ALTERNATIVE EXTRUDERS | MACHINERY
Twin screw extruders work very well but compounders have access to alternative technologies that can offer significant benefits in specific applications. Mark Holmes learns more
Exploring alternative compounding options
Twin-screw extrusion technology may dominate the plastics compounding industry but it is not the only option available. A number of alternative com- pounding technologies exist that offer processing features and techniques that can be better suited to handling specialised compounding operations and products. These include, for example, applica- tions where increased residence times and degas- sing or devolatilisation are required – such as compounding of recycled polymers — or for handling shear sensitive compounds where a high dispersive and distributive mixing intensity is necessary. In addition, some alternative technolo- gies promise more energy-efficient processing. While twin-screw extruders serve the com- pounding industry very well, there are some specialised products that require processing conditions beyond the capabilities of conven- tional compounding equipment, according to
www.compoundingworld.com
CPM Extrusion Group. “These materials are pushing the limits of twin-screw machinery in terms of residence time, devolatilisation and temperature control,” says Adam Dreiblatt, Director, Process Technology. “Materials in these categories are being pro- duced today with traditional twin-screw extruders, however, at increased manufacturing cost,” Dreiblatt says. “For example, two twin-screw extruders can be arranged in series and operated at very low production rate to reach the long residence time requirements for reactive extrusion, as a direct result of the limited free volume in co-rotating twin-screw extruders. The increased free volume of multi-screw extruders offers economical production for such applications, both in terms of capital and operating costs.” CPM Extrusion Group’s RingExtruder RE, which is equipped with 12 co-rotating and intermeshing
Main image: Demand for plastics that can replace an ever-wider range of traditional materials means being able to incorporate a growing range of fillers, according to X-Compound
October 2020 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 17
IMAGE: X-COMPOUND
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