Enhancement of the Folgar-Tucker model to predict filler orientation of filler blends and its application in the process simulation

• Applicant: Professor Dr.-Ing. Christian Bonten
• Subject Area: Plastics Engineering
• Term: from 2016 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 327744866

Not any polymer is ready for use after synthesis. Later particular applications usually require a more or less addition of fillers. Anisometric fillers (fibers and platelets) cause anisotropic part properties. These properties are usually predicted by means of simulation. The central model in these simulations is the Folgar-Tucker model, which describes process-depending filler orientation. As described in literature, the Folgar-Tucker model and its most imported parameter, the interaction coefficient, were only validated for fibrous fillers.At the moment, no knowledge about the orientation behavior of filler blends and its interaction mechanisms between different fillers exists. Thus, the goals of this research proposal are to investigate the orientation behavior of filler blends as well as the prevalent interaction mechanisms systematically. Based on this, the Folgar-Tucker model will be adapted to describe the filler orientation of filler blends. These adaptions will afterwards be validated at concrete plastic parts.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants