This article is concerned with understanding the behavior of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in the injection stretch blow molding (ISBM) process where it is typically biaxially stretched to form bottles for the packaging industry. A comprehensive experimental study was undertaken, analyzing the behavior of three different grades of PET under constant width (CW), simultaneous (EB), and sequential (SQ) equal biaxial deformation. Experiments were carried out at temperature and strain rate ranges of 80-1108C and 1 s 21 to 32 s 21 , respectively, to different stretch ratios. Results show that the biaxial deformation behavior of PET exhibits a strong dependency on forming temperature, strain rate, stretch ratio, deformation mode, and molecular weight. The tests were also monitored via a high speed thermal image camera which showed an increase in temperature between 58C and 158C depending on the stretch conditions. POLYM. ENG. SCI., FIG. 14. Average surface temperature of PET specimen (calculated from within the boxed area) following EB deformation at 908C and a strain rate of 16 s 21 to a stretch ratio of 3. (a) Before the deformation is conducted. (b) After the deformation is stopped.

During free surface moulding processes such as thermoforming and blow moulding, heated polymer materials are subjected to rapid biaxial deformation as they are drawn into the shape of a mould. In the development of process simulations, it is therefore essential to be able to accurately measure and model this behaviour. Conventional uniaxial test methods are generally inadequate for this purpose and this has led to the development of specialised biaxial test rigs. In the present study, the results of several programmes of biaxial tests conducted at Queen's University are presented and discussed. These have included tests on high impact polystyrene (HIPS), polypropylene (PP) and aPET, and the work has involved a wide variety of experimental conditions. In all cases, the results clearly demonstrate the unique characteristics of materials when subjected to biaxial deformation. PP draws the highest stresses and it is the most temperature-sensitive of the materials. aPET is initially easier to form but exhibits strain hardening at higher strains. This behaviour is increased with increasing strain rate but at very high strain rates, these effects are increasingly mollified by adiabatic heating. Both aPET and PP (to a lesser degree) draw much higher stresses in sequential stretching showing that this behaviour must be considered in process simulations. HIPS showed none of these effects and it is the easiest material to deform.

A 2D isothermal finite element simulation of the injection stretch-blow molding (ISBM) process for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) containers has been developed through the commercial finite element package ABA-QUS/standard. In this work, the blowing air to inflate the PET preform was modeled through two different approaches: a direct pressure input (as measured in the blowing machine) and a constant mass flow rate input (based on a pressure-volume-time relationship). The results from these two approaches were validated against free blow and free stretch-blow experiments, which were instrumented and monitored through highspeed video. Results show that simulation using a constant mass flow rate approach gave a better prediction of volume vs. time curve and preform shape evolution when compared with the direct pressure approach and hence is more appropriate in modeling the preblowing stage in the injection stretch-blow molding process.

The study is focused on the effect of strain rate, temperature and stretch ratio on the room temperature mechanical properties of PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) following biaxial deformation. Specimens were biaxially stretched within a temperature range 80-110°C, a strain rate in the range 1-16/s and stretch ratio in the range 1-2.8. The tensile moduli of the stretched specimens were obtained using tensile testing. Results show that post-stretching room temperature modulus increases with decreasing temperature, increasing strain rate, and stretch ratio.

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