Purpose & Overview:
This seminar provides attendees with a comprehensive background for PVC and CPVC melt flow behavior and its practical applications in optimizing extrusion, molding, and compounding operations. Numerous case histories are provided to select the most optimum stabilizer, plasticizer, lubricant and the base resin based on their rheological properties. A major emphasis is placed on how to apply the rheological data of PVC in screw and die design, and to reclaim PVC and CPVC scrap of rigid, semi-rigid, and flexible compounds. Capillary and torque rheometry principles are simplified as very practical test methods to develop new formulations, to reduce the cost of scrap and downtime, and to optimize output rates. Practical problem solving is discussed showing how to correlate and control melt temperature, thermal degradation, and viscous heating inside the extruder barrel. Don't miss this opportunity to increase your profits by increasing your knowledge of PVC and CPVC melt rheology - the key to successful optimization of materials and processing.

Who should attend?
This seminar has been developed for polymer scientists, process engineers, Q.C. engineers, manufacturing foremen, and sales personnel.

About the Instructor: Pravin L. Shah
Pravin L. Shah is President of Rheo-Plast Associates Inc., a consulting firm based in Reading, PA. Rheo-plast provides technical expertise and consultation on polymer rheology and its applications in extrusion, injection molding, and compounding of new blends and alloys with complete laboratory facility for plastics testing and compounding. Pravin has done postgraduate research in rheology and polymer processing. Rheo-Plast provides hands-on consulting service for the extrusion of PVC, polyolefins, and engineering plastics in strip, tubing and profile extrusion. Rheo-Plast offers several training seminars on rheology and extrusion, which are also available on CD-ROM.

Pravin has over 25 years of industrial and consulting experience in polymer rheology, materials science, extrusion, molding screw and die design. He holds many patents to his credit covering a wide range of new composites from PVC to PEEK materials. Pravin has pioneered many new melt rheology concepts and has developed many proprietary PVC formulations for wire and cable, profile, and sheet applications. Further information can be found on his companies website: www.rheoplast.com

Pravin has published over 50 technical papers, and has authored two major chapters on rheology in a PVC encyclopedia (Edited by L. Nass, Marcel Decker, 1977) and a "Handbook of Engineering Plastics" (Edited by I. Rubin, John Wiley, 1990). He is currently writing a two volume series on "Guide to Resin Characterization for Processing" and "A Handbook of Practical Rheology." He is a senior member of SPE. Pravin has taught polymer rheology and advanced extrusion seminars at many industrial organizations and leading universities around the world. More than 5,000 students have graduated from his Practical Rheology seminar. In 1997 Pravin received the "International Who's Who of Entrepreneurs Award," followed by SPE's "Who's Who in Polymers and Plastics Award" in 2000. In 2001 Pravin received Cambridge, England's prestigious award "Who's Who in 21st Century" for his original and pioneering work in polymer rheology research. He has been a frequent speaker, moderator and seminar instructor at various SPE conferences for more than 20 years.

Seminar Content:
Introduction
Role of Melt Rheology in PVC Characterization and Processing • Introduction to melt rheology • Rheology: A useful tool for a processor • Why rheological properties are important in PVC and CPVC processing
Fundamentals of Melt Rheology • Types of deformation: Shear, extensional, volumetric • Classification of fluid behavior • Flow models • Effect of temperature on melt viscosity • Effect of pressure on viscosity • Effect of shear rates on viscosity and degradation • Effect of molecular weight and MWD on viscosity • How to interpret rheology graphs
Quick Review of the Rheometers used to Measure the Flow Properties
Commercial Rheometers
Significance of Flow Properties • Polymer melt viscosity • Elasticity, die swell, extrudate defects • Mechanism of melt instability - Flow visualization through a glass barrel
Guide to PVC Resin Characterization for Processing
Case Histories of PVC And CPVC Rheology Data Useful in Processing and New Product Development
Role of Rheology in Mixing, Dry Blending and Compounding
A Rheological Analysis of the Extrusion Process
Production Problem Solving Workshop