The Application of Di-isocyante Modified Agro-polymer as Filler For XNBR/PA-12 Thermoplastic Elastomer Composites

Lignocelluloses industrial waste flour of olive husk powder (LCF) was utilized as reinforcement in carboxylated nitrile butadiene rubber (XNBR)/Polyamide-12 (PA-12) thermoplastic elastomer composites. To improve the bonding quality between the LCF and the blend, the powder was chemically treated by two means, the former is the treatment with toulene-2–4-diisocyanate (TDIC), and the latter is mercerization with sodium hydroxide followed by neutralization with acetic acid. The untreated and chemically treated powders were analyzed with attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy (ATR-IR). The morphology of the powders before and after treatment was studied with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The LCF reinforced composites were prepared using computerized Haake internal mixer coupled with rheometer. The processing conditions were 178°C and rotor speed of 80- round per minute for 7 min. The melt mixing process was monitored by the torque-time plastograms of the Haake internal mixer. The development of the stock temperature during the mixing process was monitored using the rheometer of Hakke internal mixer. The structural changes of the XNBR/PA-12 composites were inspected by SEM and attenuated ATR-IR spectroscopy. The influence of the modified filler on the toughness and hardness of the prepared samples are reported. The resistance of the prepared composites to water and toluene swelling are evaluated as well.     

Laser Doppler measurements of flow in a cone-and-plate rheometer and the effect of cone misalignment

Laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV) is used to measure the flow profile of a Newtonian fluid in a cone-and-plate rheometer. The primary and secondary flow patterns are measured in the ideal geometry. The results confirm prior predictions of flow patterns. Flow profiles are also measured in the misaligned geometry in which the cone axis of rotation is tilted slightly off the perpendicular with the plate surface. Numerical predictions of these flow patterns (Dudgeon and Wedgewood, 1994) are also confirmed.     

Determination of yield stress fluid behaviour from inclined plane test

The aim of this paper is to determine precisely under which conditions an inclined plane can be used as a rheometer, which could represent a practical and rapid technique for various types of industrial or natural viscoplastic coarse suspensions. We first examine its efficiency and relevancy for determining fluid yield stress in a straight way by measuring the deepest fluid layer able to stay on the inclined plane. We have made experiments with different materials (clay-water suspensions) whose yield stress ranged from 35 to 90 Pa, using 1 m long open rectangular channels with a slope ranging from 10 to 30° and a width ranging from 5 to 25 cm. Our procedure involved measuring the final fluid depth far from edges a long time after the end of the slow gravity-induced emptying of a dam placed upstream. The fluid yield stress was also estimated independently by fitting a Herschel-Bulkley model to simple shear rheometry data obtained within a relatively wide shear rate range. A good agreement between inclined rectangular channel tests and independent usual rheometrical tests is obtained even for aspect ratios (flow depth to channel width ratio) as large as 1 when one assumes that, when the fluid has stopped, the side and bottom wall shear stresses are equal to the fluid yield stress. These results prove the efficiency of the inclined plane test for determining yield stress when appropriate experimental precautions are taken for both tests. In addition we examine the possibility of determining the simple shear flow curve of a mud suspension from fluid depth, velocity and discharge measurements of different steady flows in a wide open channel (8 m long; 60 cm wide) equipped with a recirculating system. The results obtained from inclined plane tests are in good agreement with independent rheometrical data (with torsional geometries). However it is technically difficult to cover a wide shear rate range from the inclined plane technique since this requires a rather wide channel flow rate range.     

Experimental observations on the pressure-dependent polymer melt rheology of linear low density polyethylene,using a multi-pass rheometer

We report experimental data for a linear low density grade of polyethylene at elevated temperatures using a newly designed Multi-Pass Rheometer. This rheometer is capable of measuring oscillatory viscoelastic data and steady shear capillary measurements on the same test fluid within an enclosed environment. Data presented in this paper show that at low pressures there is reasonable self-consistency between the Multi-Pass data and separate oscillatory data obtained by using a Rheometrics Mechanical Spectrometer and steady shear data obtained from a Rosand capillary rheometer. In addition, we report experimental data on the pressure dependence for both viscoelastic and steady shear data over the range of 1–230 bar. The steady shear results appear to be consistent with previously published data. The apparent viscosity and the viscoelastic data both show a linear increase of about 20% over the pressure range tested.Dedicated to Prof. Dr. J. Meissner on the occasion of his retirement from the chair of Polymer Physics at the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zürich, Switzerland     

Improvements of an oscillatory squeezing flow rheometer for small elasticity measurements of liquids

Dilute dispersions and polymer solutions used as functional fluids or operation fluids are required to be controlled in an extremely high quality level in the semiconductor industry or MEMS (Micro Mechanical Electric System) devices, such as inkjet print heads and micro pumps. Many of the quality items depend on microscopic state of dispersion or solution stem from mutual interactions among the dispersed particles and solved polymers; hence, close investigations of these complex interactions are of great concern for developments of highly functional fluids and micro fluidic devices. Here, some great improvements are presented on a random oscillatory squeezing flow rheometer to detect subtle rheological properties arise as results of interactions between micro solid particles dispersed in liquids. To detect subtle elasticity within fundamentally viscous liquids, very small phase difference from the viscous response has to be measured, and for this reason effects from three major sources (sensor nonlinearity, nonlinear squeeze flow response, and instrument compliance) that give phase errors and noises as well as fluid inertia are completely compensated by data processing, achieving sensitivity for subtle dynamic modulus G to the extent of G/G 0.001. As examples of the dilute dispersions, water dispersions of monodisperse acrylic latex were measured and detections of dynamic modulus G of 10^–3 Pa at 100 Hz were demonstrated.     

