TWIN SCREW EXTRUDER DESIGN ENHANCEMENTS FOR IMPROVED PROCESSING OF SPECIALTY PP/PE COMPOUNDS

摘要

High Speed Energy Input (HSEI) co-rotating twin screw extruders are commonly used to process polyolefin based compounds. Applications include compounding, reactive processing, devolatilization, and foaming. The final product can be pellets for subsequent forming processes, or, more and more commonly, a direct extrusion of a fiber/film/sheet or profile. Recent design enhancements to the HSEI twin screw extruder offer the benefit of higher torque, better cooling and increased free volume. A comparison of the traditional HSEI twin screw extruder to the new design is presented, along with test results for processes that are torque and feed limited with the corresponding melt temperatures.