This review provides the current state of knowledge of steady-state modeling of the extrusion cast film process used to produce flat polymer films, as well as related experimental research with a particular focus on the flow instability neck-in. All kinematic models used (i.e., 1-, 1.5-, 2-, and 3-dimensional models) together with the utilized constitutive equations, boundary conditions, simplified assumptions, and numerical methods are carefully summarized. The effect of draw ratio, Deborah number (i.e., melt relaxation time related to experimental time), film cooling, second to first normal stress difference ratio at the die exit, uniaxial extensional strain hardening, and planar-to-uniaxial extensional viscosity ratio on the neck-in is discussed.

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In this work, a stable numerical scheme has been developed for the 1.5-dimensional film casting model of Silagy et al. [Polym. Eng. Sci. 36, “Study of the stability of the film casting process,” 2614–2625 (1996)] utilizing the viscoelastic modified Leonov model as the constitutive equation and energy equation coupled with the crystallization kinetics of semicrystalline polymers taking into account actual temperature as well as cooling rate. The model has been successfully validated on the experimental data for linear isotactic polypropylene taken from the open literature. Drawing distance, draw ratio, heat transfer coefficient, and die exit melt temperature were systematically varied in the utilized model in order to understand the role of process conditions in the neck-in phenomenon (unwanted film width shrinkage during stretching in the post die area) and crystalline phase development during flat film production. It is believed that the utilized numerical model together with the suggested stable numerical scheme as well as obtained research results can help to understand a processing window for the production of flat porous membranes from linear polypropylene considerably.

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