Nipping temperature

Figure 12.2. Blocking force as a function of nipping temperature for control and film containing 5,000 ppm emcamide. [Data from Lambert, B. Machon, J. V.,Br. Plast., 44,11, 81-5, 1971.]...

Ko//M //s. When dispersion is requited ia exceedingly viscous materials, the large surface area and small mixing volume of roU mills allow maximum shear to be maintained as the thin layer of material passiag through the nip is continuously cooled. The roUs rotate at different speeds and temperatures to generate the shear force with preferential adhesion to the warmer roU. 

Smooth surfaces are normally estabflshed by calendering, a process which subjects the fabric at the nip point(s) of two or more roUs to the influence of controlled time, temperature, and pressure. When calendering is used as a thermal-bonding process, the roUs are of the same dimension and composition and are independently driven. However, when calendering is used as a fabric finishing operation, the roUs are frequently of different dimensions and composition and are not always independently driven. 

Drawdown from the die to nip is typically ca 10%. Sheet extmsion requires that the resin be of high melt viscosity to prevent excessive sag of the melt between the die and the nip. The melt should reach the nip before touching any other part of the middle roU to prevent uncontrolled cooling of the resin. The appearance of the lower surface of the sheet is deterrnined by the middle roU, ie, its poHsh, surface temperature, and freedom from condensed materials. The upper surface is cooled by air and has a more glossy appearance. Neither the top roU nor the bottom roU greatly affect the appearance of the top surface of the sheet. Edges of the sheet are trimmed. 

Tubular film may be biaxially oriented by passing eooled film through a pair of nip rolls, reheating it to a uniform temperature and then passing it between a further pair of rolls. Between the two pairs of rolls a mandrel of air is introduced in order to expand the film. The proeess is similar to that shown for poly(vinylidene ehloride) in Figure 17.4. 

Since quite a bit of difference exists between raw materials, the recipe, and the equipment, the processing procedure and conditions vary a lot. Also, the processing procedures of commercial products are usually not available to the public. Thus, much work needs to be done to find the best procedure and condition for each individual system. In general, a good procedure is a combination of optimal processing time, temperature, and rotating speed of the screw (in the case of extruder use) or the roll nip (in the case of calender use). 

Figures 35.39 and 35.40 show a tremendous dependency on both power-law parameters. The pressure buildup and nip force very much depend on the viscous behavior of the rubber compound. Although not calculated one can simply understand that a varying feedstock temperature will cause variations in the nip force because the viscosity of rubber compounds very much depends on temperature.

As a consequence of the high shear rate to which the rubber is subjected at the nip of the mill crystallization occurs at temperatures of up to 80 °C in compounds based on SE-BR and U-BR, and this phenomenon is responsible for the improvement in the processing behaviour. 

The viscosity of the polymer or mix also controls the level of the shear stresses developed in the nip region. The level of temperature in the rubber mass, by its effect on viscosity, will also influence the level of shear stresses developed. 

The flow behaviour of rubber on a mill is dependent on the material, nip width, roll speed and temperature, and certain combinations can give flow instabilities, the worst case from the mixing point of view being bagging , i.e., loss of adhesion of the rubber compound to the mill rolls. A decrease in nip width, an increase in speed or temperature, can overcome this problem. 

As shown in Fig. 19, polymer adheres to one of the two counter-rotating rolls passing through an adjustable nip gap which creates intense shear. The rolls are temperature controlled and may run at differential speeds to influence further shear intensity. A degree of lateral cross-mixing must also be imposed to ensure overall compositional uniformity of the batch. A rolling bank of polymer located above the rolls provides some additional mixing capability. 

Monomer purity can be expected to have a significant effect on the properties of the gel synthesized because it has been shown by numerous investigators that copolymerizing NIP A Am monomer with even small amounts of different monomers can alter the transition temperature, swelling degree and sharpness of... 

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