SHOW REVIEW | FAKUMA 2017
10,000 s-1
tion rates in the range 5 to 75 s-1
and elongational viscosity with elonga- . During the contin-
Above: Johns Manville’s latest Thermo- flow chopped strand im- proves filling in thin wall PBT/ PETparts
thermoplastic (LFT) applications. It is available in Europe (as 1200 and 2400 Tex) and in North America (as 225 Yield). The company says it can be applied in structural components used in high-heat applications. ❯
www.jm.com
Right: Leistritz introduced an elongational rheometer for inline operation
Leistritz launched an elongational rheometer, designed to be used either as a standalone measurement device or as an inline “smart sensor” capable of detecting any variation in the com- pounding process. Managing Director Sven Wolf said the rheom- eter has been under development for some time with the Johannes Kepler University in Austria, although Leistritz holds the patents. “The idea was not to copy existing inline rheometers – most of them are working with capillary types to measure pressure drop. We have concentrated on slit dies.” The result is a device with a patented die geometry that can be used in off-line or on-line applications with materials ranging from high viscosity pipe grades to low viscosity fibre or injection moulding grades. In addition, the use of an elongational measurement technique allows the unit to analyse glass reinforced grades, which Wolf said is not possible with capillary systems. The device works by diverting a small amount of the melt via a bypass into the slot die, which features a hyperbolic narrowing designed to generate constant elongational flow (said to be a first for an online elongation- al rheometer). Delivery of the melt to the die is controlled by an internal gear pump, providing full independence from the compounding extruder. After the measurement has been made the molten material is transferred back into the process, avoiding any waste. The rheometer provides online measurement of shear viscosity with shear rates in the range 10 to
44 COMPOUNDING WORLD | November 2017
uous measuring process, the operator can query two measured values of shear viscosity and one value of extensional viscosity. Leistritz says the unit can be used to obtain viscosity curves in a very short time through targeted variation of shear and elongational rates. It can also indicate the melt flow index, IV value and melt density and can be used to monitor reactive compounding processes. According to Wolf, the rheometer has been tested on a number of lines at the university during development including some self-optimising applications, “We have already done adjustment of PP viscosity by adding peroxide to keep the viscosity stable,” he said. Leistritz intends to supply the device as a standalone unit for offline use, as an integrated version for use on Leistritz production or develop- ment twin screw extruders, or as a kit for integration into third party single or twin screw extrusion lines. ❯
www.leistritz.com
Nordson provided an update on the new manufac- turing facility it is constructing at Münster in Germany, which it says will become a “European centre of excellence” for its pelletiser and melt delivery systems. The new unit is being built on the site of the former BKG pelletiser plant – one of four BKG manufacturing locations the company had in Münster – and will serve as a global hub for all the company’s BKG products. These include its underwater and water ring pelletisers and melt delivery systems such as screen changers, gear pumps, and polymer valves. When complete in the summer
www.compoundingworld.com
PHOTO: JOHNS MANVILLE
PHOTO: LEISTRITZ
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