THE FUNDAMENTALS OF

RHEOLOGY
 Rheological tests can be very helpful tools for polymer
processing and development. This presentation is
designed to be an informative introduction and guide to
rheological tests, and finding correlations between
equipment and processing techniques.
CAPILLARY RHEOLOGY

“the flow and shear properties of

materials up to high pressures”

• Provides more information than melt

flow testing
• How does the material behave when
melted?
• What are the correlations between flow
parameters and mechanical properties?
• Polymers are non-Newtonian materials,
consequently their flow is not
proportional to the pressure applied
 WHY CAPILLARY
RHEOLOGY?
• Determine the optimal working
parameters for materials processing
(injection molding, blow molding,
extrusion, etc.)

• Investigate processing issues in a

faster and non-disruptive manner

• Find which materials will work best for

complex parts or long flow lengths

• Replicate manufacturing parameters

for design, troubleshooting, and
simulations
 TYPES OF RHEOMETERS
Rotational Extensional Capillary

ROTATIONAL EXTENSIONAL CAPILLARY

RHEOMETERS RHEOMETERS RHEOMETERS
For elongational viscosity (high
For viscoelastic properties For viscous properties
viscosity materials)

Rotary motion Rotating drum Capillary action

Extensional flows: very Capillary flow: Flow through a narrow

Plate geometry: most common space. Different piston speeds (shear
sensitive to crystallinity &
for thermoplastic melts rates) applied. Viscosity changes
polymer long-chain branching
tracked relative to shear rates.
 SHEAR FLOW

Flow between two parallel plates of area A

Moving with constant velocity V

F
A

D θ
 SHEAR FLOW

Flow between two parallel plates of area A

Moving with constant velocity V

Shear Rate

Shear Stress

Viscosity
 POLYMER RHEOLOGICAL BEHAVIOR

P1 P2 P3 POLYMERS

WATER

1 1 2 1 2 3
Polymer flow is not proportional to the applied pressure Flow curve

Flow POLYMERS

WATER

Pressure
MECHANICAL & RHEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES
Vs. MOLECULAR WEIGHT

Young’s
Modulus

Impact Melt
Strength Viscoscity

LOW MEDIUM HIGH ULTRA-HIGH

MOLECULAR WEIGHT

A polymer’s structure influences all its mechanical,

chemical, and rheological properties
 RHEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES
Vs. MOLECULAR WEIGHT
Rheological curve at different MW Rheological curve at different MWD
(monodisperse polymers) (monodisperse and polydisperse polymer)

Viscosity Vs. Shear Rate Viscosity Vs. Shear rate

4.000
4.000
M = 50000
3.000 M = 75000 MWD broad
3.000

log (viscosity)
log( Viscosity)

M = 75000
M = 75000 MWD narrow
2.000 2.000
M = 100000
1.000 1.000

0.000 0.000

-1.000 -1.000

-2.000 -2.000
-2.00 -1.00 0.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 -2.00 -1.00 0.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00

log (shear rate) log (shear rate)

With the same average MW, polydisperse polymers can

be processed better than monodisperse polymers
MECHANICAL & RHEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES
Vs. MOLECULAR WEIGHT
High-molecular weight leads to:
1) Higher Strength: due to higher inter-chain forces, more
entanglements
2) Higher Impact Strength: due to lower degree of
crystallization at higher chain length, more
entanglements
3) Higher Chemical Resistance: due to higher inter-chain
forces
4) Reduction of the “fluidity” (inverse of viscosity) of the
polymer in the melted status: due to the presence of
more entanglements
 POLYMERS & PROCESSES

Polyethylene
Polycarbonate Polyvinyl chloride
MATERIAL Terephthalate
(PC) (PVC)
(PET)

Process • Injection molding • Blow molding • Extrusion

Application • Spotlights • Plastic bottles • Electrical wires

(Examples)

• Acts as a barrier • Insulator

• High impact • Lightweight
• Transparency
Advantages • High-optical clarity
resistance • Durable
• Chemically resistant • Mechanical damage
• Recyclable resistance
CAPILLARY RHEOLOGY
• Many polymer processing
techniques can be simulated
using a capillary rheometer

