SBIR Phase I: Software for Three-Dimensional Simulation of Polymer Coextrusion

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目包括开发用于精确模拟聚合物共挤出的软件。尽管共挤出软件的使用对优化工艺至关重要，但塑料行业的模具设计人员很少使用商用共挤出软件，因为这些软件无法模拟复杂的共挤出系统，也无法捕捉到聚合物流变学的各种复杂性。建议的共挤出软件将使用独特的专有本构理论，可以准确地捕捉聚合物的复杂流变行为。共挤系统中的四面体有限元三维网格在共挤模拟过程中保持不变。不同聚合物之间的界面不需要与有限元边界匹配，而是允许界面切割有限元。新软件中的这些创新功能将允许模拟复杂的共挤出系统。新软件将消除目前用于设计共挤出系统的反复试验的方法，并将使共挤出产品的上市时间缩短50%以上。尽管在共挤出实验中观察到了复杂的现象，如低粘度聚合物对高粘度聚合物的包裹，以及聚合物界面的不稳定性，但这些现象背后的机理仍不完全清楚。该软件将在这个项目中开发，将加强对聚合物共挤出中各种复杂性背后的根本原因的科学理解。它将为设计工程师和工程专业的学生提供一个有用的工具来进行数值实验，以优化共挤出系统。许多不同类型的公司，包括塑料材料供应商、塑料部件制造商和挤出设备制造商，将能够使用该软件削减成本和增加收入。密歇根理工大学和马萨诸塞大学计划进行的共挤模拟实验验证将有利于工程教育。在这个项目中开发的科学知识将包括在密歇根理工大学的高级课程中。

This Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase I project involves development of software for accurate simulation of polymer coextrusion. Even though use of coextrusion software is critical for optimizing the process, die designers in the plastic industry rarely use commercial coextrusion software because these packages cannot simulate complex coextrusion systems, and they also fail to capture various complexities of polymer rheology. The proposed coextrusion software will use a unique proprietary constitutive theory, which can accurately capture the complex rheological behavior of polymers. The three-dimensional mesh of tetrahedral finite elements in the coextrusion system will remain unaltered during the coextrusion simulation. Instead of requiring the interface between different polymers to match with finite element boundaries, the interface will be allowed to cut through the finite elements. These innovative features in the new software will allow simulation of complex coextrusion systems. The new software will eliminate the trial-and-error approach currently being used to design coextrusion systems, and it will cut the time to market of coextruded products by over 50 percent.Even though complex phenomena, such as encapsulation of high viscosity polymer by less viscous polymer, and instabilities at polymer interface, have been observed in coextrusion experiments, the mechanisms behind these phenomena are still not understood completely. The software, which will be developed in this project, will enhance the scientific understanding of the root cause behind various complexities encountered in polymer coextrusion. It will provide design engineers as well as engineering students a useful tool to perform numerical experiments for optimization of coextrusion systems. Many different types of companies, including plastic material suppliers, plastic part manufacturers and extrusion equipment manufacturers, will be able to cut cost and increase revenues using this software. Planned experimental verification of coextrusion simulation at Michigan Technological University and University of Massachusetts will benefit engineering education. The scientific knowledge developed in this project will be included in a senior-level course at Michigan Tech.