Abstract

The physical property of polymer composites greatly depends on the orientation and alignment of embedded additives. Due to such relevance, it is important to understand the rheology of molten polymer and additive mixture during the molding process. The objective of this study was to analyze the additive alignment and orientation inside liquid state PDMS and carbon fiber mixture flowing through an orifice channel flow using flow visualization experiments. Fibers flowing close to the channel walls were observed to align in the direction of the flow. In the mid-channel region, perpendicular and randomly oriented fibers make up the majority. In addition, the study presented the length, location, and angle of the fibers calculated through an image processing process and statistical analysis. Through this study, a better understanding of additive alignment and anisotropic property of polymer composites can be made.

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