Real‐time monitoring of fluorescence anisotropy and temperature during processing of biaxially stretched polypropylene film

Abstract

AbstractAn optical sensor based on fiber optics has been developed to measure fluorescence anisotropy and temperature during processing of biaxially stretched polypropylene films. The sensor, containing optical fibers, polarizing elements and lenses, was mounted above the polypropylene film as it was processed in a tenter frame oven stretching machine. Fluorescence observations were made using the fluorescent dye, bis (di‐tert butylphenyl) perylenedicarboximide (BTBP), which was doped into the resin at very low concentrations. To monitor biaxial stretching, fluorescence anisotropy measurements were carried out with light polarized in the machine and the transverse directions corresponding to the directions of biaxial stretching. Fluorescence based temperature measurements were obtained from the ratio of fluorescence intensities at 544 nm and 577 nm. A matrix of experiments involving three levels of stretch ratio in both the machine and transverse directions was undertaken. We observed significant differences between anisotropy in the machine and transverse directions that we attributed to the sequential stretching operation, i.e., the film was stretched in the machine direction first, followed by stretching in the transverse direction, and to film temperature and strain rate for each stretching operation. The result was uniformly higher anisotropies in the machine direction. Film temperature obtained from fluorescence corresponded to oven thermocouple measurements within 2°C. Polym. Eng. Sci. 44:805–813, 2004. © 2004 Society of Plastics Engineers.