Measurement and prediction of LDPE/CO2 solution viscosity

When CO2 is dissolved into a polymer, the viscosity of the polymer is drastically reduced. In this paper, the melt viscosities of low-density polyethylene (LDPE)/supercritical CO2 solutions were measured with a capillary rheometer equipped at a foaming extruder, where CO2 was injected into a middle of its barrel and dissolved into the molten IDPE. The viscosity measurements were performed by varying the content Of CO2 in the range of 0 to 5.0 wt% and temperature in the range of 150degreesC to 175degreesC, while monitoring the dissolved CO2 concentration on-line by Near Infrared spectroscopy. Pressures in the capillary tube were maintained higher than an equilibrium saturation pressure so as to prevent foaming in the tube and to realize single-phase polymer/CO2 solutions. By measuring the pressure drop and flow rate of polymer running through the tube, the melt viscosities were calculated. The experimental results indicated that the viscosity of LDPE/CO2 Solution was reduced to 30% of the neat polymer by dissolving CO2 up to 5.0 wt% at temperature 150degreesC. A mathematical model was proposed to predict viscosity reduction owing to CO2 dissolution. The model was developed by combining the Cross-Carreau model with Doolittle's equation in terms of the free volume concept. With the Sanchez-Lacombe equation of state and the solubility data measured by a magnetic suspension balance, the free volume fractions of LDPE/CO2 Solutions were calculated to accommodate the effects of temperature, pressure and CO2 content. The developed model can successfully predict the viscosity of LDPE/CO2 solutions from PVT data of the neat polymer and CO2 solubility data.