Model analysis on dispersion characteristics of fine particles in Newtonian molten polymer

In this paper, a model estimating the time-dependent distribution of cluster size consisting of fine particles in Newtonian molten polymer was proposed. The present model for agglomerative suspension was developed based on Usui's thixotropy model, derived by taking the balance between shear breakup, shear coagulation and Brownian coagulation process. The analysis was applied to the experimental results for silica/(ethylene meta-methyl acrylate copolymer) suspensions. The time variation of cluster size distributions, of viscosities and of the mean number of particles in a cluster was calculated and the results were compared with experimental results. From this, the applicability of the present model was validated for the agglomerative silica particles slurry.