Ricerc@Sapienza

In order to deepen the mechanisms at the basis of mold surface replication onto the molded plastic surface, a novel experimental approach is proposed. Up to 20 different mold surface textures were made by machining with repetitive patterns of peaks and valleys. Mold replication tests were performed by over-molding of high density polyethylene (HDPE) on steel inserts. The surface morphology of inserts and injection molded parts was acquired by surface analyzer, and all the main roughness parameters were extracted and compared as well as the geometrical profiles.

In additive manufacturing (3D printing) processes, polyethylene (PE) filaments can be taken into consideration build and recycle components in space, thus reducing costs, risks, and logistics issues that can occur during a long-term mission beyond Low Earth Orbits. In fact, the excellent radiation shielding properties of polyethylene, which are due to its high content of hydrogen, have found consensus among the scientific community. On the other hand, PE shows poor mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties.