MODELING THE MIXING OF TWO POLYMER POWDERS OF DIFFERENT PARTICLE SIZES

摘要

In the production of rotomolded parts, the distribution of particle sizes in the form of polymer powder is important to produce parts of good quality. In the case of polymer blends, the particle size distribution becomes even more important to assure that a good mixing can occur before the polymer melts. In this work, the mixing of free flowing polymer powders in a horizontal rotating cylinder has been studied. The parameters studied include relative black/white powder content and particle sizes. To quantify mixing dynamics, image analysis was performed using Gray-Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM) on digital images taken from a camera under different angles. The results are presented in terms of mixing/segregation quality and transition times.