PLSM.8460 - Plastics Engineering: Fundamentals of Plastics Testing

Program Overview

Seminar Overview

This seminar provides an overview of the significance of testing plastics materials, including selecting the appropriate protocol, specimen preparation, sampling and conditioning, and data generation and interpretation. Attention will be focused on the concept of "uncertainty budget," and will investigate primary and secondary sources of error for several principal physical properties. Class lecture and hands-on training will be used, as well as selected laboratory demonstrations.

Audience
This seminar is designed for laboratory personnel who want to develop an enhanced appreciation for plastics materials testing methodology.

Content

• Review of Appropriate ASTM, ISO and other international standards-developing organizations
• Review of ASTM D4000 Class Protocol for preparation, sampling, conditioning, data generation and interpretation

TYPICAL MECHANICAL PROPERTIES

• Tensile
• Flexural and stiffness
• Hardness
• Impact toughness (pendulum, falling weight)
• Creep behavior

KEY THERMAL PROPERTIES

• Distortion Temperature Under Load (DTUL)
• Glass Transition Temperature (Tg)
• Flammability and smoke generation/density
• Coefficient of Linear Thermal Expansion (CLTE)

MOLECULAR WEIGHT DETERMINATIONS

• Steady shear of polymer solutions (spindle rheometry)
• Steady shear of polymer melts (capillary, torque rheometry)
• Dynamic Mechanical Rheological Testing (DMRT) of polymer melt viscosity, solid (functional) behavior and time-temperature superpositioning

About the Facilitator

Dr. Akshay Kokil is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Plastics Engineering Department at University of Massachusetts Lowell. He received a Ph.D. in Macromolecular Science and Engineering from Case Western Reserve University, and a Bachelors in Polymer Engineering from University of Poona, India. Prior to his academic appointment he worked in the industry and was a post-doctoral fellow at Virginia Tech and University of Massachusetts Lowell. He has extensive experience in Polymer Materials and Characterization. He currently teaches courses and laboratory classes in Polymer Materials, Polymer Synthesis, Additives, and Characterization of Plastics.