On the effect of metallic particles on the performance of injection moulded PP plastic parts

Abstract

Plastic parts with metallic effect are a challenge for the industry if it is considered to be done by injection moulding with the incorporation of metallic particles and not by painting or metallization. The advantages of this process are the elimination of post-processing techniques, reducing costs and production time and to get superior part quality. Nonetheless, several defects arise from the use of metallic particles in injection moulding due to their anisotropic nature, with undesired consequences on the appearance of the final part i.e. flow lines and weld lines. It is known that the materials nature, particle size, percentage of particles used, roughness of the cavity surface will affect the final appearance of the part. This work aims at using composite materials made of PP/metallic fillers (aluminium and cooper) on the preparation of injection moulded parts and study the influence of the metallic particles content and type on the aesthetic properties of weld lines in injection moulding parts. The morphological and mechanical characterization of the parts is also studied.