Comparative analysis of polyolefins and polycarbonate rheological behavior when they are injected over fabric

Abstract In mould decoration or injection moulding over fabric is a plastic transformation process to produce upholstered complex parts introducing a tissue of textile inside the mould during the moulding cycle. One of the most reliable ways to optimize injection cycle is to use simulation software, but in case of recognized software, the simulation of IMD process is not possible because the behavior of the polymer flowing over fabric is unknown. Some research work about injecting polyolefines over fabric exists, but authors have not found any comparative study in which plastics with high viscosity are injected over textile. This paper shows some measurement results, and it is focused on comparing the differences between viscosity of polypropylene and polycarbonate when they are injected by means of conventional injection process, and when they are injected over fabric. The main aim is to understand how the viscosity curves vary when the fabric intervenes during the injection cycle, and how much the textile affects when high viscosity polymer is injected over this textile. These measurement results have been obtained using a spiral mould.