9624388 Scott This project focuses on furthering the scope of morphology development of immiscible polymer blends during extrusion (or mixing using twin extruders). Identification and qualitative analysis of the critical mechanisms of morphology development are particularly significant. A numerical model will be developed for simulation of melting and morphology development. The model will be used to predict the phase morphology during compounding which includes the fraction of each melted component, determine which phase is continuous, the phase domain size, and the evolution of material temperature along the screw. The primary impact of this work will be establishment of a quantitative basis for the design of more effective compounding processes and equipment. The information will be useful for scale-up, design of processes for difficult to mix formulations, maximization of throughput, and minimization of polymer degradation. The success of this project will lead to improved design of twin screw processes and equipment and allow commercialization of materials that are difficult to produce economically because of mixing limitations. This project also proposes and education plan as a follow-on to this research. This plan will improve students' Team Project Skills at the undergraduate level and develop a Polymer Processing course that provides a thorough fundamental understanding of the technology in addition to computer simulation, design, and industrial aspects.
