Effect of process parameters and talc ratio on hot plate welding of polypropylene

This study analyzes the influence of different talc ratios on weld strength of polypropylene joined with hot plate welding process. It further determines the optimum welding parameter settings to achieve the optimum weld strength and observes the effect of process parameters, namely plate temperature and heating time on the joint quality. Process parameters were considered as variables and their effect, interactions and relative significance were investigated by utilizing design of experiment. Simultaneously, a mathematical predictive model of the weld strength was developed in terms of welding parameters. The model can predict effectively weld strength with a 95% confidence level. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.