Effect of filler content and additives on the extrudate swell of polyethylene pipe resin

Abstract

AbstractIn certain extrusion operations, particularly the production of plastic pressure pipe, it would be desirable to be able to control the degree and direction of molecular orientation. While dies can be designed to generate various types of orientation, most of this is lost at the die exit due to extrudate swell. It is known that substantial loadings of nonreinforcing filler can inhibit swell, and the objective of this study was to examine the effects of particle size and loading and of the use of coupling agents on extrudatee swell of CaCO3‐filled medium‐density polyethylene pipe resin. Swell was measured as a function of time by extruding into oil having the same density and temperature as the extrudate. In addition, the storage and loss moduli of all samples were measured, and, the relaxation spectra were calculated. The maximum degree of swell suppression was observed for a compound containing 30 wt. percent of 0.4 micron particles treated with stearic acid. Surprisingly, the use of coupling agent increased the degree of swell.