Polymeric materials have attracted a lot of attention for the past several decades. Different sectors of manufacturing industry, such as packaging, building and automotive industry have introduced polymeric materials in their applications. Common polymer manufacturing processes include thermoforming and blow molding. In this research, characteristics of a new polymer manufacturing process, referred to as axial-feed hot gas tube forming (HGTF) are studied. Experimental studies were conducted to form a simple axisymmetric component from extruded polypropylene (PP) tube by varying several key process parameters such as internal pressure, temperature and axial feed. Tube shape and deformation characteristics were studied as a function of the above process parameters. In addition, two consecutive material models have been utilized for finite element simulation of axial-feed HGTF of PP tube using a commercial FE code. One of them is conventional hyperelastic Ogden material model and another is more advanced viscoelastic-viscoplastic Augmented Hybrid material model (AHM), that has been recently developed. Simulation results from two models were analyzed and compared with the experimental results and good general agreement has been obtained. Results showed that application of more advanced AHM material model led to improved prediction of part shape and strain distribution over the part profile. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

Oriented thermoplastics offer interesting opportunities for making structural automotive components due to their higher strengths. A new process, referred to as the axial feed hot oil tube forming (AF-HOTF) process, has been developed and studied for the forming of oriented thermoplastic tubes. The starting material for AF-HOTF process is an oriented polypropylene (OPP) tube produced by the solid state extrusion process. AF-HOTF was used to study forming and fracture behaviour of OPP tubes at large strains. Mechanical properties and molecular orientation of starting and post-formed materials were investigated to gain a better understanding of structure-property-process relationships during solid state extrusion and subsequent forming of OPP tubes. The development of molecular orientation and other microstructural changes and damage development in extruded and bulged OPP tubes during solid state extrusion and AF-HOTF processes were studied with optical microscopy, wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) and field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) techniques. Also, the development of large strains during AF-HOTF of OPP samples were experimentally studied in the form of spatial strain maps, strain/stress state and forming limit strains using an on-line strain mapping method based on digital image correlation (DIC). In addition, tensile tests have been carried out at room temperature on samples machined from the extruded and bulged tubes along the axial and hoop directions. Experimental quantitative relationships amongst molecular orientation parameters and extrusion and AF-HOTF process parameters such as draw ratio, strain and strain state have been obtained. These relationships in the form of White and Spruiell biaxial orientation factors provide a useful insight into molecular reorientation that occurs during extrusion and subsequent forming of OPP tubes. Also, an analytical model for forming limit prediction that takes into account OPP tube properties, tube dimensions and AF-HOTF process parameters was developed based on existing model of tube hydroforming in the literature. In addition, a new biaxial ball stretching test (BBST) system was developed and utilized to subject the thermoplastic tube to biaxial stretching. The design of the test-rig and results were presented for polypropylene (PP) tubes subjected to BBST at various temperatures. The BBST system was combined with an available on-line imaging and strain analysis system (ARAMIS® system from GOM) to observe the development of strains in the biaxial tensile region during the test. BBST samples were studied with wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) pole figures. Three different hot forming processes (Solid-state extrusion, AF-HOTF and BBST) were used in this research. The structure of the extruded samples at draw ratio 5 and higher was completely changed to fibrils structure, and the yield strength and elastic modulus increased by 50%. Also the crystallinity increased from 47% to 68% with an increase in draw ratio. An increase in axial feed during the hot forming process resulted in higher formability (strains values of 0.55 major strain and -0.25 minor strain) and delayed failure. The analytical model prediction of bursting shows good agreement with the experimental results. The results provide an understanding of the orientation development in solid state extrusion of PP tubes as well as an understanding of tube formability, flow localization and fracture characteristics of PP tube from AF-HOTF process and other related processes. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)