Melt Flow Index (MFI): meaning and role.
The Melt Flow Index (MFI), or Melt Flow Rate (MFR), measures how much molten polymer flows through a standard nozzle in 10 minutes under set conditions (g/10 min). It is a key rheological parameter for thermoplastics, inversely related to melt viscosity and indicative of molecular weight: low MFI means higher viscosity and molecular weight, while high MFI means lower viscosity and molecular weight.
TPE-S: is it rubber or is it plastic?
A styrenic thermoplastic elastomer, or TPE-S, is a material intermediate between rubber and plastic—it has characteristics of both. Let’s look at them in detail: 🔹 Structure It is composed of styrene blocks (rigid) and elastomeric blocks (rubbery), typically butadiene or isoprene (e.g., SBS, SEBS). 🔹 Behavior • At room temperature → it behaves like rubber […]
How to choose the right mixer in a plasticizing unit: a balance between materials, objectives, and design.
The choice of mixer in an extrusion plasticizing unit is never a matter of chance: behind each configuration lies a rationale that combines the characteristics of the raw material, mixing objectives, and system limitations. Simply put, it’s a balance between what we want to achieve and what the machine can handle. A plasticizing unit in […]