Influence of temperature on the slip velocity of semidilute xanthan gum solutions

We obtain experimental evidence of the influence of temperature in the range 12-32°C on the slip phenomena of two different 0.3% xanthan solutions in a glass capillary rheometer. Enhancement of the slip velocity was observed for both samples around the corresponding thermally induced order-disorder transition temperature. Intrinsic viscosity measurements were performed to find the conformation change of both samples. Concentrations of 0.15% and 0.2% were analyzed for one sample, showing absence of slip at 0.15%.Slip velocity measurements were determined with the traditional Mooney method for a L/D ratio of the capillaries (640) enough to neglect entry head losses. Comparisons were done with the method developed by Piau et al. (1990) and with the one developed by Hatzikiriakos and Dealy (1992). The resulting behavior of the slip velocity with the capillary diameters, calculated with the method of Hatzikiriakos and Dealy, was contrary to the behavior experimentally found by other authors. The observed differences in the slip velocity, measured with the other two methods, were proportional and nearly independent of temperature and diameter of the capillaries.     

A specific slit die rheometer for extruded starchy products. Design,validation and application to maize starch

A novel in-line rheometer, called Rheopac, has been designed and built in order to study the rheological behaviour of starchy products or, more generally, of products sensitive to a thermomechanical treatment. It is based on the principle of a twin channel, using a balance of feed rate between each of them, in order to make local shear rate vary in the measuring section without changing the flow conditions into the extruder. A wide range of shear rate could be reached and measurements were performed more swiftly than with a classical slit die. The viscous behaviour of maize starch was studied by taking into account the influence of the thermomechanical history, which modified the starch degradation and thus led to important variations in the viscosity. Experimental results were satisfactorily compared to previously published models.Nomenclature E activation energy (J · mol^–1) - h channel depth (m) - h ₁ depth under the piston valve in channel 1 (m) - h ₂ depth under the piston valve in channel 2 (m) - K consistency (Pa·s ⁿ ) - K ₀ reference consistency (Pa·s ⁿ ) - L total channel length (m) - L _p length of the piston valve (m) - MC moisture content (wet basis) - n power law index - N screw rotation speed (rpm) - P ₀ entrance pressure (Pa) - P _e pressure at the entry of the piston valve (Pa) - Q ₁ flow rate in channel 1 (m3 · s^–1) - Q ₂ flow rate in channel 2 m³·s^–1) - Q _T total flow rate (m3 · s^–1) - R constant of perfect gas (8.314 J·mol^–1·K^–1) - SME specific mechanical energy (kWh · t^–1) - T temperature (°C) - T _a absolute temperature (K) - T _b barrel temperature (°C) - T _d die temperature (°C) - T _p product temperature (°C) - w channel width (m) - W energetical term (J·m^–3) - viscosity (Pa · s) - [gh ₀] intrinsic viscosity of native starch (ml·g^–1) - [] intrinsic viscosity (ml·g^–1) - shear rate (s^–1) - shear rate in measuring section (s^–1) - maximum shear rate (s^–1)     

Does N 1 or N 2 control the onset of edge fracture?

The edge fracture instability which occurs at the air/liquid interface in a cone-and-plate rheometer is studied for six elastic polymer solutions. Theoretical models for the onset of edge fracture are evaluated in light of the experimental data. The data are well-described by the Tanner-Keentok model, which predicts that fracture will occur whenever a critical value of the second normal stress difference is exceeded in magnitude.     

Sliding plate rheometry of planar oriented concentrated fiber suspension

The rheology of concentrated planar fiber suspensions is investigated. A new experimental technique for fiber suspensions based on a sliding plate rheometer incorporating a shear stress transducer is developed. It is shown that this instrument works well for the tested material systems. The rheological behavior in steady shear is subsequently investigated. The results can be largely explained by a combination of frictional and hydrodynamic interaction. Despite this evidence of friction no yield stress could be detected for the investigated shear rates. It was also found that the fiber aspect ratio did not influence the steady shear viscosity.     

Stress tensor measurement using birefringence in oblique transmission

A method for measuring the stress tensor of liquids obeying the stress-optical rule is presented. In particular, the procedure makes it possible to determine the shear stress, and the first and second normal stress differences for rheometric flows. This technique is an extension of the procedure recently described by Burghardt and coworkers (Brown et al., 1995) wherein light is sent obliquely through a sample sheared between transparent plates. However, in the present development, the light is transmitted in the plane containing the velocity gradient and neutral directions, thereby reducing the necessary optical measurements by one. A polystyrene-tricresyl phosphate (TCP) solution is used as the test sample. The first and second normal stress differences in steady shear flow measured by this method show good agreement with the mechanical results measured by Madga et al. (1993) using a modified cone and plate rheometer. The transient behavior of the first and second normal stress differences following the start-up of shear flow is also presented.