Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 February 2011
Although during melt spinning the ongoing interactive thermal and mass transfer processes are affected by both materials properties and process variables, a simplified resolution for this complex system can be obtained by first identifying and characterizing those substrate and melt material combinations that provide useful, steady state production performance. A previously described standardized falling droplet/inclined plane test procedure that simulates the dynamic wetting and solidification behavior during melt spinning is being used to generate a range of phenomenological information for combination of melt (droplet) and substrate (plane). Real differences in dynamic wetting/solidification patterns are being correlated with melt spinning performance. Phenomenological and process characteristics from some melt spinning experiments for representative material combinations have been analyzed to verify the validity of these projected correlations as well as to provide complementary information about the interrelation of melt puddle/substrate dynamics with product dimensions and quality.