MORPHOLOGICAL AND MECHANICAL PROPERTY STUDIES OF POLYMER EXTRUDATES OBTAINED BY THE ROTATIONAL EXTRUSION PROCESS.

In this paper we discuss preliminary results of processing studies to control the fiber orientation of 20% glass fiber-filled polypropylene (PP) tubular extrudates by combining linear and torsional flow conditions at the die exit during their extrusion. The orientation of the reinforcing glass fibers in short glass fiber filled polypropylene has been controlled effectively by extruding under complex curvilinear flow conditions obtained by superimposing the linear flow in the melt extruder and a torsional flow generated by rotating the capillary of the extrusion die. The degree of fiber orientation was controlled by adjusting the speed of extrusion and the capillary rotation.