SABIC NORYL Resin Injection Molding Processing Guide
SABIC NORYL Resin Injection Molding Processing Guide
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2
CONTENTS
1.0 ABOUT NORYL™ RESINS 4
The NORYL Family of Resins 5
3.0 OVERVIEW OF
BASIC SETTINGS 13
Flowpath-wall section ratio 14
Recording Parameters, Changes and Trends 15
CONTACT US 20
3
1.0
4
ABOUT
NORYL™ RESINS
The NORYL™ resin family is built on SABIC’s Semi-crystalline members of the NORYL family
proprietary polyphenylene ether (PPE) technology. include:
NORYL resins for injection molding exhibit a broad • NORYL GTX resin, which is compounded
range of outstanding properties for applications in with polyamide
water management, automotive, electrical, solar, • NORYL PPX resin, which is compounded
energy storage, building & construction, appliances with polypropylene
and many other industries.
NORYL GTX and NORYL PPX resins leverage the
The intention of this guide is to provide general flow and chemical resistance characteristics of
information and recommendations for molders and semi-crystalline materials, while adding the good
designer to consider when injection molding using dimensional stability, low moisture absorption
NORYL resins. and low creep tendency of the amorphous PPE
technology.
NORYL resin, which is compounded with high
impact polystyrene (HIPS), exhibits amorphous Whenever a recommendation is specifically
characteristics. important to either the amorphous or semi-
crystalline nature of the resin, it is referred to.
General recommendations are valid for the entire
NORYL resin product family.
5
2.0
6
NORYL™ RESINS
INJECTION MOLDING
RECOMMENDATIONS
Material Handling and Preparation - Drying Special care must be taken when drying NORYL GTX ™
resin. If the material is too wet ( >0.05%) or too dry (
All NORYL™ resins require thorough drying prior to <0.02%), it will cause splay.
injection molding to assure maximum properties
in the molded part. Always check the datasheet It is highly recommended to closely monitor the
to determine the exact recommended drying moisture content during production and to carefully
temperature and drying time. size the dryer to the job, based upon the kg/h usage
and drying time needed.
DRYING DRYING
TEMPERATURE TIME MOISTURE The recommended drying temperature for all NORYL
MATERIAL [°C] [HRS] CONTENT GTX grades is 110°C. During a production standstill,
the dryer temperature should be dropped to
NORYL 100 – 120 2–4 < 0.02%
between 70°C to 80°C.
0.02%
NORYL GTX 100 – 120 2–3
- 0.05% The temperature of the cooling ring around the
NORYL PPX 65 – 75 2–4 < 0.02% hopper zone should be between 40°C and 60°C when
processing NORYL GTX. To avoid condensation at the
intake of the machine, in some cases it is better to
• A machine-mounted, dehumidifying hopper dryer work without cooling.
equipped with a closed-loop circulating air system
is preferred. When bulk drying, ensure the resin
remains dry via positive flow of dry air through the Signs of poor drying
conveying system.
• The hopper dryer should be equipped with a • Swelling purge
diffuser cone to ensure proper distribution of air • Drooling nozzle
flow and to allow “plug flow” of material through • Increased or variable flow rate
the hopper. • Voids in thin part areas
• Batch drying can be accomplished with air • Splay on flow fronts of part
circulating, desiccant tray dryers with trays filled • Splay on filled parts
to a depth of no more than 25mm. Material dried in • Brittle parts
this manner should be placed in a sealed hopper
and residence time should be kept to a minimum.
7
Machine Preparation Depending on screw diameter, a compression ratio
of about 2:1 to 2.5:1 with a length to diameter ratio
Prior to introducing NORYL resins, the molding of 20:1 is preferred. A short feed zone (6 flights) and
machine barrel should be thoroughly cleaned either a long compression zone (11 flights) with a gradual
by purging or mechanically cleaning the cylinder with constant taper leading to a short metering zone
brass wool. (4 flights) are also suggested. The compression
should be accomplished over a gradual and constant
If the screw is removed, clean it and check carefully taper since sharp transitions can result in excessive
for nicks, cracks, or excessive wear. The check ring shear and material degradation.
should also be inspected for any abnormalities.
When specific screw selection is not possible, general
To check for cleanliness without removing the purpose screws with length to diameter ratios from
screw, purge with an unfilled, amorphous resin such 16:1 through 24:1 and compression from 1.5:1 to 3:1
as polystyrene and look for foreign particles or have been used successfully.
discoloration in the air shot.
Vented barrels are not suggested for processing
Any evidence of contamination in the first several NORYL resins.
molded parts may indicate that the cleaning
procedure should be repeated. The non-return valve should be of the sliding
check ring type (See Figure below). Flow-through
clearances of at least 80% of the cross-section of
Mold Release Agents the flow area in the metering zone of the screw are
necessary. The check ring travel should be at least
The application of external mold release agents 4.5mm for small diameter screws (60mm diameter
to tool surfaces should be kept to a minimum. or less). Larger screws may require longer travel to
Initially, part sticking can be corrected by making provide the necessary flow-through area.
adjustments to pressure, temperature or cycle time.
