Iturbe-Ek Jackeline, Sustaita Alan O, Aguilar-Viches Diego, Mata-Padilla José Manuel, Ávila-Orta Carlos A, Elizalde Luis E, Elías-Zúñiga Alex, Lozano Luis Marcelo
Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Av. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501, Monterrey 64849, Mexico.
CONACyT-Centro de Investigación en Química Aplicada, Blvd. Enrique Reyna 140, Saltillo 25294, Mexico.
Polymers (Basel). 2021 Nov 19;13(22):4010. doi: 10.3390/polym13224010.
Product miniaturization is a constant trend in industries that demand ever-smaller products that can be mass produced while maintaining high precision dimensions in the final pieces. Ultrasonic micro injection molding (UMIM) technology has emerged as a polymer processing technique capable of achieving the mass production of polymeric parts with micro-features, while still assuring replicability, repeatability, and high precision, contrary to the capabilities of conventional processing technologies of polymers. In this study, it is shown that the variation of parameters during the UMIM process, such as the amplitude of the ultrasound waves and the processing time, lead to significant modification on the molecular structure of the polymer. The variation of both the amplitude and processing time contribute to chain scission; however, the processing time is a more relevant factor for this effect as it is capable of achieving a greater chain scission in different areas of the same specimen. Further, the presence of polymorphism within the samples produced by UMIM is demonstrated. Similarly to conventional processes, the UMIM technique leads to some degree of chain orientation, despite the fact that it is carried out in a relatively small time and space. The results presented here aim to contribute to the optimization of the use of the UMIM process for the manufacture of polymeric micro parts.
产品小型化是那些需要体积越来越小、能够大规模生产且最终产品保持高精度尺寸的行业的持续趋势。超声微注射成型（UMIM）技术已成为一种聚合物加工技术，它能够实现具有微特征的聚合物部件的大规模生产，同时与传统聚合物加工技术的能力相反，仍能确保可复制性、可重复性和高精度。在本研究中，结果表明，UMIM 过程中参数的变化，如超声波的振幅和加工时间，会导致聚合物分子结构的显著改变。振幅和加工时间的变化都会导致链断裂；然而，加工时间对这种效应来说是一个更相关的因素，因为它能够在同一样品的不同区域实现更大程度的链断裂。此外，还证明了 UMIM 生产的样品中存在多晶型现象。与传统工艺类似，尽管 UMIM 技术是在相对较小的时间和空间内进行的，但它仍会导致一定程度的链取向。此处呈现的结果旨在有助于优化 UMIM 工艺在聚合物微部件制造中的应用。
