In-Line Monitoring and Spectral Analysis of Polymer Blend Dispersion in Microcompounder

Abstract

Microcompounders are the most common compounding machines for making polymer composites. The torque rheometry is an effective tool for predicting the processing characteristics of thermoplastic polymers. It provides continuous monitoring of torque and temperature data during compounding which is a measure of processability. In this work, we have studied the influence of processing parameters on the dispersion degree of an anthracene derivative (AMA) in a polystyrene matrix with respect to the rheological, structural, and optical properties. The chemical structure of the synthesized AMA as a tracer was confirmed by H-1 NMR and thermal properties were examined by DSC. In addition, a blend of polystyrene and AMA was spin-coated on a glass substrate to investigate oxidation stability confirmed by UV measurement. By using microcompounder, the polymer blend with the AMA tracer was mixed and it was visually indicated by fluorescent images.