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Aspects of dispersion and flow in thermoplastic‐elastomer blends
Author(s) -
Schreiber H. P.,
Olguin A.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
polymer engineering and science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.503
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1548-2634
pISSN - 0032-3888
DOI - 10.1002/pen.760230305
Subject(s) - materials science , polypropylene , thermoplastic elastomer , composite material , elastomer , polystyrene , natural rubber , dispersion (optics) , melt flow index , surface tension , shear (geology) , thermoplastic , mixing (physics) , polymer , thermodynamics , copolymer , physics , optics , quantum mechanics
Polypropylene, polystyrene, EP (ethylene/propylene) rubber, and bromobutyl rubber were blended under standardized conditions and the sizes of minor phase domains determined by Quantimet analysis. Dispersion effectiveness was found to depend on the melt viscosities of components under mixing conditions and on their “compatibilty” as inferred here from surface‐tension data. Dispersion was optimized when components wet readily at contact surfaces and when melt viscosities were similar. Shear heating during dispersion appeared to offer an empirical index of component compatibilty. Apparent melt viscosities of the blends further reflected the component compatibility factor.