POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS OF TRACERS IN EXTRUSION.

Evaluation of the status of tracer techniques and tracer materials that have been used in the extrusion and in other aspects of polymer extrusion. Analysis is made of such potential uses by examining some of the needs in the extrusion field, ranging from extrusion itself to various processing systems to the end products. It is found that tracers have not been utilized to full advantage in extrusion per se, mixing, dispersion, feedstock characterization, product characterization, processing systems, fabrication systems, and, finally, the tagging and identification of end products in end uses. It should be possible to modify tracer, analytical methods and computer techniques of other fields to whatever degree desired or justified for use in the extrusion field.