OPT353 Properties and Testing of Plastics Syllabus:

OPT353 Properties and Testing of Plastics Syllabus – Anna University Regulation 2021

COURSE OBJECTIVES

 To understand the relevance of standards and specifications as well as the specimen preparation for polymer testing.
 To study the mechanical properties and testing of polymer materials and their structural property relationships.
 To understand the thermal properties of polymers and their testing methods.
 To gain knowledge on the electrical and optical properties of polymers and their testing methods.
 To study about the environmental effects and prevent polymer degradation.

UNIT I INTRODUCTION TO CHARACTERIZATION AND TESTING OF POLYMERS

Introduction- Standard organizations: BIS, ASTM, ISO, BS, DIN etc. Standards and specifications. Importance of standards in the quality control of polymers and polymer products. Preparation of test pieces, conditioning and test atmospheres. Tests on elastomers: processability parameters of rubbers – plasticity, Mooney viscosity, scorch time, cure time, cure rate index, Processability tests carried out on thermoplastics and thermosets: MFI, cup flow index, gel time, bulk density, bulk factor.

UNIT II MECHANICAL PROPERTIES

Mechanical properties: Tensile, compression, flexural, shear, tear strength, hardness, impact strength, resilience, abrasion resistance, creep and stress relaxation, compression set, dynamic fatigue, ageing properties, Basic concepts of stress and strain, short term tests: Viscoelastic behavior (simple models: Kelvin model for creep and stress relaxation, Maxwell-Voigt model, strain recovery and dynamic response), Effect of structure and composition on mechanical properties, Behavior of reinforced polymers

UNIT III THERMAL RHEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES

Thermal properties: Transition temperatures, specific heat, thermal conductivity, co-efficient of thermal expansion, heat deflection temperature, Vicat softening point, shrinkage, brittleness temperature, thermal stability and flammability. Product testing: Plastic films, sheeting, pipes, laminates, foams, containers, cables and tubes.

UNIT IV ELECTRICAL AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES

Electrical properties: volume and surface resistivity, dielectric strength, dielectric constant and power factor, arc resistance, tracking resistance, dielectric behavior of polymers (dielectric co-efficient, dielectric polarization), dissipation factor and its importance. Optical properties: transparency, refractive index, haze, gloss, clarity, birefringence.

UNIT V ENVIRONMENTAL AND CHEMICAL RESISTANCE

Environmental stress crack resistance (ESCR), water absorption, weathering, aging, ozone resistance, permeability and adhesion. Tests for chemical resistance. Acids, alkalies, Flammability tests- oxygen index test.

TOTAL: 45 PERIODS
COURSE OUTCOMES

CO1 Understand the relevance of standards and specifications.
CO2 Summarize the various test methods for evaluating the mechanical properties of the polymers.
CO3 To know the thermal, electrical & optical properties of polymers.
CO4 Identify various techniques used for characterizing polymers.
CO5 Distinguish the processability tests used for thermoplastics, thermosets and elastomers.

REFERENCES

1. F.Majewska, H.Zowall, Handbook of analysis of synthetic polymers and plastics, Ellis Horwood Limited Publisher 1977.
2. J.F.Rabek, Experimental Methods in Polymer Chemistry, John Wiley and Sons 1980.
3. R.P.Brown, Plastic test methods, 2nd Edn., Harlond, Longman Scientific, 1981.
4. A. B. Mathur, I. S. Bharadwaj, Testing and Evaluation of Plastcis, Allied Publishers Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, 2003.
5. Vishu Shah, Handbook of Plastic Testing Technology, 3rd Edn., John Wiley & Sons 2007.
6. S. K. Nayak, S. N. Yadav, S. Mohanty, Fundamentals of Plastic Testing, Springer, 2010.