Method of fabricating a foamed, injection molded component with improved ductility and toughness

摘要

A method of fabricating a foamed, injection-molded component is provided. The method includes the step of plasticizing pellets including a first polymeric material and a second polymeric material within an injection barrel to form an injection material. The first polymeric material defines a first phase of the injection material and the second polymeric material defines a second phase of the injection material. The first and second phases of the injection material are immiscible. The injection material is injected into a mold to fabricate the foamed injection-molded component having microscale, microcellular voids. Upon tensile loading, submicron, secondary phase cavities are formed in the injection-molded component, resulting in improved ductility and toughness.

主权项

1. A method of fabricating an injection-molded component, comprising the steps of:
introducing pellets and a supercritical fluid into an injection barrel of an injection molding machine, the pellets including a first polymeric material and a second polymeric material; plasticizing the pellets within the injection barrel to form an injection material, the first polymeric material defining a first phase of the injection material and the second polymeric material defining a second phase of the injection material; injecting the injection material into a mold to fabricate the injection-molded component; and forming microcellular voids having diameters in the injected-molded component; wherein secondary phase cavities having diameters are formed in the injected-molded component in response to the tensile loading of the injected-molded component, the diameters of the microcellular voids being greater than the diameters of the secondary phase cavities.