In addition, draft angles, mold surface finish, and the
ejector pin area may require attention.
Intermittent part sticking can often be overcome by
Flow thru clearance
moderate application of a mold release spray. Since min. 3 mm Ring
some mold release sprays may have a detrimental Min. 4.5 mm
effect on the properties and surface appearance travel
of NORYL resins, compatibility testing is necessary
prior to their use. In some cases, formulation
adjustments are possible, permitting internal release
agents to be added to the resin during compounding.
Internal releases will reduce the tendency for part
sticking.
Body
Seat
Barrel Selection and Screw Design
Considerations
Conventional materials of construction for Ball check type screw tips are not suggested because
compatible screws and barrels are acceptable for they can cause degradation of the resin due to
processing NORYL resins. The use of bimetallic excessive shear and dead spots.
barrels is suggested for better abrasion and
corrosion resistance.
8
Molding Conditions Mold Temperature
As a general guideline, the standard grades of The usual range for processing unreinforced NORYL
NORYL resins are molded at different temperatures grades is from 65 to 100°C. Operating molds in this
– the lower temperatures for the low viscosity resins temperature range can also be used to maximize
and the highest temperatures for the high viscosity flow, improve knitline strength and optimize surface
grades. Increasing melt temperatures reduces finish.
viscosity and increases resin flow, thus providing
for longer flow for thin-wall sections and producing NORYL GTX resin should always be molded in
lower residual stress. temperature-controlled molds. Optimal tool
temperatures for NORYL GTX resins are between
Mold temperatures are important in determining 120°C and 140°C, with a recommended mold surface
final part finish and molded-in stress levels. Cold temperature of 120°C.
molds are more difficult to fill, necessitating high
injection pressure and melt temperature and are not Full advantage of the rapid crystallization of NORYL
recommended when processing NORYL resins. GTX resin can be realized by the effective location
of uniform cooling channels in the mold inserts and
Heated molds generally produce a part with better cores to achieve an even tool surface temperature.
finish and lower molded in-stress.
The fastest fill speed possible provides longer flow, For semi-crystalline materials such as NORYL GTX ™
fills thinner wall sections and helps to create a better and NORYL PPX ™ resins, high mold temperatures will
surface finish. Slower fill is suggested for sprue- produce higher degrees of in-mold crystallization.
gated and edge-gated parts to prevent gate blush, This, in turn, will result in high shrinkage values. Mold
splay and jetting. In thick wall parts (>4mm), slow fill temperatures that are too low, on the other hand,
helps reduce sinks and voids. For Typical processing may result in crystallization after molding, with the
parameters, see tables on page 14. risk of warpage during secondary operations.
Melt Temperature
9
Screw Circumferential Speed
and Screw Diameter 140
120 Maximum
Screw circumferential speeds (RPM) should be Optimum
100
adjusted to permit screw rotation during the Minimum
RPM
entire cooling cycle without delaying the overall 80
cycle (Figure right) but must not result in a screw 60
surface speed of more than 0.5m/s. Low screw 40
circumferential speeds will reduce glass fiber
20
damage during plastification when molding
reinforced grades.
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140
Material degradation can occur at too high screw Screw Diameter [mm]
speeds due to excessive shear heating.
Graph 1: screw circumferential speeds suggestion
for NORYL resins
Table 1: Calculating the screw circumferential speed [m/s] based on RPM and screw diameter
Back Pressure The fastest fill speed possible provides longer flow,
fills thinner wall sections and creates a better surface
A back pressure of 0.3 to 0.7 MPa is suggested finish. In thick parts, slow fill helps to reduce voids.
to insure a homogeneous melt and to maintain Thin-wall sections below 1.5mm always require fast
consistent shot size. injection speeds in order to fill the cavity and produce
high knitline strength. The fill rate of thick sections
Higher back pressure used to improve melt mixing may be reduced to aid packing when filling through
results in higher melt temperatures. When molding restricted gates.
reinforced grades, low back pressure will reduce
glass fiber damage during plastification. Programmed injection is suggested for parts with
small gates (pin gates and subgates). A slow injection
rate can be used at the start to reduce shear, jetting
Shot Size and burning of the material.
The shot size should dictate the size of the machine Following maximum shear rates for NORYL resins
used. It is suggested that the optimum shot be 40% are recommendations and based on experience and
to 60% of the machine’s capacity. However, shots observations from different applications:
which are 20% to 75% of machine capacity have
been successfully molded when temperatures were MAXIMUM RECOMMENDED
precisely maintained and all processing conditions MATERIAL SHEAR RATE
were very closely controlled.
