Deformational history of LLDPE/LDPE blends on blown film equipment

Abstract A video camera tracer technique (T. A. Huang and G. A. Campbell, paper to be presented at ANTEC '85, Washington, D. C.) was used to obtain MD velocity profile and bubble shape above the air ring under industrial film blowing conditions. Subsequently, the velocity profile and bubble shape were utilized to calculate strain and strain rate histories for a fluid element before it solidified. The deformational history of a fluid element was compared between LDPE and LLDPE of similar melt index and density. Also, the study was extended to two groups of LLDPE/LDPE blends: blends rich in LLDPE and blends rich in LDPE. We used a 100‐mil die gap for extruding resins rich in LLDPE to avoid melt fracture. A 30‐mil die gap was used to process blends that were rich in LDPE. Under the same film blowing conditions and frost line height, LDPE exhibits higher peak strain rates than LLDPE and the peak strain rates for LDPE occur closer to the air ring. Moreover, the MD strain of LLDPE continues to increase above the frost line. Conversely, the MD strain profile of LDPE levels off quickly before the frost line. The observed differences in fluid element deformation between LLDPE and LDPE on the blown film line are attributed to the higher melt tension of LDPE. For LLDPE, a 10 wt % LDPE addition causes a significant increase in strain and strain rate at lower positions. Interestingly, a further addition up to 25 wt % LDPE causes little or no further change in deformational history. The increased strain rates associated with an increased strain results in a stabilized LLDPE bubble. For LDPE, only slight differences in strain and strain histories were observed with the addition of LLDPE up to 25%.