Applied Math Seminar Announcement

Over the last two decades, use of advanced computational algorithms to model various polymer processing techniques has transformed the art of plastic part design/manufacturing into a science-based technology. Computer modeling of polymer processing techniques, which is particularly challenging because of a complex rheological behavior of polymers, is extremely important because the final quality of a plastic part is strongly coupled to the processing conditions during manufacturing. The seminar will explore these two issues, namely, the complex rheological behavior of polymers, and the coupling between manufacturing and part quality. As an example, effect of elongational viscosity on design of extrusion dies will be analyzed using a newly developed software, PELDOM. The PELDOM software can simulate a polymeric flow taking into account not only the shear-thinning behavior of polymeric viscosity, but also the strain-rate dependence of the elongational viscosity of a polymer. A three-dimensional simulation of mold filling during injection molding can also be performed using the PELDOM software. Some examples of the injection molding simulation using PELDOM software will be presented during the seminar. More information about the PELDOM software can be obtained from www.me.mtu.edu/~mahesh/peldom.html.