Screw Optimization for Renewable Resins

摘要

As any new resin is introduced to market, machinery manufacturers and converters alike attempt to understand its processing characteristics in order to identify equipment needs and potential applications. This learning curve has been in progress for years for PLA based resins, but recently the general learning has turned to specific case studies for replacing conventional resins with renewable ones in many extrusion applications. This paper presents the design methodology for extrusion optimization of new to market resins, and then discusses specific examples of this method in use which have led to an optimization of screw design for this family of PLA resins. The focus of the work presented is extrusion coating applications, but the findings are equally applicable to cast film and sheet applications as well.