Autonomous polymer compounding optimization

A method for measuring mechanical properties of a polymer composite extruded from a nozzle of a compounding extruder, the method comprising:

• rolling the polymer composite along a first direction using a plurality of pairs of roller units, each of the pairs comprising a first roller unit and a second roller unit, wherein
• a center of the first roller unit and a center of the second roller unit are separated by a predetermined distance in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction, and the predetermined distance of each of the pairs of roller units increases stepwise with respect to the first direction, and
• the polymer composite extruded from the nozzle has a U-shaped profile with a side wall and upper and lower portions surrounding the side wall, wherein the upper and lower portions are thicker than the side wall in a cross-sectional view of the polymer composite;
• increasingly straining the side wall that is a vulnerable portion of the polymer composite in the second direction as the polymer composite moves through the pairs of roller units in the first direction and the predetermined distance increases stepwise;
• and
• measuring stress in the side wall using a sensor.

A non-transitory computer readable medium (CRM) storing instructions for performing operation that causes a testing apparatus to obtain mechanical properties of a polymer composite extruded from a nozzle of a compounding extruder, the operation comprising:

• rolling the polymer composite along a first direction using a plurality of pairs of roller units, each of the pairs comprising a first roller unit and a second roller unit, wherein
• a center of the first roller unit and a center of the second roller unit are separated by a predetermined distance in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction, and the predetermined distance of each of the pairs of roller units increases stepwise with respect to the first direction, and
• the polymer composite extruded from the nozzle has a U-shaped profile including a thin side wall and upper and lower portions surrounding the side wall, wherein the upper and lower portions are thicker than the side wall in a cross-sectional view of the polymer composite;
• increasingly straining the side wall that is a vulnerable portion of the polymer composite in the second direction as the polymer composite moves through the pairs of roller units in the first direction and the predetermined distance increases stepwise;
• and
• measuring stress in the side wall using a sensor.