Meaning
Rheological behaviors describe how the viscosity of a fluid changes in response to the rate of shear applied to it. In polymer processing, non-Newtonian flow occurs when the viscosity of the molten plastic decreases as the injection speed or shear rate increases. This shear thinning behavior is critical for injection molding because it allows highly viscous polymer melts to flow easily into thin wall mold sections.
At low shear rates, the viscosity remains high, which is beneficial for maintaining melt strength during extrusion.
Molecular Shear
Under low shear, the long polymer chains are randomly coiled and entangled, creating high resistance to flow. As the shear rate increases, the chains align in the direction of flow and disentangle, which leads to non-Newtonian flow behavior. This alignment reduces the viscosity, making the polymer much easier to process through narrow gates and runners.
Processing Advantage
Molders exploit this behavior by using high injection speeds to lower the melt viscosity and fill thin walled parts quickly. This reduces the melt temperature required to fill the cavity, which in turn shortens the cooling time and saves energy. High speed filling also improves the surface finish of the molded part.
Control Challenge
Run to run variations in melt viscosity can occur if the shear rate is not tightly controlled. A change in the resin molecular weight distribution will alter the shear thinning curve, resulting in inconsistent filling.