Applications of Discrete and Gradient Compositions in Polymer Research
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Applications of Discrete and Gradient Compositions in Polymer Research Ronald J. Wroczynski1, Radislav A. Potyrailo1, James E. Pickett2, and Malgorzata Rubinsztajn1 1 Biosciences, Combichem, and Characterization Technologies 2 Polymer and Specialty Chemical Technologies Global Research Center, General Electric Company Schenectady, NY 12301, USA
ABSTRACT
A new general approach for rapid performance screening of polymer compositions is provided. Multiple compositions are generated as one-dimensional libraries in a micro-extruder with step or gradient composition changes in < 1 min. To accelerate testing, an environmental stress is applied to only local regions, followed by high-sensitivity spatially resolved characterization. Applying the methodology to weathering of arrays of polymeric compositions provided a 20X faster ranking of polymer/UV absorber compositions that was equivalent to traditional weathering methods.
INTRODUCTION
The typical development process for new polymer formulations involves a significant amount of material, labor, and time. A common process flow starts with melt compounding of a polymer resin or resins along with various performance enhancing additives. This is then followed by fabrication into test parts, often via an injection molder. After fabrication, the parts are tested directly as made and often also after exposure to various environmental conditions which may affect the performance properties [1]. This process flow is repeated, varying the amount and types of components in the formulation, until a material that meets the desired performance criteria is obtained. The growing need for new polymeric materials demands increased speed of development of new formulations, decreased materials consumption and a greater understanding of the complex interactions between formulation components. We are attempting to address this need by utilizing a new strategy for high throughput (HT) development of polymer compositions. The key components of this strategy are the generation of polymeric formulations as a onedimensional (1D) library and testing for performance only at predetermined locations with rapid spatially resolved analysis of their properties. The 1D materials libraries are produced in a microcompounding system that includes a microextruder equipped with microfeeders with continuous outputs as low as 2 g/min. The material used is significantly lower than that reqired in typical laboratory extrusion systems [2]. Analysis of the 1D polymer library performance can occur either inline during extrusion [3] or during or after performance testing. Performance testing can include exposure of the library to environments that imitate the end-use applications (solar radiation, heat, mechanical stress,
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aggressive fluids, etc.) and that alter the materials’ properties in a detectable manner. Either parallel or serial measurements can be performed using spectroscopic, imaging, or sensor systems [4,5]. The output from the extrusion system can be in the form of a continuous strand/
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