NORYL 40.000/s
NORYL FExxxxPW series 20.000/s
Injection Speed NORYL GTX 40.000/s
NORYL PPX 40.000/s
When selecting injection speed, careful consideration
must be given to adequate mold venting, resin melt Table 2: Maximum Recommended Shear Rate
temperature and injection pressure along with the
potential for jetting. In practice, higher shear rates have been observed
without influence on mechanical or flame retardance
performance.
10
Injection Pressure use of regrind be possible, always use a set ratio of
regrind and virgin material.
The actual injection pressure will depend on variables
such as melt temperatures, mold temperature, part A maximum of 20% regrind should not be exceeded if
geometry, wall thickness, flow length and other mold retaining physical properties is important.
equipment considerations. Generally, the lowest
pressures which provide the desired properties, Grinder screen sizes should be 8 to 9.5 mm. If
appearance and molding cycle are preferred. a smaller size is used, too many fines could be
generated, creating molding problems such as
streaking and burning.
Holding Pressure
It is important to keep the ground parts clean and
Holding pressures from 60% to 80% of the injection to avoid contamination from other materials. Drying
pressure are adequate for normal requirements. time should be increased since regrind will not be
same size as virgin pellets and therefore moisture
For NORYL resin, it is suggested to apply a diffusion will be different. Regrind utilization may
decreasing holding pressure profile so as not to have an effect on color.
overpack the part and create in-molded stress.
Actual regrind usage should be determined for each
Holding pressure should be applied after the part is individual application, especially in cases when the
volumetrically filled. application needs to meet strict regulatory or testing
standards such as potable water certification or UL
Cushion testing.
The reinforcing effect of glass or carbon fibers NORYL PPX ™ resin can be purged using the standard
decreases with repeated processing because of fiber procedures for polypropylene.
breakdown. Also, thermal degradation will cause
a decrease in mechanical properties, particularly
impact strength. Where molded components need to
meet specific demands for tensile or impact strength,
the use of regrind is not recommended until
thorough testing is conducted. Fiber breakdown and
thermal degradation can also effect the dimensions
of molded parts. Care should be taken with the
addition of regrind for use in applications where tight
dimensional tolerances must be met. Should the
11
3.0
12
OVERVIEW OF
BASIC SETTINGS
Screw
drive
motor
Mold
Cushion 4 – 10 mm
13
Flowpath-wall section ratio
of selected NORYL™ resins
Flow Length Curves: NORYL™ NH6020 Resin Flow Length Curves: NORYL™ V0150B Resin
700 350
1mm 1mm
Flow Length [mm]
Graph 2a: Flow length curves NORYL™ NH6020 resin Graph 2b: Flow length curves NORYL™ V0150B resin
T(melt) = 310°C, T(mold) = 115°C T(melt) = 300°C, T(mold) = 85°C
Flow Length Curves: NORYL™ FE1630PW Resin Flow Length Curves: NORYL GTX ™ 985 Resin
500 900
1mm 1mm
450 800
Flow Length [mm]
Flow Length [mm]
2mm 2mm
400 700
3mm 3mm
350 600
300
500
250
400
200
150 300
100 200
50 100
0 0
20 40 60 80 100 120 20 40 60 80 100 120
Gate pressure [MPa] Gate pressure [MPa]
Graph 2c: Flow length curves NORYL™ FE1630PW resin Graph 2d: Flow length curves NORYL GTX ™ 985 resin
T(melt) = 290°C, T(mold) = 100°C T(melt) = 310°C, T(mold) = 110°C
14
Record Injection Molding Parameters Periodic Changes
Continuous recording of injection molding Sources for periodic changes can be a result of the
parameters is always suggested and can help to temperature changes into the hot runner system (if
determine root causes of quality issues. the frequency is within several minutes) or can be
found within the material feeding (if the frequency is
When encountering quality issues during injection within several hours).
molding it is recommended to carefully evaluate
the type of issue and then create a detailed issue If the frequency is even longer (i.e. days) it can be a
resolution plan. It is important to not change more sign for changes of the ambient temperature.
than one injection molding parameter a time,
otherwise it will not be possible to isolate the effect
on the process. Change of Trend
Usually there are two types of failures: Root causes of volatile changes can easily be
• Periodical monitored and many times are an interplay of
• Change of trend changing material properties in terms of drying,
change from Lot A to B, masterbatch change,
different ratio of regrind, etc.
Volatile Change
Change of Trend
Regular Oscillation
15
4.0
16
INJECTION MOLDING
TROUBLESHOOTING
GUIDE
17
ISSUE CAUSE REMEDY
Sinks or Voids Holding pressure or time too low • Increase hold pressure or time
Insufficient feed • Increase shot size
Gate freezing off or located • Check gate dimension and location
improperly
18
CONTACT US
Middle East and Africa
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Saudi Arabia
T +966 (0) 1 225 8000
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Pudong
201319 Shanghai
China
T +86 21 2037 8188
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