Studies of the extrusion screw shear profile and matrix geometry on the morphological and mechanical behavior of compatibilized PBT/ABS polymer blends

• Grant number: 05/04552-1
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: March 01, 2006
• End date: March 31, 2008
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering - Nonmetallic Materials
• Principal Investigator: Elias Hage Junior
• Grantee: Elias Hage Junior
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Polymer blends can be exposed to different types of deformations when prepared in a twin screw extruder, including when it is forced to flow in the die. Those kind of flows are responsible for the way the blends are mixed inside the extruder. This research proposal aims to study the influence of the extruder variables on the efficiency of the morphology and homogeneity. It is used the PBT/ABS blend compatibilized by acrylic copolymers to be submmitted to different conditions of extrusion and to be observed. Dispersion effects will be analyzed by changing the screw profile and the die geometry. A W & P twin screw extruder will be used for those studies. Blend mechanical properties as well morphology wil be monitored with the change of shear and elongational flows due to changes in the screw and die designs for the extruder, besides the process variables. The rheological behavior of the blends will be previously characterized to help in the discussion of the results. (AU)