Development of a Rheology Die and Flow Characterization of Gas-Containing Polymer Melts.

We present a novel measurement die for characterizing the flow behavior of gas-containing polymer melts. The die is mounted directly on the injection-molding cylinder in place of the mold cavity and thus enables near-process measurement of viscosity (i.e.

A Simulation-Data-Based Machine Learning Model for Predicting Basic Parameter Settings of the Plasticizing Process in Injection Molding.

The optimal machine settings in polymer processing are usually the result of time-consuming and expensive trials. We present a workflow that allows the basic machine settings for the plasticizing process in injection molding to be determined with the help of a simulation-driven machine learning model. Given the material, screw geometry, shot weight, and desired plasticizing time, the model is able to predict the back pressure and screw rotational speed required to achieve good melt quality.

Backpressure Optimization in Foam Injection Molding: Method and Assessment of Sustainability.

Inspired by the Industry 4.0 trend towards greater user-friendliness and self-optimization of machines, we present a novel approach to reducing backpressure in foam injection molding. Our method builds on the compressibility of polymer-gas mixtures to detect undissolved gas phases during processing at insufficient backpressures.

Impact of ozonation on ecotoxicity and endocrine activity of tertiary treated wastewater effluent.

Tertiary wastewater treatment plant effluent before and after ozonation (0.6-1.1g O₃/g DOC) was tested for aquatic ecotoxicity in a battery of standardised microbioassays with green algae, daphnids, and zebrafish eggs.

Mammalian glucocorticoid metabolites act as androgenic endocrine disruptors in the medaka (Oryzias latipes).

Glucocorticoid metabolites enter the aquatic environment via mammalian excrements. Molecular structures of their C19O3 metabolites strongly resemble the major fish androgen 11-ketotestosterone. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that the cortisol metabolite 5alpha-androstan-3,11,17-trione acts similarly to 11-ketotestosterone by employing a fish screening assay for endocrine-active substances.