Control of Polymer Processing

2017 ◽  
pp. 139-150
Author(s):  
David Kazmer ◽  
Kourosh Danai
Keyword(s):  
Author(s):  
Wendy Putnam ◽  
Christopher Viney

Liquid crystalline polymers (solutions or melts) can be spun into fibers and films that have a higher axial strength and stiffness than conventionally processed polymers. These superior properties are due to the spontaneous molecular extension and alignment that is characteristic of liquid crystalline phases. Much of the effort in processing conventional polymers goes into extending and aligning the chains, while, in liquid crystalline polymer processing, the primary microstructural rearrangement involves converting local molecular alignment into global molecular alignment. Unfortunately, the global alignment introduced by processing relaxes quickly upon cessation of shear, and the molecular orientation develops a periodic misalignment relative to the shear direction. The axial strength and stiffness are reduced by this relaxation.Clearly there is a need to solidify the liquid crystalline state (i.e. remove heat or solvent) before significant relaxation occurs. Several researchers have observed this relaxation, mainly in solutions of hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) because they are lyotropic under ambient conditions.


2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingo Gestring ◽  
Dieter Mewes
Keyword(s):  

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (4s) ◽  
pp. 595-600 ◽  
Author(s):  
Witold Brostow ◽  
◽  
Haley E. Hagg Lobland ◽  

The property of brittleness for polymers and polymer-based materials (PBMs) is an important factor in determining the potential uses of a material. Brittleness of polymers may also impact the ease and modes of polymer processing, thereby affecting economy of production. Brittleness of PBMs can be correlated with certain other properties and features of polymers; to name a few, connections to free volume, impact strength, and scratch recovery have been explored. A common thread among all such properties is their relationship to chemical composition and morphology. Through a survey of existing literature on polymer brittleness specifically combined with relevant reports that connect additional materials and properties to that of brittleness, it is possible to identify chemical features of PBMs that are connected with observable brittle behavior. Relations so identified between chemical composition and structure of PBMs and brittleness are described herein, advancing knowledge and improving the capacity to design new and to choose among existing polymers in order to obtain materials with particular property profiles.


Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 536
Author(s):  
Michal Sedlačík
Keyword(s):  

Polymer processing and surfaces are considered key parameters for developing unique materials for various applications [...]


Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1218
Author(s):  
Raffael Rathner ◽  
Wolfgang Roland ◽  
Hanny Albrecht ◽  
Franz Ruemer ◽  
Jürgen Miethlinger

The Cox-Merz rule is an empirical relationship that is commonly used in science and industry to determine shear viscosity on the basis of an oscillatory rheometry test. However, it does not apply to all polymer melts. Rheological data are of major importance in the design and dimensioning of polymer-processing equipment. In this work, we investigated whether the Cox-Merz rule is suitable for determining the shear-rate-dependent viscosity of several commercially available high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe grades with various molecular masses. We compared the results of parallel-plate oscillatory shear rheometry using the Cox-Merz empirical relation with those of high-pressure capillary and extrusion rheometry. To assess the validity of these techniques, we used the shear viscosities obtained by these methods to numerically simulate the pressure drop of a pipe head and compared the results to experimental measurements. We found that, for the HDPE grades tested, the viscosity data based on capillary pressure flow of the high molecular weight HDPE describes the pressure drop inside the pipe head significantly better than do data based on parallel-plate rheometry applying the Cox-Merz rule. For the lower molecular weight HDPE, both measurement techniques are in good accordance. Hence, we conclude that, while the Cox-Merz relationship is applicable to lower-molecular HDPE grades, it does not apply to certain HDPE grades with high molecular weight.


Fluids ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 66
Author(s):  
Sónia Costa ◽  
Paulo Teixeira ◽  
José Covas ◽  
Loic Hilliou

Piezoelectric sensors have made their way into polymer processing and rheometry applications, in particular when small pressure changes with very fast dynamics are to be measured. However, no validation of their use for steady shear rheometry is available in the literature. Here, a rheological slit die was designed and constructed to allow for the direct comparison of pressure data measured with conventional and piezoelectric transducers. The calibration of piezoelectric sensors is presented together with a methodology to correct the data from the inherent signal drift, which is shown to be temperature and pressure independent. Flow curves are measured for polymers showing different levels of viscoelasticity. Piezoelectric slit rheometry is validated and its advantage for the rheology of thermodegradable materials with viscosity below 100 Pa·s is highlighted.


Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1305
Author(s):  
Ahmad Fakhari ◽  
Željko Tukovic ◽  
Olga Sousa Carneiro ◽  
Célio Fernandes

The extrudate swell, i.e., the geometrical modifications that take place when the flowing material leaves the confined flow inside a channel and moves freely without the restrictions that are promoted by the walls, is a relevant phenomenon in several polymer processing techniques. For instance, in profile extrusion, the extrudate cross-section is subjected to a number of distortions that are motivated by the swell, which are very difficult to anticipate, especially for complex geometries. As happens in many industrial processes, numerical modelling might provide useful information to support design tasks, i.e., to allow for identifying the best strategy to compensate the changes promoted by the extrudate swell. This study reports the development of an improved interface tracking algorithm that employs the least-squares volume-to-point interpolation method for the grid movement. The formulation is enriched further with the consistent second-order time-accurate non-iterative Pressure-Implicit with Splitting of Operators (PISO) algorithm, which allows for efficiently simulating free-surface flows. The accuracy and robustness of the proposed solver is illustrated through the simulation of the steady planar and asymmetric extrudate swell flows of Newtonian fluids. The role of inertia on the extrudate swell is studied, and the results that are obtained with the newly improved solver show good agreement with reference data that are found in the scientific literature.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document