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Weld quality evaluation: heating after cross-section (HACS)

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Abstract

Evaluation of the quality of polymer welds is essential to the development and production maintenance of a welding process. Weld evaluation methods can be categorized as destructive or nondestructive and as quantitative or qualitative. Each of these assessment types gives different types of information about the weld joint. Experimental work has been undertaken to demonstrate the ability of selected methods to detect various flaws. One of these flaws is a lack of intermolecular diffusion, the movement of polymer chains across the melt interface. Without this, the bond achieved is merely adhesive, and not a true weld. Therefore, it is essential to be able to determine if diffusion has occurred to properly evaluate weld quality. While the degree of intermolecular diffusion can be predicted theoretically, this process can be time consuming. Additionally, theoretical models require validation, and the results are only as good as the inputs. Especially for industry, it is important to have a method to discern the presence or absence of diffusion in the welded joint. One of the simplest methods to do so is via heating after cross-section (HACS), which can provide a qualitative, if not quantitative, determination of whether intermolecular diffusion has occurred.

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Acknowledgements

EWI would like to thank Leister for the loan of the IR heater and controller used for heat treatment trials, Dukane for the donation of the ISTeP™ parts, and Branson for providing the ultrasonic welding press, without which, this work would not have been possible.

Funding

All work was funded internally by EWI.

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  1. EWI, Columbus, OH, USA

    Miranda Marcus & Matt Nitsch

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  1. Miranda Marcus
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  2. Matt Nitsch
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Correspondence to Miranda Marcus.

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Recommended for publication by Commission XVI - Polymer Joining and Adhesive Technology

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Marcus, M., Nitsch, M. Weld quality evaluation: heating after cross-section (HACS). Weld World 66, 1403–1419 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40194-022-01277-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40194-022-01277-6

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