Preheating of a poly(ethylene terephthalate) preform for stretch blow molding using microwaves

Abstract

In this work, a new microwave resonant cavity was developed to completely preheat a poly(ethylene terephthalate) preform efficiently for a stretch blow molding process. Microwave power simulation software was used to design the microwave resonant cavity. An investigation of the inside and outside surface temperature profile along the preform and free inflation experimentation indicated that a cylindrical resonant cavity could efficiently preheat a poly(ethylene terephthalate) preform with the advantages of reduced time and increased energy savings versus a conventional infrared heating system.