Solid state extrusion of vinylidene fluoride (VF2)/vinylidene trifluoride (VF3) copolymers. I: Dynamics of solid state extrusion

Abstract

Solid state extrusion dynamics of poly(vinylidene fluoride) and its copolymers have been studied using an Instron capillary rheometer with specially designed die set. At and above the Curie transition temperatures, the copolymers rapidly soften while preserving the semicrystalline structure. This allows them to be solid state extruded between this temperature and melting temperature. The processing windows within which high quality extrudates can be obtained were established for two copolymer compositions and they were found to be much wider than those typically observed in semicrystalline homopolymers such as polyethylene and polypropylene. Extrudate swell under all solid state extrusion condition remains constant and is always less than 1 and it was found to increase above this value as the extrusion temperature increased through the melting region which is typical of melt extrusion of these polymers.