Compact and flexible optical sensor designed for on-line monitoring

A new on line optical sensor based on light scattering dedicated to real-time monitoring during processing of polymers blends and polymers nanocomposites has been developed. The sensor is designed to monitor the quality of a polymer melt or of a dispersion of nanofillers in a polymeric matrix during the process of extrusion. This sensor presents three openings: two for light sensor setups (one for transmission measurements and the other for 90°-scattered light measurements) and one for the incident laser beam. The experimental validation of this optical sensor has been realized on two materials: poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and on the nanocomposites obtained by the melt mixing of this polymer matrix with modified montmorillonite (MMT) clays. Experimental results proved the good results in terms of signal repeatability and sensitivity to organoclay particle concentration and structures of nanocomposites respectively.