Einfluss des mineralischen Füllstoffs Zeolith auf den Verschleiß der Werkzeugstähle 1.2343 und 1.2738 im Kunststoffspritzguss

At the Montanuniversitaet Leoben, the topic of wear in mold steels has been studied for several decades. The durability and longevity of the steels used are important not only due to the associated costs but also for sustainability. Fillers such as glass fibers or mineral particles have become indispensable today due to their positive properties. Accordingly, it is important for smooth production, in terms of repairs and maintenance, but also for general sustainability, that the used molds and inserts are manufactured for the longest possible lifetime to meet the required number of shots. In this work, the platelet wear method was used to examine the influence of a mineral filler (zeolite) on the wear of two different mold steels (1.2343 / 1.2738). The base material is recycled polypropylene with a 30wt.% glass fiber content (PP GF30). The goal is to determine whether the mineral filler used affects the wear of the injection molding mold steels by conducting the same tests once with pure base material and once with an additional 7% zeolite content, then comparing the results. All tests were carried out under the same conditions, and the wear results were evaluated both quantitatively through weighing and qualitatively through the optical appearance of the plates using microscopy. To investigate the durability of the two steel types, an oxidation test was also performed. Finally, the wear of the two steel types and the influence of the two different plastic compounds were evaluated and compared.