Film casting of polycarbonate/multi-walled carbon nanotubes composites using ultrasound-assisted twin-screw extruder: experiment and simulation

Xiang Gao; Avraam I. Isayev

doi:10.1515/ipp-2021-4200

Article

Film casting of polycarbonate/multi-walled carbon nanotubes composites using ultrasound-assisted twin-screw extruder: experiment and simulation

Xiang Gao and Avraam I. Isayev

Published/Copyright: July 14, 2022

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From the journal International Polymer Processing Volume 37 Issue 4

Abstract

A one-step ultrasonic film casting process to manufacture nanocomposite films was developed, in which polycarbonate (PC) was mixed with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNT) and cast into films in one process. Numerical and experimental investigations of necking phenomenon were carried out for film casting of PC/CNT composites. Experimental results revealed that the necking along film line decreased with imposition of ultrasound and increasing CNT content, indicating that incorporation of CNT and imposition of ultrasound restrained the elongational flow behavior of melt, resulting in film of a larger width. Isothermal and nonisothermal numerical simulations of the process were performed. In isothermal simulations, the polymer melt was assumed to be maintained at the die temperature. In nonisothermal simulations, the temperature change along the film line was determined from heat transfer calculations with the WLF temperature-dependent viscosity. The simulated and experimental results on normalized film width, defined as a ratio of cast film width to die width, as a function of the distance from the die at various extension ratios were compared. The comparison indicated that changes in film width and thickness along the stretching direction in the nonisothermal process were in better agreement with experimental results than that in the isothermal process. Both experimental and simulated results showed a decrease of film width with take-up speed. Due to the presence of edge effect, the film width in experiment was lower than the simulated one. With incorporation of CNT, a better agreement between experimental and simulated results was obtained, due to a reduced edge effect in the film.

Keywords: CNT nanocomposites; extrusion; film casting; properties; simulation; ultrasound

Corresponding author: Avraam I. Isayev, Department of Polymer Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325-0301, USA, E-mail: aisayev@uakron.edu

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the NSF Division of Engineering under grant CMMI-1131342 for financial support and Sabic Innovative Plastics for providing polycarbonate resins.

Author contributions: All the authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this submitted manuscript and approved submission.
Research funding: NSF Division of Engineering grant CMMI-1131342.
Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest regarding this article.

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Received: 2021-11-04

Accepted: 2022-03-11

Published Online: 2022-07-14

Published in Print: 2022-09-27

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/ipp-2021-4200

Keywords for this article

CNT nanocomposites; extrusion; film casting; properties; simulation; ultrasound