Study on mechanical and fracture behaviour of linear low density polyethylene for rotational moulding

Abstract

Plastics play a central role in today s life. It offers variety of benefits compared to other newlinematerials in various sectors like automobile, construction and packaging etc. There are numerous newlinemethods for processing plastics. These include: blow moulding, injection moulding, rotational newlinemoulding, transfer moulding and thermoforming. Selection of a suitable manufacturing process newlineis one of the key decisions that are faced while designing plastic products. There are some newlinecrucial applications of plastics products such as automobile fuel tanks, body armor and riot newlineshields for military, large solvent drums etc. where mechanical and fracture characterization is of newlinegreat importance. Also there is a wide range of polymeric materials available. Various newlineapplications demand typical processing method and typical polymeric material in order to newlineenhance the quality. Therefore, it is required to investigate optimum process conditions of plastic newlinemanufacturing process, yielding favourable mechanical and fracture properties. Though lightness newlineand simplicity in processing methods of plastics attracted the designers and manufacturers, a newlinecomplete understanding of process, process parameters and effect of process parameters on newlinemechanical and fracture characterization is required to attain high standard products and its newlineperformance. newlineObjective based multiple attribute decision making method is suggested for the selection newlineof plastic manufacturing process. Through this exercise, rotational moulding process is suggested newlineas a process based on important attributes like cycle time, wall thickness, material availability newlineetc. Rotational moulding is a high temperature, low pressure thermoplastic processing method newlinefor producing hollow parts. Among the different polyethylenes, linear low density polyethylene newline(LLDPE) is used in rotational moulding process because of its unique melt flow properties and newlinefavourable processing window.