flow marks
on the surface of the injection molded parts.
3. Results and discussions
The reference samples were molded using water heating with a
mold temperature of 60 °C, a melt temperature of 300 °C, and an
injection flow rate of 90 cm3/s. The average surface roughness for
these samples was measured to be 26 μm and a visual inspection of
these parts showed significant flow marks on the surface as shown in
Fig. 3(a).
If a PET + PC film thermally insulated material with thickness of
0.125 mm were used, one can expect a delay of heat transfer at the
interface, resulting in higher melt–film interface temperature. Varia-
tion of averaged surface roughness at nine different positions in
molded parts with film layer thickness is illustrated in Fig. 4. From
Table 1, it can be seen that the surface roughness decreases
significantly with increasing film layer thickness (from 5.6 μm drop
to 1.8 μm) when the film layer thicknesses increases from 0.125 mm to
994 H.-L. Chen et al. / International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer 35 (2008) 991–994
Table 1
Surface roughness and improved efficiency under the condition of no film and film
thickness of 0.125 mm and 0.188 mm was used for molding
Film thickness (mm) Surface roughness (μm) Improved efficiency (%)
No film 26 – 0.188 mm, respectively).
0.125 5.6 78
0.188 1.8 93
0.188 mm. In such conditions, compared with parts molded at mold
temperature of 60 °C without film layer, the surface quality can be
greatly improved (approximately 78– 93% lower values for surface
roughness) without a significant increase in cycle time. In addition,
from outward appearance observation shown in Fig. 3(b) and (c), we
can found that flow marks still occurring at the surface of foamed parts
although part quality has been improved significantly. However, it can
be removed completely if the film layer thickness is 0.188 mm.
Therefore, as would be expected, microcellular foam injection molding
process combined with thermally insulated film layer, the surface
quality of molded parts can be greatly improved under the condition of
without a significant increase in cycle time. Not only flow marks can
removed completely but also the efficiency of improvement for surface
roughness can run up to over 80% when compared with parts molded
using regular injection method. The usefulness of variable mold
temperature in improving part surface quality during microcellular
foam injection molding has been successfully demonstrated.
4. Conclusions
Although microcellular foam injection molding technology pro-
vides many advantages, its application is limited by the surface visual
quality problem. In this study, we proposed a thermally insulated
composite polymer film (82%PET + 18%PC) stick on the surface of mold
core for mold temperature control is used to achieve heat transfer
delay at the plastic's melt–mold surface interface during the
microcellular injection molding process to improve the surface quality
of molded parts. Based on the results obtained, the following
conclusions can be made:
1. The surface roughness can be decreased from 5.6 μm to 1.8 μm with
an increase in the polymer film thickness from 0.125 mm to
0.188 mm. The thicker the film layer, the higher the surface quality
of the molded parts. At the same time, the flow marks of gas
bubbles on the part surface can be removed completely at film
thickness of 0.188 mm.
2. Compared with regular injection molding, the surface quality can
be greatly improved without a significant increase in cycle time for
using film layer set it upon the surface of mold core (approximately
78 and 93% lower values for surface roughness for 0.125 mm and
3. Efficient mold temperature control by stick a polymer film on the
surface of mold core to improve the surface quality of microcellular
foam injection molded parts is successfully illustrated.
Acknowledgment
This research was supported by NSC under grant 94-2212-E-033-
008.
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