Ultrasonic Heating of Poly(ethylene terephthalate), Polypropylene, High-Density Polyethylene, and Low-Density Polyethylene Films

The ultrasonic heating rates of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), polypropylene (PP), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) films are reported. For this measurement, we used an experimental set-up consisting of an ultrasonic vibrator, a horn, and a radiation thermometer. Because the horn did not touch the film surfaces, the temperature increase was only by the ultrasonic vibration transmitted from the horn. The highest and lowest temperature increase were recorded for the PET and LDPE films, respectively. The temperature increase was related with the viscosity of the polymer films. (C) 2012 The Japan Society of Applied Physics