On mixing in polymer flow systems

The mixing of polymers is an important subject which has received considerable and recent attention. This study shows that residence time distribution curves give information on the distribution of material along the primary flow direction, but do not quantify in polymer flow systems. Several polymer processing systems have been analyzed and the degree of mixing has been related to strain in each of these systems. Strain correlates directly with transverse mixing, which is the most important aspect of polymer mixing. Mixer design is shown to influence the amount of strain needed to achieve a specified degree of mixedness.