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Dissertation - Sandeep Pole.pdf (4.51 MB)

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Constitutive Modeling of the Rheological Behavior of Rubber Compounds and Plastic Composites

Pole, Sandeep
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron155567239888512

Abstract Details

2019, Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, Polymer Engineering.
The rheological behavior of a polymeric material plays a significant role in industrial processing. Understanding this behavior is crucial to conducting important commercial processes such as extrusion and injection molding. Furthermore, the ability to predict rheological behavior using constitutive modeling is of significant interest to the rubber and plastic industries, helping to improve processing and reduce scrap. However, research on constitutive modeling of polymers, and especially filled polymer composites, is scarce. The aim of the present research is to study and simulate the rheological behavior of two different filled polymer systems: silica-filled styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) and carbon nanotube (CNT)-filled polypropylene (PP). These two systems are commonly used in the rubber and plastic industries, respectively. The rheological behavior of star-shaped SBR/silica 60 phr compounds with different filler surface areas was experimentally studied and simulated using constitutive modeling. Rheological behavior was characterized in small amplitude oscillatory shear (SAOS) flow, large amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) flow, startup of shear flow, cessation of steady shear flow, steady shear flow, and imposition of a step shear strain. Additionally, bound rubber content was measured. An unfilled SBR and compounds filled with four different silica grades with BET surface areas of 55, 135, 160, and 195 m2/g were used in this study. The rheological tests revealed a general increase in polymer-filler and filler-filler interactions with filler surface area. The increase was much more conspicuous in the linear viscoelastic region compared to the nonlinear viscoelastic region. The constitutive modeling was successful at describing some of the rheological behavior for both the unfilled and filled SBR samples. In the linear region (SAOS and linear relaxation), the simulations provided satisfactory predictions of the experimental data. However, in the nonlinear region, the simulations were not as successful. Good results were achieved for the unfilled SBR for most flow conditions. Satisfactory results were also achieved for the SBR/silica compound with the lowest filler surface area under most flow conditions. However, for the other three compounds, the model only had limited success at predicting rheological behavior. The rheological behavior of linear PP/MWCNT composites with different filler loadings was also simulated. An unfilled PP and composites with CNT concentrations of 1, 3, and 5 wt% were analyzed. Rheological behavior was simulated in SAOS flow, LAOS flow, startup of shear flow, steady shear flow, and imposition of a step shear strain. In the linear region, the simulations again provided good predictions of the experimental data. In the nonlinear region, the simulations also provided good results for the unfilled PP and satisfactory results for the PP/1wt%CNT composite under most flow conditions. However, for the other two composites the model only showed limited success
Avraam Isayev (Advisor)
Younjin Min (Committee Co-Chair)
Kevin Cavicchi (Committee Member)
Shi-Qing Wang (Committee Member)
Yalin Dong (Committee Member)
345 p.
Chemical Engineering; Plastics; Polymers
Rheology, polymer composites, rubber compounds, constitutive equations

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Citations

  • Pole, S. (2019). Constitutive Modeling of the Rheological Behavior of Rubber Compounds and Plastic Composites [Doctoral dissertation, University of Akron]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron155567239888512

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Pole, Sandeep. Constitutive Modeling of the Rheological Behavior of Rubber Compounds and Plastic Composites. 2019. University of Akron, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron155567239888512.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Pole, Sandeep. "Constitutive Modeling of the Rheological Behavior of Rubber Compounds and Plastic Composites." Doctoral dissertation, University of Akron, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron155567239888512

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

akron155567239888512
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This open access ETD is published by University of Akron and OhioLINK.