Melting temperature control

TSE s are claimed to be superior to SSE s because they provide (also see Table 3) better feeding and more positive conveying characteristics, shorter residence times and narrower residence time distribution, improved kinetics and melt temperature control,... 

Melt viscosity is one of the most important properties of a hot-melt adhesive. In general, as the temperature of a polymer increases, its viscosity decreases. Therefore, in a hot-melt adhesive formulation, the melt temperature controls the viscosity, which greatly influences the extent of surface wetting. The temperature of the melt and the application equipment should be maintained as constant as possible. 

The arrangements gave the flexibility for melt temperature control, either heating or cooling, and the rotor could be extended with a short length of screw to compensate for pressure drop across the mixing area. 

Shallow flight depth in the metering section of the screw may cause excessive shear thus making melt temperature control difficult. Typical flight depths for the feed and metering sections are as follows ... 

Because of the high melt viscosity of polyolefins, normal spinning melt temperatures are 240—310°C, which is 80—150°C above the crystalline melting point. Because of the high melt temperatures used for polyolefin fiber spinning, thermal stabilizers such as substituted hindered phenols are added. In the presence of pigments, the melt temperature must be carefully controlled to prevent color degradation and to obtain uniform color dispersion. 

Nuclear Applications. Powder metallurgy is used in the fabrication of fuel elements as well as control, shielding, moderator, and other components of nuclear-power reactors (63) (see Nuclearreactors). The materials for fuel, moderator, and control parts of a reactor are thermodynamically unstable if heated to melting temperatures. These same materials are stable under P/M process conditions. It is possible, for example, to incorporate uranium or ceramic compounds in a metallic matrix, or to produce parts that are similar in the size and shape desired without effecting drastic changes in either the stmcture or surface conditions. OnlyHttle post-sintering treatment is necessary. 

Cone—Plate Viscometer. In a cone—plate viscometer (Fig. 28), alow angle (<3°) cone rotates against a flat plate with the fluid sample between them. The cone—plate instmment is a simple, straightforward device that is easy to use and extremely easy to clean. It is well suited to routine work because measurements are rapid and no tedious calculations are necessary. With careful caUbration and good temperature control it can also be used for research. Heated instmments can be used for melt viscosity measurements. 

A method for measuring the uniaxial extensional viscosity of polymer soHds and melts uses a tensile tester in a Hquid oil bath to remove effects of gravity and provide temperature control cylindrical rods are used as specimens (218,219). The rod extmder may be part of the apparatus and may be combined with a device for clamping the extmded material (220). However, most of the mote recent versions use prepared rods, which are placed in the apparatus and heated to soften or melt the polymer (103,111,221—223). A constant stress or a constant strain rate is appHed, and the resultant extensional strain rate or stress, respectively, is measured. Similar techniques are used to study biaxial extension (101). 

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