The Effect of Rheological Additives on the Flow of Polysulphone Melts

The rheological characteristics of a melt of home-produced polysulphone of grade PSF-190 with processing additives of different nature – silsesquioxane, fluorine-containing, and polymethylsiloxane additives – were investigated. The flow curves of PSF-190 with additives in different quantities in a wide range of temperatures, shear velocities, and shear stresses were obtained. It was shown that the functional properties of the additives depend considerably on their thermodynamic compatibility with PSF-190 at high temperatures (290–320°C), their solubility, and their content. It was established that the introduction of 2.5 wt% silsesquioxane additive lowers the viscosity of PSF-190 most effectively (by a factor of 2.5).