Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Rheology in Polymers: The Science That Shapes Processes and Products

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Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

Rheology in Polymers: The Science That Shapes Processes and Products


Rheology is the science that studies the flow and deformation of matter, and when applied to polymers, it becomes an essential tool for the manufacturing industry. To understand the rheological behavior of a polymer material is to understand how it will behave during the extrusion, injection, blowing, calendering, and compression molding processes.


Unlike Newtonian liquids, polymers exhibit non-Newtonian behavior, i.e., their viscosity varies with the shear rate. This means that by increasing processing speed, yield strength can decrease — a phenomenon known as shear thinning. This characteristic is strategic to optimize processes, reduce energy consumption and ensure adequate surface finishing.


In addition, viscoelastic properties — a combination of viscous (fluid) and elastic (solid) behavior directly influence the performance in molds, dimensional stability and mechanical properties of the final products. Assays such as melt flow index (MFI), capillary rheometry, and oscillatory provide critical data for quality control and formulation adjustment.


To improve more on this subject, the book "Introduction to Polymer Viscoelasticity" – John D. Ferry can collaborate. This book addresses in a clear and didactic way the principles of rheology applied to polymers, focusing on practical applications in processing, rheological tests and viscoelastic behavior.


source: Israel Barbosa dos Santos Barreto

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