Dresden 2014 – scientific programme

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CPP: Fachverband Chemische Physik und Polymerphysik

CPP 37: Poster Session 2

CPP 37.21: Poster

Wednesday, April 2, 2014, 15:00–19:00, P3

Interfacial and Wetting Behavior during In-Mold Printing — •Martin Dehnert¹, Eike-Christian Spitzner¹, Agnieszka Kalinowska², Michael Gehde², Alexander Böddicker³, Uta Fügmann³, Arved Carl Hübler³, and Robert Magerle¹ — ¹Chemische Physik, Fakultät für Naturwissenschaften, Technische Universität Chemnitz, Germany — ²Professur Kunststoffe, Fakultät für Maschinenbau, Technische Universität Chemnitz, Germany — ³Print- und Medientechnik, Fakultät für Maschinenbau, Technische Universität Chemnitz, Germany

In-mold printing enables decoration of plastic parts during injection molding [1]. The image is pad printed onto the surface of the injection mold, the plastic melt is injected, and during solidification and part removal the ink is transferred to the plastic part. The understanding of wetting and adhesion of the ink on the mold and on the plastic part is essential for a successful implementation of this new printing process. We study the involved interfacial phenomena during in-mold printing of polypropylene with optical microscopy, laser scanning microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The flow patterns of the ink give insight into the physical processes during the ink transfer. We observe different phenomena on the micro- and nanometer scale, such as wetting of the ink on the mold and on the solidified plastic part, as well as adhesion between the ink, the polymer and the mold surface. A Taylor-Saffman instability of the ink indicates the fluid state of the ink and the shrinkage of the polymer during solidification of the plastic part. [1]Härtig T. et al. Kunstoffe international 3/2013