PROCESSABILITY OF THERMOSETS AS AFFECTED BY COMPOUNDING CONDITIONS IN CONTINUOUS KNEADERS.

During the compounding operation the thermosetting resin should be fused and melt-mixed but should not be allowed to react. The hot compounding of thermosetting resins is an intricate task which necessitates compounding equipment that are capable of precise temperature control, possess the ability to generate high deformation rates for the dispersion of the additives into the resin matrix and exhibit a narrow residence time distribution. In this paper authors summarize some of the preliminary results of an experimental program to elucidate the effects of the compounding conditions in continuous kneaders on the processability behaviour of the thermosetting resins.