Understanding Polymer Processing: Processes and Governing Equations

This book provides the background needed to understand not only the wide field of polymer processing but also the emerging technologies associated with the plastics industry in the 21st century. The book combines practical engineering concepts with modeling of realistic polymer processes. It is divided into three sections that provide the reader sufficient knowledge of polymer materials, polymer processing, and modeling. Understanding Polymer Processing is intended for the person who is entering the plastics manufacturing industry and as a textbook for students taking an introductory course in polymer processing. This three-part book also serves as a guide to the practicing engineer when choosing a process, determining important parameters and factors during the early stages of process design, and when optimizing such a process. Practical examples illustrating basic concepts are presented throughout the book. Contents: Part I Polymeric Materials. This section gives a general introduction to polymers, including mechanical behavior of polymers and melt rheology. Part II Polymer Processing. The major polymer processes are introduced in this section, including extrusion, mixing, injection molding, thermoforming, blow molding, film blowing, and many others. Part III Modeling. This last section delivers the tools to allow the engineer to solve back-of-the-envelop polymer processing models. It includes dimensional analysis and scaling, transport phenomena in polymer processing, and modeling polymer processes.