Melt strength is important for plastics in a molten state during processing. Additives can alter melt strength and other properties. Material testing can uncover safety issues. Plastics with high melt resistance are preferred for extrusion molding. Companies are developing products to address concerns about durability, safety, and pollution.
Melt strength is a measure of how strong a plastic is when it is molten. For common plastics, melt strengths are available in the form of graphs that also outline other important physical properties of the plastic that may be important for people to know. Companies that sell materials like nurdles also usually list the melt strength of the products they sell so people can make an informed decision about the best product for their needs.
Plastics often spend time in a molten state as they are processed. For plastics that are extruded, melt strength can be especially important. If a plastic has poor melt resistance, it may not be able to hold its shape after extrusion, resulting in a product that will deform before it has a chance to cool and harden. This feature may also be relevant to injection molding, thermal molding, and a wide variety of other processes, depending on the details of the specific process.
The melting force is not necessarily fixed. There are additives that can be mixed with a plastic to alter melt strength and other properties, allowing companies to tailor the plastic to their individual needs. Some of the additives used in plastic processing have attracted controversy; chemicals like phthalates, which soften plastics, for example, have been accused of causing health problems for people who have been exposed to them using products that contain phthalates.
Companies that use extrusion molding can buy raw plastics and melt them in their extrusion machines or they can develop their own plastics, depending on the size of the company and the products it makes. Melt resistance can be determined during material testing, where samples of the plastic are analyzed in the laboratory to gather data on their properties. Material testing can also be used to uncover safety issues that may be of concern to the manufacturer.
For extrusion molding, plastics with a high resistance to melting are preferred. A wide variety of extrusion molding plastics are available, including products with an assortment of properties that can be beneficial for different types of products. Petrochemical companies are also always interested in developing more products, especially products that address consumer concerns about durability and safety. Concerns about plastic as a pollutant have also led companies to increase efficiency and use recycling and recovery technology to reduce plastic waste.
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