Computer-Aided Modeling of Polymer Processing: A Review

Abstract

Polymer processing is increasingly important ever since the rapid growth of polymer applications in the past decade. In this paper, the computational aspects of modeling the polymer behavior during its processing are reviewed. Following a discussion of the formulation of polymeric flow and heat transfer characteristics, the associated constitutive relationships are reported. The current status of the numerical techniques, as well as knowledge-based systems used in modeling of polymer processing, is then presented. Finally, a major polymer process called calendering is selected and simulated by a special finite difference technique to illustrate the procedure involved and the information revealed in modeling. Areas where further work is needed are also identified.