Modeling of polymeric film‐blowing processes

Abstract Industrial film‐blowing processes are characterized by large deformation rates, rapid changes of temperature and high stress levels. A pilot scale process was set up to simulate these variables. The pivotal element in modeling the process is a rheological constitutive equation which describes the fluid properties accurately over the entire range of conditions encountered; it was found that contributions to the stress in the material which arise out of the changing thermal history of a fluid element were a significant fraction of the total. When the deforming film is subjected to stretching but to little or no blowing, the axial stresses in the film are predicted excellently by the model under both isothermal and non‐isothermal processing conditions. With rapid blowing and major deviations from uniaxial extension, the axial stresses are predicted less well, but still satisfactorily, under the conditions used. In no case are the circumferential stresses predicted accurately: i.e. unequal biaxial extensional deformations represent complications which have not been resolved.