Conditioning

Conditioning, a fundamental process in plastics processing, refers to the targeted process of moisture absorption in plastics.

The capacity to absorb moisture varies greatly between the different types of plastic. While non-polar plastics such as polyolefins, styrene polymers and fluoroplastics absorb only very small amounts of moisture, polar plastics such as polyurethane (PUR) or cellulose esters show a higher affinity for water absorption.

The ability to absorb moisture is particularly pronounced in polyamides. It is therefore common practice to subject moulded parts and semi-finished products made of polyamide to a conditioning process after their production in order to achieve a specific moisture content. This process has a positive influence on the material properties of polyamides such as strength, modulus of elasticity, toughness as well as friction and wear behaviour.