{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,21]],"date-time":"2026-01-21T05:00:54Z","timestamp":1768971654097,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,12,29]],"date-time":"2020-12-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1609200000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Portuguese fundation for Science and Technology","award":["SFRH\/BPD\/100353\/2014; UIDB\/00013\/2020; UIDP\/00013\/2020; UID-B\/05256\/ 2020; UID-P\/05256\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["SFRH\/BPD\/100353\/2014; UIDB\/00013\/2020; UIDP\/00013\/2020; UID-B\/05256\/ 2020; UID-P\/05256\/2020"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Polymers"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This work combines experimental and numerical (computational fluid dynamics) data to better understand the kinetics of the dispersion of graphite nanoplates in a polypropylene melt, using a mixing device that consists of a series of stacked rings with an equal outer diameter and alternating larger and smaller inner diameters, thereby creating a series of converging\/diverging flows. Numerical simulation of the flow assuming both inelastic and viscoelastic responses predicted the velocity, streamlines, flow type and shear and normal stress fields for the mixer. Experimental and computed data were combined to determine the trade-off between the local degree of dispersion of the PP\/GnP nanocomposite, measured as area ratio, and the absolute average value of the hydrodynamic stresses multiplied by the local cumulative residence time. A strong quasi-linear relationship between the evolution of dispersion measured experimentally and the computational data was obtained. Theory was used to interpret experimental data, and the results obtained confirmed the hypotheses previously put forward by various authors that the dispersion of solid agglomerates requires not only sufficiently high hydrodynamic stresses, but also that these act during sufficient time. Based on these considerations, it was estimated that the cohesive strength of the GnP agglomerates is in the range of 5\u201350 kPa.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/polym13010102","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,12,29]],"date-time":"2020-12-29T10:04:46Z","timestamp":1609236286000},"page":"102","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Dispersion of Graphite Nanoplates in Polypropylene by Melt Mixing: The Effects of Hydrodynamic Stresses and Residence Time"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5477-3226","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lu\u00eds Lima","family":"Ferr\u00e1s","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre of Mathematics, Department of Mathematics, University of Minho, 4800-058 Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0340-3556","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"C\u00e9lio","family":"Fernandes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Polymer Engineering, Institute for Polymers and Composites, Campus de Azur\u00e9m, University of Minho, 4800-058 Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Denis","family":"Semyonov","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Coolbrook, Pieni Roobertinkatu 9, 00130 Helsinki, Finland"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5303-6467","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jo\u00e3o Miguel","family":"N\u00f3brega","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Polymer Engineering, Institute for Polymers and Composites, Campus de Azur\u00e9m, University of Minho, 4800-058 Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0790-5801","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jos\u00e9 Ant\u00f3nio","family":"Covas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Polymer Engineering, Institute for Polymers and Composites, Campus de Azur\u00e9m, University of Minho, 4800-058 Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,12,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Bhattacharya, M. 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