Causes of Brittleness in PET Sheets
The causes of brittleness in PET sheets are complex and can be attributed to several key factors:
1. Excessive Heat Treatment During the production of PET sheets, heat treatment is required. However, if the heat treatment is excessive, it can lead to an overly high degree of crystallization, causing the sheet to become brittle and prone to cracking.
2. Degradation of Additives Various additives such as plasticizers, stabilizers, and color masterbatches are incorporated into PET sheets. The degradation of these additives can lead to a loss of the sheet’s original toughness, making it more fragile. Additionally, factors such as overuse, underuse, or improper sequencing of additives can also affect the quality of PET sheets.
3. Improper Storage Conditions The storage environment significantly impacts the quality of PET sheets. If stored in conditions with high temperature or humidity, PET sheets may undergo oxidation or decomposition reactions, leading to brittleness.
4. Production Process Issues Improper handling during the production process can also affect the quality of PET sheets. Factors such as extrusion process, cooling control, and pressure adjustment can alter the internal structure of the sheet, resulting in a loss of mechanical properties and increased brittleness.
Preventive Measures for PET Sheet Brittleness
To prevent brittleness in PET sheets, several steps can be taken:
1. Control Heat Treatment Temperature During production, it is crucial to carefully control the heat treatment temperature and duration to avoid excessive crystallization, which can lead to brittleness.
2. Proper Addition of Additives Additives play a vital role in the quality of PET sheets. It is important to select and add them appropriately based on actual needs. Additionally, regular testing should be conducted to monitor the quality of the additives to avoid degradation that could affect the sheet's toughness.
3. Control Storage Conditions PET sheets should be stored in dry, well-ventilated, and moisture-proof environments, avoiding exposure to high temperatures and humidity. For sheets stored over long periods, drying processes can be applied to reduce moisture content.
4. Ensure Proper Production Practices During production, operators must follow proper procedures to prevent issues caused by the extrusion process, cooling control, or pressure adjustment that could affect the internal structure and mechanical performance of the PET sheets.
5. PET sheets are high-performance packaging materials, but brittleness is a common issue in practical applications. To avoid brittleness, careful attention must be paid to the control of production and usage parameters, such as heat treatment, additive selection and dosage, and storage conditions. By strictly managing these factors, it is possible to produce PET sheets with stable performance.
This Automatic Three Stations Plastic Pressure Thermoforming Machine is mainly for the production of variety plastic containers ( egg tray, fruit container, food container, package containers, etc) with thermoplastic sheets, such as PS, PET, HIPS, PP, PLA, etc