Single extruder barrel design to accommodate compounding, chemical reactions, and immiscible polymer blends with solids coated by one of the polymers

• Main Authors: Arya Singh Tewatia, Thomas Nosker
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 29.12.2021
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; TRANSPORTING; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

A multi-port single screw extruder combining a heated plastication barrel having a first entrance port and an exit port on opposing ends of the barrel and a second entrance port intermediately positioned therebetween; a first hopper positioned to deliver ingredients to the first entrance port of said barrel; a second hopper positioned to deliver ingredients to the second entrance port and a helical plastication screw rotatably carried within the barrel and running the length thereof between the first entrance port and exit port that is operable to rotate and transmit the ingredients along the length of the barrel; wherein the plastication screw includes a distributive mixing element located between at least one additional entrance port and the exit port, the minor diameter of the plastication screw is reduced in advance of each additional entrance port sufficient to reduce the barrel pressure at each entrance port to a level that permits the addition of ingredients to the barrel through the entrance port, and the ingredients include a thermoplastic polymer.