Study of the rheological properties of poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) and cyclo- olefin-copolymer (COC) to optimize the hot-embossing process

A study of the rheological properties of two types of amorphous polymeric materials (PMMA and COC) was conducted in order to optimize the operating conditions for the hot embossing of the polymers. The glass transition temperature (Tg), the melt flow index (IF), and the viscosity as a function of shear stress were determined. These intrinsic properties were related to the aptitude of the polymers to reproduce the geometrical shape and surface states of a microstructured mould. The flow imposed to the polymeric material in shear or elongational mode was correlated to this rheological approach