Effects of molding conditions on properties of injection‐molded polycarbonates

Abstract Statistically designed experiments were carried out to study the effects of molding conditions on the properties of two types of polycarbonate, which were synthesized by the solvent process and the melt process, respectively. The properties tested in this study were classified into two groups with respect to the effect of molding conditions. One, which included birefringence, heat shrinkage at 180°C, and surface resistance to Taber abrasion, was mainly affected by stock temperature and was slightly affected by holding pressure. The other, which included resistance to solvent crack, Rockwell hardness, density, and heat shrinkage at 120°C, was affected by mold temperature and holding pressure. Mechanically isotropic moldings with a low degree of frozen orientation could be molded at a high stock temperature and at a low holding pressure, where stock temperature was more effective than holding pressure. Moldings with low residual stresses could be molded at a high mold temperature and at a low holding pressure. Essentially there was no difference in the molding conditions and properties by the method of synthesis. However, under the same molding conditions polycarbonate synthesized by the melt process gave a higher degree of frozen orientation and somewhat more rigid moldings.