MACHINERY | PROCESSING
Compounders are finding that unusual materials sometimes require unusual processes. Chris Saunders reports on alternatives to mainstream compounding technology
Alternative technologies find pathways for compounders
As compounders face growing pressure to process more recycled polymers and increasingly complex formulations, alternative compounding technologies are attracting renewed attention. Recycled feed- stocks are becoming more variable, formulations are incorporating higher levels of fillers and functional additives, and processors are increasingly con- cerned about thermal history, energy consumption, fibre degradation, and residence-time control. These challenges are encouraging compounders to look at specialised technologies resulting not in a wholesale move away from twin-screw extrusion, but rather a growing recognition that there is no single optimum compounding process or machine and co-kneaders, continuous mixers, planetary roller extruders, and other specialised systems, can offer significant advantages where conventional twin-screw technol- ogy reaches its limits. Recycled feedstocks, for example, can combine low bulk density, irregular geometry, moisture, volatile contaminants, and previous polymer degra- dation. In these cases, feeding capacity, surface renewal, devolatilisation and thermal management
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can become as important as dispersive mixing. This is creating opportunities for compounding tech- nologies with large free volume, such as continu- ous mixers, or architectures designed to generate intensive melt-surface renewal, as in multi-rotation and multi-screw concepts. “In my view, alternative compounding technolo-
gies are finding new application areas not because they are becoming more universal, but because the processing challenges themselves are becoming more specialised,” said Luis Roca, Compounding Leader, Aimplas. “This is not about replacing the twin-screw extruder. It is about matching the machine architecture to the dominant limitation of the process.” To help explore new opportunities, the SKZ Plastics Centre in Germany has expanded its processing capabilities by loaning an S2KRC kneading system from Kurimoto which can process a wide variety of material systems in a continuous process step. Depending on the material, through- put rates ranging from 5 to 50 kg/h are possible, making the system an excellent fit for SKZ’s pilot
October 2026 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 27
Main image: Compounders face a puzzle when process- ing recyclates and bio-based materials
IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK
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