OPTICAL MONITORING OF POLYPROPYLENE INJECTION-MOLDING

We have developed a model to describe the behavior of an optical fiber sensor for monitoring injection molding. The sensor was used to detec t light reflected from the mold cavity during the packing and cooling phases of injection molding of polypropylene. Light which reflected of f the opposite wall of the mold and back to the optical fiber was anal yzed for information regarding crystallization kinetics and the amount of crystallinity in the final product. The model illustrates how temp erature, pressure and crystallinity affect the detected light intensit y.