A Miniature Mixing Device for Polymer Blends Dominated by Biaxial Extensional Deformations

Abstract A new miniature mixing device called the “vane mixer” dominated by the synergic action of axial and circumferential extensional deformations is developed for polymer blends. The structure and working principle of the vane mixer are introduced in detail. The effects of mixing time and rotational speed on the morphology, mechanical properties, and crystallization behavior of the high‐density polyethylene (HDPE)/graphene (GR) composites are comprehensively investigated, revealing that properly increasing mixing time and rotational speed can promote the dispersion of GR in the HDPE matrix, improve mechanical properties, and reduce the degree of crystallinity. The morphology of blends prepared by the vane mixer is compared with those prepared by the Brabender mixer to evaluate the mixing performance. The experimental results show that the new equipment has excellent mixing efficiency and performance.