Studies on wire coating extrusion. II. The rheology of wire coating coextrusion

Abstract

AbstractAn experimental and theoretical study of wire coating coextrusion through a pressure‐type die was carried out. For the experimental study, the wire coating apparatus employed was the same as that described in Part I of this series (14), except for the newly constructed coextrusion die. The die was provided with three melt pressure transducers along the axial direction, which permitted us to determine the pressure gradient in the die. It was found that a reduction in pressure gradient was realized when a lower viscosity polymer was coextruded with a high viscosity polymer. The materials used for the coextrusion were combinations of low‐density polyethylene, high‐density polyethylene, polystyrene, and two different commercially available thermoplastic rubbers (UniRoyal TPR‐1900 and Shell Kraton G 2701). The use of a high shrinking (crystalline) polymer inside a low shrinking (amorphous) polymer was found to give rise to distorted coatings (non‐circular cross section of the coated wire). The interface between the coextruded layers was examined under a magnifying lens, and it was found that under certain processing conditions, the interface was highly irregular. Experimental correlations were obtained to explain the onset of an unstable interface in terms of the rheological properties of the individual components being coextruded, and of the processing variables. It was found that interfacial instability occurs when the shear stress and the viscosity ratio (also elasticity ratio) of the two components at the interface exceed certain critical values. For the theoretical study, using a power‐law model, the equations of motion were solved numerically to predict the volumetric flow rate as functions of the pressure gradient in the die and the rheological properties of the polymers being coextruded. Solution of the system of equations permitted us to predict the velocity profile and shear stress distributions of two molten polymers inside a pressure‐type wire coating coextrusion die. Comparisons were made between the experimental and theoretically predicted volumetric flow rates. The comparison was found to be reasonably good with certain systems. The discrepancy between the experimentally obtained and the theoretically predicted volumetric flow rates was attributed to interface migration and interfacial instability.