Please enter valid positive numbers for both fields.
Calculated Melt Flow Rate
0.00 g/10 min
Based on inputs:
function calculateMFR() {
// 1. Get input values using var
var massInput = document.getElementById('massInput');
var timeInput = document.getElementById('timeInput');
var resultBox = document.getElementById('resultBox');
var mfrResult = document.getElementById('mfrResult');
var errorMsg = document.getElementById('errorMsg');
var inputSummary = document.getElementById('inputSummary');
// 2. Parse values
var m = parseFloat(massInput.value);
var t = parseFloat(timeInput.value);
// 3. Validation
if (isNaN(m) || isNaN(t) || m <= 0 || t <= 0) {
errorMsg.style.display = 'block';
resultBox.style.display = 'none';
return;
}
// Hide error if valid
errorMsg.style.display = 'none';
// 4. Calculation Logic
// Formula: MFR (g/10 min) = (Mass (g) / Time (s)) * 600
// 600 is the factor to convert seconds to 10 minutes (60 seconds * 10)
var mfrValue = (m / t) * 600;
// 5. Display Result
resultBox.style.display = 'block';
mfrResult.innerHTML = mfrValue.toFixed(2) + " g/10 min";
inputSummary.innerHTML = "Mass: " + m + " g | Time: " + t + " s";
}
What is Melt Flow Rate (MFR)?
Melt Flow Rate (MFR), also known as Melt Flow Index (MFI), is a critical measure used in the plastics industry to determine the ease of flow of the melt of a thermoplastic polymer. It represents the mass of polymer, in grams, that flows through a specific capillary die in 10 minutes under a prescribed temperature and load.
The MFR value is inversely proportional to the viscosity of the melt at the specific test conditions. A high MFR indicates a material that flows easily (low viscosity), while a low MFR indicates a material that is stiff and flows slowly (high viscosity).
Key Standard: The most common standards for testing MFR are ASTM D1238 and ISO 1133.
How to Calculate Melt Flow Rate
While modern plastometers calculate MFR automatically, manual calculation is often performed during quality control verification using the "Method A" (manual cut-off) procedure.
The formula for calculating MFR is:
MFR (g/10 min) = (600 × m) / t
m: The average mass of the cut-off extrudates in grams (g).
t: The time interval of the cut-off in seconds (s).
600: The conversion factor (since MFR is standardized to 10 minutes, and there are 600 seconds in 10 minutes).
Calculation Example
Imagine you are testing a sample of Polypropylene. You set the cut-off time to 15 seconds. After collecting the extrudate, you weigh it and find the mass is 0.45 grams.