Orientation development and relaxation in injection molding of amorphous polymers

Abstract

Abstract Orientation development in amorphous polymer melts being vitrified in an injection molding process is described. Predictions of orientation development are based on the argument that the stress‐optical laws are valid in the molten stare and birefringence values appropriate to the stress levels at the time of vitrification remain. This theory is compared to birefringence distributions determined in injection molded parts.