Shear processing maps: a new design guide for melt processors

A method for predicting the optimal conditions for polymer extrusion, which relies only on gramscale laboratory experiments for two commercial polystyrene samples with two molecular weights is demonstrated by oscillatory rheology. These enable a shear viscosity map vs. temperature and shear rate to be constructed, together with the positions for the major molecular timescales. Alternative methods for characterising rheology, including melt flow index and capillary rheology measurements were also employed, but these do not give the same level of understanding of flow behaviour. The capillary tests generates die swell and this complex behaviour can be seen to collapse onto a single line regardless of temperature when plotted using the Rouse-Weissenberg number. The full shear viscosity map, together with the polymer timescales serves as a design tool to predict processing behaviour for melt processors. The work represents and builds on major academic-industry collaborative research programmes.