Polymer Mixing

There has been an increase in the development and production of new polymer blends and the preparation of compounds of polymers of carbon black, various fibers, and inorganic particles. These developments have led to a blending/compounding industry, which sits between the polymer producers and the manufacturers of shaped products such as injection molders. This book provides a broad-based examination of the characteristics of polymers blends and compounds, and the methods of preparing them in batch and continuous mixing equipment.

The rheology of filled polymer systems is an ever expanding field in the polymer industry today. Using a concise, practical and simple format this comprehensive work explains the concepts behind filled polymer systems and the rheological techniques involved in studying their behaviour. Aware that the readers of the book may come from differing background, the first three chapters familiarize the reader with the basics about polymers, fillers and physicochemical interactions between them, rheology and rheometry. Covering such topics as preparation of filled polymer systems, steady shear viscous properties and extentional flow properties, this book covers the areas of importance from an introductory level through to more complex issues.

This work sheds new light on fundamental aspects of phase separation in polymer-blend thin films. A key feature underlying the theoretical models is the unification of one-dimensional thermodynamic phase equilibria with film evolution phenomena in two- and three dimensions. Initially, an established 'phase portrait' method, useful for visualising and calculating phase equilibria of polymer-blend films, is generalised to systems without convenient simplifying symmetries. Thermodynamic equilibria alone are then used to explain a film roughening mechanism in which laterally coexisting phases can have different depths in order to minimise free energy. The phase portraits are then utilised to demonstrate that simulations of lateral phase separation via a transient wetting layer, which conform very well with experiments, can be satisfactorily explained by 1D phase equilibria and a 'surface bifurcation' mechanism. Lastly, a novel 3D model of coupled phase separation and dewetting is developed, which demonstrates that surface roughening shadows phase separation in thin films.

Micro- and Nanostructured Multiphase Polymer Blend Systems: Phase Morphology and Interfaces focuses on the formation of phase morphology in polymer blends and copolymers and considers various types of blends including thermosets, thermoplastics, thermoplastic vulcanizates, and structured copolymers. The book carefully debates the processing

"Focusing on the principles of mixing and practical aspects of mixing technology used in the polymer processing industry, this book facilitates the selection of the most suitable mixing machinery for specific applications-emphasizing interactions between mixer geometry and resulting mixing action, identifying one mixer from another, and evaluating the mixing performance of each device. "

Addressing the two major unit operations-mixing and extrusion-fundamental toprocessing elastomers and plastic materials, this reference summarizes design equationsthat can be employed effectively in scaling up product performance parameters, andcontains a thorough survey of rheological principles. In addition, the book provides awealth of practical information, relating molecular and compositional properties ofpolymers to processing characteristics and end-use properties so that engineers can selectpolymers suitable for specific equipment as well as products.Polymer Mixing and Extrusion Technology examines viscometric techniquesand demonstrates their importance to product quality assurance ... reviews design-relatedliterature/correlations and calculation procedures for mixing and extrusion ... definesneeds and precision standards for setting up a polymer processing laboratory so thatproduct quality control can be implemented in physical testing and processing research.. . plus more.Illustrated with over 200 diagrams, tables, and photographs that facilitate readers'understanding of the processes, Polymer Mixing and Extrusion Technology isan authoritative source for plastics, polymer, and chemical engineers, manufacturers ofplastics processing equipment, and advanced undergraduate and graduate students in thesedisciplines.