Polymer Technology

CHE G522
BITS Pilani
Hyderabad Campus

Evaluation
Weightage :20%
Marks 40
Lab Record :2
Viva :1
Lab exam 13M

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

Number of experiments (10)

1.To find the melting point using melting point apparatus.
2.DSC: To find the melting point of semicrystalline polymer.
3.DSC: To find the glass transition temperature of elastomer.
4.TGA: To study the thermal characteristics of semicrystalline polymer
composites.
5.To find TGA of polymer composite.
6.To study the mechanical properties of polymer composites, polymer
rubber blends, polymer.
7.To study the impact property of polymer material.
8.To prepare specimen using compression molding machine.
9.To prepare specimen using injection molding machine.
10.To prepare specimen using automated injection molding machine.

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

Experiment : To find the mechanical properties of the

polymer , polymer composites , elastomeric properties

(c)2003 Brooks/Cole, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Thomson Learning is a trademark used herein under license.

The stress-strain behavior of brittle materials compared with

that of more ductile materials

Sample according to ASTM D638:

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

Tensile Test- Basic Principles

An axial force applied to a specimen of original length (lo)
elongates it, resulting in a reduction in the crosssectional area from Ao to A until fracture occurs.
The load and change in length between two fixed points
(gauge length) is recorded and used to determine the
stress-strain relationship.

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

Basic Principles

Step 1: Original shape and

size of the specimen with no
load.
Step 2: Specimen undergoing
uniform elongation.
Step 3: Point of maximum
load and ultimate tensile
strength.
Step 4: The onset of necking
(plastic instability).
Step 5: Specimen fractures.
Step 6: Final length.

Yield Point

Break
Point

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

Impact Test: The Izod Test

Generally used for polymers. Izod test is different from the Charpy test in
terms of the configuration of the notched test specimen

10

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

Aim to find the impact strength of polymer sample

Izod impact strength of rectangular bar notched
specimens measured following the ASTM D256 test
method
Impact fracture from the difference of potential energy
before and after the impact.
The impact strength is expressed in terms of the energy
absorbed per unit width of the specimen and reported as
kg-cm/cm.
Sample dimensions are measured in accordance with
ASTM D256 procedure, the notch depth is 2mm and the
angle is 45 as shown

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

DSC
Aim to find glass transition temperature and melting point of
amorphous and semicrystalline polymers
DSC is a thermal method of analysis to study the thermal
behaviour and thermal properties of materials (typically polymers).
Uses of DSC:
Material Identification (Tm and Hf);
single polymers and blends.
Comparative Analysis of Materials Level of Crystallinity in a
material.

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

Working of DSC

The material is sealed in a sample pan and subjected to a

controlled temperature programme.
The resulting thermograph can yield much valuable information
about the properties of the material analysed.

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

DSC graphs
Heating rate can be varied

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

TGA
TGA measures the amount of weight change of a material, either
as a function of increasing temperature, or isothermally as a
function of time, in an atmosphere of nitrogen, helium, air, other
gas, or in vacuum.
Thermal gravimetric analysis can be interfaced with a mass
spectrometer RGA to identify and measure the vapors generated,
though there is greater sensitivity in two separate measurements.
Inorganic materials, metals, polymers and plastics, ceramics,
glasses, and composite materials can be analyzed.
Temperature range from 25C to 900C routinely. The maximum
temperature is 1000C.
Sample weight can range from 1 mg to 150 mg. Sample weights
of more than 25 mg are preferred, but excellent results are
sometimes obtainable on 1 mg of material.
Samples can be analyzed in the form of powder or small pieces so
the interior sample temperature remains close to the measured
gas temperature.
BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

Determines temperature and weight change of decomposition reactions, which often

allows quantitative composition analysis. May be used to determine water content.
Allows analysis of reactions with air, oxygen, or other reactive gases (see illustration
below).
Can be used to measure evaporation rates, such as to measure the volatile
emissions of liquid mixtures.
Allows determination of Curie temperatures of magnetic transitions by measuring the
temperature at which the force exerted by a nearby magnet disappears on heating or
reappears on cooling.
Helps to identify plastics and organic materials by measuring the temperature of bond
scissions in inert atmospheres or of oxidation in air or oxygen.
Used to measure the weight of fiberglass and inorganic fill materials in plastics,
laminates, paints, primers, and composite materials by burning off the polymer resin.
The fill material can then be identified by XPS and/or microscopy. The fill material
may be carbon black, TiO2, CaCO3, MgCO3, Al2O3, Al(OH)3, Mg(OH)2, talc, Kaolin
clay, or silica, for instance.
Can measure the fill materials added to some foods, such as silica gels and titanium
dioxide.
Can determine the purity of a mineral, inorganic compound, or organic material.
Distinguishes different mineral compositions from broad mineral types, such as
borax, boric acid, and silica gels.
BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus

BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus