EFFECT of Thermoplastic Elastomer PROPERTIES IN Molded Microscale Features

Preliminary investigation indicated that the hardness and viscosity of thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) affected replication of microfeatures. Over several types of TPEs, a moderate hardness and viscosity demonstrated superior replication quality. In this work, further study for relationship between TPEs properties and replication quality was done. Copolyesters with a range of hardness and viscosity were evaluated. Replication of the molded parts was characterized using microscopy, surface profilometry, and scanning electron microscopy