• This allows users to experiment

with new parameters for
various polymer processing
equipment without having to
stop operation and waste a
batch of material
• Plastic extrusion, injection
molding, blow molding, film
blowing, co-extrusion...
 PLASTIC EXTRUSION
Feeder Polymer
Pull Granules
Water
Roller Heaters
tank

Extrudate Die Polymer Melt Screw/Barrel

• Pellets are added into the feeder

• A constant temperature is maintained
• Screw is rotating continuously
• Polymer melts at a constant temperature
• Polymer is pushed through breaker plate into the die
PLASTIC INJECTION MOLDING (IM)
Feeder
Mold Cavity Polymer
Heater Granules

Die

Molded Part Extrudate

Screw/Barrel

• Pellets are added into the feeder

• Screw is rotating (not continuously)
• Different temperature for different zones
• Screw moves along the barrel as a piston
• Polymer is injected into a mold
• The part is molded and ejected
 PLASTIC BLOW MOLDING
Polymer Melt Extrudate Cutter
Air Hose

Extrudate Mold closes Extrudate fits to Residue is

drops & air blows the mold trimmed

Mold

• Extrusion or injection blow molding

opens,
part
• Molten material (parison) drops in the mold drops

• Mold is closed
• Air is blown through an air hose
• Molded part is ejected
 PLASTIC FILM BLOWING
Product
Nip Rolls

Extrudate

Air

• Molten material is extruded through a circular die (usually vertically)

• Air is introduced in the center of the die
• “Bubble–like” expansion
• The tube of film passes through nip rolls
 PLASTIC CO-EXTRUSION
Feeder 1
Feeder 2

Adhesive Polymer Resin Polymer Resin

Co-Extrusion Dies

• Two or more materials fed into

co-extrusion dies
Co-Extruded Tape
• Constant temperature is
maintained in the die
• Film is extruded
• Layer thickness controlled by
relative speeds and sizes of Rollers
extruders
Winding
Example Application: food packaging
PROCESSING & FLOW CURVE OF POLYMERS

Log ( ) EXTRUSION INJECTION MOLDING

f (T, P, material)

-1 0 1 2 3 4 5 Log ( )
ROTATIONAL RHEOMETRY

CAPILLARY
RHEOMETRY
MELT FLOW
 CAPILLARY RHEOMETERS
V
SET DIE GEOMETRY
AND PISTON SPEED
Shear Rate=
Speed of Deformation  
h
Force (Load Cell)

Motor-Driven
Piston

Viscosity =

Resistance to the Flow

Pressure
Transducer
Capillary
Die (L/D)

F
MEASURE LOAD
OR PRESSURE
Shear Stress 
A
 RHEOLOGICAL DATA

RAW DATA:
Constant shear rate steps with
pressure reaching the equilibrium
after a transient stage

RHEOLOGICAL CURVES:
Viscosity (Pa· s) as a function of
shear rates (s-1)
Shear stress (Pa) vs shear rate
(s-1)
 RHEOLOGICAL DATA

PP @ 230°C Virgin PP:

Non–Newtonian
shear thinning behavior
η = 241 – 34 Pa·s
max P ≅ 8 MPa

Filled PP (50% wt flax): Filled PP @ 230°C

Non–Newtonian
shear thinning behavior
η = 1061 – 81 Pa·s
max P ≅ 20 MPa
EXTRUSION/IM & THE CAPILLARY RHEOMETER

Extrudate Die Barrel Polymer Granules

Feeding
CO-EXTRUSION & SQC ANALYSIS
EXTRUSION & SR DIE SWELL ACCESSORY

Extrudate Die

Swelling of the Polymer

Die Swell Accessory
 EXTRUSION/IM & MELT FRACTURE

Direction
of flow

Unstable flow Barrel Polymer Granules

Melt
Instability

Increasing
Smooth Shark Spurt Fracture Flow rate
Skin
Output

Production Rate Unstable flow

 IM MOLD FILLING & SR PVT ACCESSORY
Mold Cavity Complete Mold Filling is Critical to the Process

Simulations for Mold Filling Phase

Partial Filling Complete Filling

Molded Part

PVT Test
 IM MOLD FILLING& SR TC ACCESSORY
Heat Conduction through the material is
Mold Cavity critical to get a perfectly molded part

Molded Part

TC Test
BLOW MOLDING/FILM BLOWING & SR STRETCHING UNIT
Polymer Melt Extrudate
Air Hose

Stretching
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME!