pps proceeding - Abstract Preview
pps proceeding
Symposium: Nanocomposite Materials & Processing
Oral Presentation
 
 

Scale up of polypropylene/carbon nanotubes nanocomposites:Dispersion improvement by means of simulation software

Roca Blay Luis (1)*, Galindo Galiana Begoņa (1)

(1) AIMPLAS - Paterna-Valencia - Spain

In this work Co-rotating twin screw extruder (Co-TSE) simulation software was employed to optimize the dispersion of carbon nanotubes in the polypropylene nanocomposites scale-up from 25 mm diameter (Co-TSE) to 70 mm. To do so different processing conditions and screw configurations were simulated trying to match the same Specific mechanical energy and residence time in both extruders to have the same degree of dispersion. Dispersion was measured by optical microscopy and statistically treated by particle counting software were agglomerate average size and agglomerate density gave the mixing quality index. Similar values of residence time and specific mechanical energy were obtained and important reduction of average particle size and agglomerates density which allowed the multifilament extrusion at industrial scale without blocking the die orifices.