MICROWAVE-HEATABLE THERMOPLASTICS HAVING A SELECTED HEATING RATE

1 . A method of formulating a microwave-heatable thermoplastic composition designed to have a selected heating rate, the method comprising:

selecting at least one of a microwave receptive additive, a microwave receptive additive particle size, and a concentration of the microwave receptive additive;

selecting at least two inputs selected from the group consisting of a thermoplastic polymer composition, a microwave power, an electric field strength, a maximum allowable temperature of the thermoplastic polymer composition, a processing temperature of the thermoplastic polymer composition, and a thermal diffusivity of the thermoplastic polymer composition;

mixing a microwave receptive additive with a thermoplastic polymer to form the microwave-heatable thermoplastic composition having a selected heating rate based on the selecting at least one and the selecting at least two.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the selected heating rate is within the range from 5° C. per second to 150° C. per second.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the selected heating rate is selected so as to result in at least one of a minimum cycle time, a desired cycle time, an economically viable cycle time, a maximum cycle time, and a cycle time range.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the microwave receptive additive particle size selected is within the range from 10 nanometers to 60 microns.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the microwave receptive additive concentration selected is within the range from 0 to 25 volume percent, based on a total volume of the microwave-heatable thermoplastic composition.

6 . A method of manufacturing a microwave-heatable composition designed to have a selected heating rate, the method comprising:

selecting at least two inputs selected from the group consisting of a thermoplastic polymer composition, a microwave power, an electric field strength, a maximum allowable temperature of the thermoplastic polymer composition, a processing temperature of the thermoplastic polymer composition, and a thermal diffusivity of the thermoplastic polymer composition;

selecting at least one of a microwave receptive additive, a particle size of the microwave receptive additive, and a concentration of the microwave receptive additive;

determining a heating rate of the microwave-heatable thermoplastic composition; and

varying at least one of the microwave receptive additive, the particle size of the microwave receptive additive, and the concentration of the microwave receptive additive; and

repeating the selecting, the determining a heating rate, and the varying until a selected heating rate convergence criteria is met.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising constraining at least one of the microwave receptive additive, the particle size of the microwave receptive additive, and the concentration of the microwave receptive additive.

8 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

determining a thermal response of a microwave receptive additive when exposed to a microwave energy field.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

determining a lattice constant based on the selected particle size and the selected concentration.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the determined heating rate is a function of the determined lattice constant, the determined thermal response, and the thermal diffusivity of the thermoplastic polymer composition.

11 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

determining a maximum temperature of a microwave receptive additive based on at least one of the electric field strength, the microwave power, and the microwave frequency;

wherein the selected microwave receptive additive has a maximum temperature less than or equal to the maximum allowable temperature of the thermoplastic polymer composition.

12 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising determining a performance envelope for the microwave-heatable composition, and wherein the selected heating rate convergence criteria is a function of the determined performance envelope.

13 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising graphically displaying a result of the determining a microwave receptive additive, a microwave receptive additive particle size, and a concentration of the microwave receptive additive.

14 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

manufacturing a microwave-heatable thermoplastic composition based on a result of the selecting at least two, selecting at least one, determining, varying, and repeating.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

disposing the microwave-heatable thermoplastic composition having a selected heating rate as a layer in a multi-layered composite.

16 . (canceled)

17 . (canceled)

18 . (canceled)

19 . A microwave-heatable thermoplastic composition, comprising:

a thermoplastic polymer; and

a microwave receptive additive;

wherein the microwave-heatable composition has a heating rate within a pre-defined performance envelope.

20 . The composition of claim 19 , wherein the pre-defined performance envelope is bounded by one or more of: an upper microwave receptive additive particle size limit; a lower microwave receptive additive particle size limit; a maximum microwave receptive additive particle temperature upon exposure to a selected electric field strength; a minimum heating rate; and a maximum heating rate.

21 . The composition of claim 20 , wherein the upper microwave receptive additive particle size limit is within the range from about 1 micron to about 60 microns.

22 . The composition of claim 20 , wherein the minimum heating rate is at least 10° C. per minute, and wherein the maximum heating rate is less than 150° C. per second.

23 . (canceled)

24 . (canceled)

25 . The composition of claim 19 , wherein the pre-defined performance envelope is based on at least one of thermoforming process economics, process cycle times, and a physical property requirement of the thermoplastic polymer.