Small-scale studies of flowing polymer melts inside recirculating flow cells
Tim Gough, Rob Spares, Mike Martyn, Julian Bent
University of Bradford
UK

Keywords: rheo-optics, recirculating, melts

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Two small scale (30g and 200g full charge) recirculating flow cells have been designed, manufactured and commissioned for the study of newly synthesised novel polymers. Full field stress and velocity measurements for a number of polymer melts through two abrupt contraction dies have been made utilising stress birefringence and particle tracking velocimetry techniques. These results have been compared with those through geometrically identical contractions mounted in flow cells on 38mm and 60mm extruders in order to quantify the effects of scale up. Complimentary small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and X-ray scattering (SAXS) studies on molecular configuration and shear induced crystallisation show the usefulness of these flow cells and brief results will be presented. Comparisons of the stress and velocity measurements with simulations performed using a multi-mode Pom-pom model are also made.