PRODUCTION | PURGING COMPOUNDS
Right: Preparing a batch of purging
compound for dispatch at RapidPurge
In a recent RapidPurge customer application, a
large multinational compounder that works primarily with engineering resins was experiencing great difficulty removing some of the high tem- perature resins from both its single screw and twin screw compounding lines. It was finding that removal of the layers of resin that had built up on the screw typically required extensive tear-downs and up to eight hours of manual labour.
employed that forces the cleaning of all the metal surfaces, even behind screw flights. Finally, a proprietary compatible resin is used that is stiff enough to remove resident resin, but easily removed by the next production resin.” Compounding purging developments are continuing, he says. RapidPurge will be introducing a new compounding specific grade within the next 12 months that will work in a way said to be different to anything currently on the market. “Unlike most purging compounds, it is being patented, “Serell says. “This grade will work rapidly with no abrasive elements. The engineering of this product is a technical challenge, but we have passed all the biggest hurdles already. It will safely and effectively break down resins so that they can be flushed very easily.”
Chemical purges RapidPurge says it supplied one of its chemical purge compounds – PM5540 – that was employed prior to machine tear-down. Around 10–20lbs (4.5-9kg) of material was required per cleandown, depending on the application. A soak period of 10–15 minutes was used to allow the purge compound to penetrate the layers of built-up material. The purge compound “soaked” down to the metal and, when the screw was pulled, easily peeled away from the screw. During that peeling process, the purge compound lifted the resins and degradation that had softened during the soak cycle. The whole process, including the screw pull, takes less than one hour, says Serell, who adds that in many cases the use of RapidPurge PM5540 was saving the compounder more than $500 per purge. Serell says the RapidPurge definition of a chemical purge compound differs from some other suppliers of purge compounds. “Many suppliers refer to their products as chemical purges,” he says. “This is because they utilise foaming agents that react chemically when exposed to heat to form water or carbon dioxide. What RapidPurge calls chemical purge is very different. Our purge
What does the Single Use Plastic Directive mean for your business?
Understand how this Directive is expected to impact the European plastics caps and closures industry with this new comprehensive report.
NEW REPORT
Plastic Caps and Closures – The European Market 2019
CLICK HERE TO FIND
OUT MORE Robust research and expert data for the global plastics industry
PHOTO: RAPIDPURGE
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106
