Rheological properties of calcium carbonate-filled polypropylene melts

Abstract

An experimental study was carried out to investigate the viscoelastic behavior of calcium carbonate-filled polypropylene melts, using the Han slit rheometer. In the analysis of the experimental data, the pressure gradient was used to determine the wall shear stress, and the exit pressure to determine the elasticity of the filled polymers. The study shows that the materials studied follow a power law in viscous behavior over the range of shear rates investigated and that the viscosity increases and elasticity decreases as filler concentration is increased. Also investigated was the effect of temperature on the viscoelastic properties of filled polypropylene melts.