Efficient microwave welding of Nylon 66 and ABS using graphite film as the susceptor

Abstract

In this article, an efficient microwave welding (MWW) of Nylon 66 and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) has been made with greater strength. The main problem of arcing while absorbing microwaves by the graphite was significantly eliminated by the Graphite film (GF). Once the heat is transferred to the parent material from the susceptor, the absorption of microwaves by the substrates also occurs in seconds, which is challenging. The time duration of the microwave, the wt% of graphite employed in the film, and the final pressure applied at the end of the process have immeasurably influenced the joining strength of the substrates. These three factors varied at different levels for appropriate welding with adequate strength. It was found that the joint strength of Nylon 66 increased from 170 to 190 s but decreased when the time duration increased to 200 s. The maximum joint strength for ABS was achieved at 180 s and dropped at 190 s. The graphite content with 28 wt% has maximum joint strength for Nylon 66 and 24 wt% for ABS. Further increasing graphite wt%, the substrates degraded due to overheating. The optimum parameters for proper joining by MWW are 28 wt% graphite, 190 s microwave duration, and 1.8 MPa pressure for Nylon 66 and 24 wt% graphite, 180 s duration, and 1.8 MPa pressure for ABS to achieve maximum strength. The ABS joint has maximum strength with less duration and graphite content than the Nylon 66.