Glossary
Mixing in polymer processing - Concepts

Compounding; compounding

Industrial operation consisting in producing a generally complex material by mixing one or more fillers (solid or liquid) within a matrix using an extrusion process.

Cumulative strain

The amount of strain (calculated as the product of strain rate and time) accumulated by a material element during a flow.

Énergie mécanique spécifique; specific mechanical energy

Energy related to the deformation rate of a material, expressed per unit of mass or volume. In practice, it is expressed in kilowatt-hours per tonne (kWh/t).

Buckling

The phenomenon of shape instability in parts subjected to normal compressive stress.

Mixing law

Expression used to calculate the property of a mixture from the properties of the constituents and their proportion (mass or volume).