Compounding World Forum | event review
DMDII’s Jacob Goodwin spoke about the potential impact of digital manufacturing technologies on US compounders
US automotive fi rms are looking hard at natural fi bre compounds, said Magna’s Alexis Baltazar, but usage currently lags Europe
Nanocomp Technol- gies’ Joseph Johnson explained the benefi ts of MWNTs in electro- static and electro- magnetic compound applications
collected and shredded. Polysecure has built a machine to sort the marked particles from a mixed recycle stream. The company is currently looking at niche markets with closed recycling streams to build momentum, but hopes someday to address the larger waste stream, said Fahr (more detail can be found in Compounding World’s December 2015 edition). Additives can also be used to improve the properties of
recycled polymers. For example, ZeMac, a reactive additive from Vertellus, adds branching to the molecule, thus making it shear-thinning and more easily processed at the high shear rates of injection moulding, said Ashok Adur, global commercial development director, Plastics, at Vertellus Specialties. ZeMac can also be used to increase relative viscosity for high melt strength applica- tions, such as blow moulding and extrusion. The additive can be used in various PA types, as well as PBT, PBT/PET blends, POM, some PC grades, and PC-ABS alloys.
Processing technologies In compounding extrusion there is room for moving forward to greater effi ciencies and improved ability to process more materials, according to Babu Padmanab- han, managing director and chief knowledge offi cer at Steer Engineering. He described various special elements using Steer’s fractional lobe geometry that solve problems in twin-screw extrusion. For example, he said FKB kneading elements enhance melting and mixing and eliminate shear peaks. Paul Andersen, director of Process Technology at
Coperion, explained how twin-screw extruders can be used for reactive extrusion in applications such as cross-linking and grafting. The process allows unique tailoring of polymers, he explained. Michael Forstner, area manager for Econ, described the use of underwater pelletizing for production of
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Recycling is a target application for Polysecure’s marker technologies. Martin Fahr explained how
Screw element design and its contribution to compounding effi ency was addressed by Steer Engineering’s Babu Padmanabhan
CPM Century Extrusion’s Adam Dreiblatt discussed the application of different simulation models in com- pounding process development
micropellets, which are less than or equal to 1mm in size compared to the more typical 3-5mm pellet. The smaller size provides advantages for masterbatches and can be used as an alternative to powders in rotomolding (discussed in more detail on page 34 of this issue). Process simulation software should, and will, be
increasingly used in twin-screw compounding, said Adam Dreiblatt, director of process technology at CPM Century Extrusion. He said three-dimensional mod- eling gives thorough and accurate information, but is available only for fully fi lled sections. One-dimensional modeling is less accurate and gives more of an approximation, but is available to give a comprehensive simulation of the process. The simulation model can be used to obtain data that is not otherwise available without running physical experiments, such as identifying where the polymer is melting, trying alternative machine or screw confi gura- tions, or running “what-if” scenarios. One-dimensional simulation allows you to probe the process in a quantitative way, said Dreiblatt. Key system param- eters, such as melt temperature and residence time, can then be correlated to product quality attributes. Models must be calibrated or validated for the material type and formulation, he cautioned, although in the absence of accurate material data, simulations can still be used to compare and show trends.
Compounding World Forum 2016
Dates have already been fi xed for the fourth Compounding World Forum, which will take place at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown Hotel in Philadelphia, PA, USA, on 13-14 December 2016. To fi nd out more about speaking, exhibiti ng or att ending the 2016 event, contact conference coordinator Kelly Cressman. Email:
kc@amiplastics-na.com; Tel: +1 610 478 0800. Or fi nd out more at the conference website:
http://bit.ly/CWF16H
January 2016 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 71
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