THE EFFECT OF ASYMMETRIES OF DIE EXIT GEOMETRY ON EXTRUDATE SWELL AND MELT FRACTURE

Experimental investigations were performed to see how the die exit geometry and the extrusion velocity influence on extrudate swell and melt fracture for several polymer melts [low-density polyethylene, styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) and SBR/HAF (carbon black) compound]. Four different types of die exit geometry were considered; 0-degrees (symmetric, usual capillary die), and 30-degrees, 45-degrees and 60-degrees (asymmetric dies) were chosen for the die exit angle. Extrudate diameters were measured without draw-down under isothermal condition. Polymer melts were extruded into an oil that has the same density and temperature as those of the extrudate. Extrudate swells from dies with different diameters were correlated with volumetric flow rates. It was observed that the extrudate swell increases with increasing volumetric flow rate and exhibits through a minimum value at about 45-degrees die exit angle. As to the fracture phenomena, it was observed that the critical shear for the onset of melt fracture increases with the increasing die exit angle up to 45-degrees. However, for 60-degrees die exit angle, the onset of melt fracture is again similar to that of 0-degrees exit angle.