In-process vibrational spectroscopy and ultrasound measurements in polymer melt extrusion

Spectroscopic techniques have the potential to provide powerful, molecular-specific, non-invasive measurements on polymers during melt processing operations. An exploration is reported of the application and assessment of sensitivity of in-process vibrational spectroscopy—on-line mid-infrared (MIR), on-line near-infrared (NIR), in-line NIR and in-line Raman—for monitoring of single screw extrusion of high-density polyethylene and polypropylene blends. These vibrational spectroscopic techniques are compared with novel in-line ultrasound velocity measurements, which were acquired simultaneously, to assess the sensitivity of each method to changes in blend composition and to explore the suitability for their use in real time process monitoring and control.