02 New Concept in PVC Dry Blend Preparation
02 New Concept in PVC Dry Blend Preparation
02 New Concept in PVC Dry Blend Preparation
Historically, plasticizers have been used to change hard PVC resins into fiexible products with the desired softness. The mechanism involves the neutralization, by plasticizer molecules , of the van der Waals forces ,between the polymer chains. Depending on the degree of softness required , the amount of plasticizer added (parts per hundred of resin) can vary from approximately 20-120 parts. In order to permit ease of material handling and further processing , the plasticizer must be completely absorbed by the PVC resin, producing a dry, free fiowing, powder hence the name ' dry blend". This is achieved by heating the resin to a temperature of approximately 200' F, causing the resin to expand and then absorb the added plasticizers. For highly plasticized blends, normally above 50 PHR, the additional parameter of time is needed to assure a dry blend. Since PVC dry blends are usually followed by ' fiuxing " devices, such as a banbury or pelletizing extruder, there is no need foran intense premix dispersion as would be obtained in a Littleford high intensity mixer. Moreover, since cycle times are short in the intensive mixer, there is frequently not sufficient time for thorough plasticizer absorption in highly plasticized blends. These highly plasticized ' dry blends' have normally been prepared in large, slow moving , jacketed ribbon blenders where the initial dispersion and plasticizer absorption take place. The mixed and tempered blends are then fed directly to a banbury mixer, pelletizing extruder, or are cooled and stored for further processing. While ribbon blenders have been used in this application for a number of years, they were found to be inefficient mixing and heat transfer devices. Cycle times were frequently in the neighborhood of 45-60 minutes. Also, if color corrections were necessary, an additional 15-20 minutes was needed to insure a fa ir-good dispersion.
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Technifax No.2