DEVELOPMENT OF AN ALTERNATIVE PROCESS TECHNOLOGY FOR FOAM INJECTION MOULDING WITH PHYSICAL BLOWING AGENTS

When processing physical blowing agents like carbon dioxide or nitrogen in a low pressure process like the foam injection moulding a special meaning comes to the treatment of the gas/melt-system. First of all it must be guaranteed that a sufficient quantity of blowing agent in the solve status is present. Second, a materially and thermally homogeneous melt needs to be provided in order to achieve an even foam structure and surface. In this paper an IKV-development for FIM with physical blowing agents using a special injection nozzle is introduced. Results of investigations in this context will be presented.