Monitoring the production of polymer nanocomposites by melt compounding with on-line rheometry

Abstract

Polymer nanocomposites are often prepared by melt compounding due to the suitability of the latter to industrial scale production. Even though monitoring the production process for quality control and/or optimization purposes is generally done off-line, the possibility of using on-line oscillatory rheometry, has many inherent advantages. This work illustrates the use of a prototype rheometer to monitor the production of polymer nanocomposites by making measurements at specific locations along the extruder axis. The device is presented and its operation is explained. Examples of its use to characterize polypropylene and polyamide matrix nanocomposites with organoclays and carbon nanotubes are discussed, thus demonstrating the usefulness of the device.