METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RHEOMETRY, AND ITS APPLICATION TO CONTROL OF POLYMER MANUFACTURE

摘要

There is disclosed a method of rheometry and to a corresponding rheometer apparatus having particular application to the manufacturing of polymers. The invention provides a method of studying the properties of a polymer. A rheometer having a pump (2) and a die(3) is arranged such that polymer is pumped through the die. Transducers (4) measure pressures within the rheometer. The polymer is supplied to the rheometer with the pump (2) at one speed and value(s) indicative of the shear stress in the fluid within the die are obtained from the transducers (4). This provides a set of data. The data is then directly compared, using multivariate analysis with previously obtained data corresponding to polymer(s) with known rheological properties. The results of this comparison may then be used to control the manufacturing process.