Jie Feng, Michael Petr, Jeff Wenzel, Mark Mirgon, Sam Crabtree, Alan Nakatani
Papers # 2018 Las-Vegas
Through tensile tests, simulated orientation, tribology, and finite element analysis, this study explored the effect of temperature, lubrication and applied hydraulic pressure in the PVC orientation process. It was demonstrated that tight control of these parameters is critical in a continuous PVC orientation process as well as in its initial start-up stage.
Oriented PVC (PVCO) is stronger but also much lighter than conventional PVC pipe. To study the manufacturing process, a combination of tensile tests, simulated orientation, tribology, and finite element analysis were used to assess the effects of temperature, lubrication, and supplied hydraulic pressure. The stretching process must take place near 100°C to maximize the PVC compound’s strain limit and minimize the stretching force. Lubrication in the form of water, silicone, or potentially other common lubricants, must be present to maintain a low coefficient of friction. Even with these two factors under control, the orientation process can still be difficult, so the addition of as little as 69kPa to the inside of the pipe can be utilized to complete the orientation process. Practically speaking, these three design parameters point to the use of boiling water in the orientation process because it is a lubricant at 100°C that can supply hydraulic pressure.
