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Comparison of thermal, mechanical and thermomechanical properties of poly(lactic acid) injection-molded into epoxy-based Rapid Prototyped (PolyJet) and conventional steel mold

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Abstract

The number of renewable-resource-based and inherently biodegradable poly(lactic acid) (PLA) products is growing in the market, resulting in an increasing demand to produce even small series of injection-molded PLA prototypes for testing purposes by using rapid molds. In our research, it was first demonstrated that it is possible to use epoxy-based molds made by PolyJet Rapid Prototyping technology for conventional injection molding to produce small series of PLA parts. The effect of mold material, namely conventional steel mold and epoxy-based PolyJet mold, was analyzed on the thermal and mechanical properties of the injection-molded products. PLA was used with no, moderate and high nucleating agent contents [talc and poly(ethylene glycol)] to obtain a model material with slow, moderate and high crystallization rates, respectively. It was demonstrated that the mold used and thus the thermal conductivity of the mold had significant effect on the crystallinity of the PLA parts and thus on its mechanical and thermomechanical properties. Finally, it was found that it is possible to mimic the thermomechanical properties of nucleated PLA injected into hot mold used for mass production by injecting it into the epoxy-based PolyJet mold used for small series production.

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Acknowledgements

This paper was supported by the János Bolyai Research Scholarship of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. This publication was supported by the Italian–Hungarian and the Mexican–Hungarian bilateral agreement of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. This work was supported by the Hungarian Scientific Research Fund (OTKA K105257, OTKA PD105995). This work is connected to the scientific program of the “Development of quality-oriented and harmonized R + D + I strategy and functional model at BME” project. This project is supported by the New Széchenyi Plan (Project ID: TÁMOP-4.2.1/B-09/1/KMR-2010-0002). The work reported in this paper has been developed in the framework of the project “Talent care and cultivation in the scientific workshops of BME” project. This project is supported by the Grant TÁMOP—4.2.2.B-10/1-2010-0009. The authors thank Arburg Hungária Kft. for the Arburg Allrounder 370S 700-290 injection molding machine, Lenzkes GmbH for the clamping tool system and Piovan Hungary Kft. for their support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. MTA–BME Research Group for Composite Science and Technology, Muegyetem rkp. 3, 1111, Budapest, Hungary

    T. Tábi & T. Czigány

  2. Department of Polymer Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Muegyetem rkp. 3, 1111, Budapest, Hungary

    T. Tábi, N. K. Kovács, T. Czigány, S. Hajba & J. G. Kovács

  3. Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Ifjúság útja 20, 7624, Pécs, Hungary

    I. E. Sajó

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  1. T. Tábi
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  2. N. K. Kovács
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  3. I. E. Sajó
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  4. T. Czigány
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  6. J. G. Kovács
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Correspondence to T. Tábi.

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Tábi, T., Kovács, N.K., Sajó, I.E. et al. Comparison of thermal, mechanical and thermomechanical properties of poly(lactic acid) injection-molded into epoxy-based Rapid Prototyped (PolyJet) and conventional steel mold. J Therm Anal Calorim 123, 349–361 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-015-4997-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-015-4997-y

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