In the Mix Continuous Compounding Using Twin Screw

Extruders
Medical Plastics and Biomaterials
Versatile twin-screw systems can be used for compounding, devolatilization, or reactive extrusionwith the final end products ranging from pellets and fibers to tubes, film, and sheet.
Polymer compounds are useful for an wide variety of molded and extruded medical components and
products extremely. Such compounds are comprised of a foundation resin that's thoroughly mixed
with other components offering specific beneficial properties associated with the particular end
product-for example, impact resistance, clarity, or radiopacity.
Twin-screw extruder with gear-pump front end and profile system,.
An important type of plastics processing machinery referred to as a twin-screw extruder is used to
mix fillers and additives with the polymer in a continuing manner, in order that the compound will
perform as required and achieve the desired properties. Factors including the selection of corotation
versus counterrotation, screw design and style parameters, and feeder-system and downstreampelletizing-system configurations are all important design standards for an effective compounding
operation employing twin-screw equipment.
Single-screw extruders are commonly used to create products such as for example catheters and
medical-grade movies from pellets which have already been compounded. The principal function of
these extruders is to melt and pump the polymer to the die, devolatilizing and with reduced mixing.
The use of an individual screw for such applications minimizes strength input in to the process; such
devices are in lots of ways the exact reverse of a compounding extruder, which is a high-energ-input device.
THE COMPOUNDING PROCESS
Compounding extruders are accustomed to mix together several materials right into a homogeneous
mass in a continuous process. This is completed through distributive and dispersive mixing of the
many components plastic pelletizer in the compound as required (Figure 1). In distributive
combining, the components will be uniformly distributed in space in a uniform ratio without having
to be broken down, whereas dispersive mixing involves the breaking down of agglomerates. Highdispersive mixing needs that significant strength and shear participate the process.
Compounding extruders perform a number of basic functions: feeding, melting, mixing, venting, and
producing die and localized pressure. Numerous kinds of extruders may be used to complete these
goals, including one screw, counterrotating intermeshing twin screw, corotating intermeshing twin
screw, and counterrotating nonintermeshing twin screw. The type and physical form of the polymer
elements, the homes of any fillers or additives, and the degree of mixing required will have a bearing
on machine selection.
Twin-screw compounding gadgets are primarily dedicated to transferring heat and mechanical
energy to provide mixing and different support functions, with reduced regard for pumping. Several
procedures performed via this type of extruder are the polymerizing of latest polymers, modifying
polymers via graft reactions, devolatilizing, blending unique polymers, and compounding

particulates into plastics. By contrast, single-screw plasticating extruders are made to minimize
energy suggestions and to increase pumping uniformity, and are inadequate to execute highly
dispersive and energy-intensive compounding capabilities generally.
Among the typical process parameters that are controlled in a twin-screw extruder operation are
screw rate (in revolutions each and every minute), feed rate, temperatures across the barrel and die,
and vacuum level for the devolatilization plant. Usual readouts include melt pressure, melt
temperature, engine amperage, vacuum level, and materials viscosity. The extruder electric motor
inputs energy in to the process to perform compounding and related mass-transfer capabilities,
whereas the rotating screws impart both shear and strength so that you can mix the elements,
devolatilize, and pump.
Twin-screw compounding extruders for medical applications can be found commercially in three
settings: corotating intermeshing, counterrotating intermeshing, and counterrotating
nonintermeshing (Figure 2). Although each offers certain attributes that make it suitable for
particular applications, both intermeshing types are usually better suited for dispersive
compounding.
Twin-screw extruders make use of modular barrels and screws (Figures 3 and 4). Screws happen to
be assembled on shafts, with barrels configured as simple, vented, side stuffing, liquid drain, and
liquid addition. The modular dynamics of twin-screw systems provides extreme process flexibility by
facilitating such improvements because the rearrangement of barrels, making the length-to-diameter
(L/D) ratio much longer or shorter, or modifying the screw to match the specific geometry to the
mandatory process task. Also, since wear is quite often localized in the extruder's solids-conveying
and plastication section, only specific factors may have to be substituted during preventive
maintenance procedures. By the same token, expensive high-alloy corrosion- and abrasion-resistant
metallurgies may be employed just where protection against dress yourself in is needed.
SCREW DESIGN
The cardiovascular of any twin-screw compounding extruder is its screws. The modular dynamics of
twins and the choice of rotation and degree of intermesh makes practical an infinite number of
screw design variables. Nevertheless, there are a few similarities among the many screw types.
Forward-flighted elements are accustomed to convey resources, reverse-flighted elements are used
to create pressure fields, and kneaders and shear factors are used to combine and melt. Screws can
be built shear intensive or much less aggressive based on the number and kind of shearing elements
integrated into the screw program.
You can find five shear regions in the screws for any twin-screw extruder, no matter screw rotation
or degree of intermesh. The following is going to be a brief description of each region:
Channel-low shear. The blending level in the channel in a twin is similar to that of a single-screw
extruder, and is significantly lower than in the other shear regions.
Overflight/tip mixing-excessive shear. Located between your screw suggestion and the barrel wall
structure, this place undergoes shear that, by some estimates, is as much as 50 times greater than in
the channel.
Lobal pools-great shear. With the compression of the materials entering the overflight location, a
mixing-rate acceleration develops from the channel, with a particularly effective extensional shear
effect.

Intermesh interaction-increased shear. This is actually mixing region between the screws where the
screws "wipe," or nearly wipe. Intermeshing twins tend to be more shear-intensive in this region
than are actually nonintermeshing twins obviously.
Apex mixing-superior shear. This can be the region where in fact the interaction from the second
screw affects the materials mixing rate. Mixing elements could be distributive or dispersive. The
wider the blending element, the even more dispersive its action, as planar and elongational shear
results occur as materials will be forced up and over the land. Narrower mixing elements are more
distributive, with increased melt-division rates and significantly less elongational and planar shear
(Shape 5). Newer distributive blending elements allow for various melt divisions without extensional
shear, which are often particularly useful for mixing warmth- and shear-sensitive materials (Figure
6).
Single-screw extruders possess the channel, overflight, and lobal blending regions, however, not the
intermesh and apex types. Because single-screw units lack these high-shear regions, they are
generally not suitable for high-dispersive mixing. They are adequate often, however, for distributive
blending applications.
All twin-screw compounding extruders are starved-fed units virtually. In a starved twin-screw
extruder, the feeders set the throughput rate and the extruder screw speed can be used and
independent to optimize compounding efficiency. The four high-shear areas are quite simply
independent from the degree of screw fill. Accordingly, at confirmed screw velocity, as throughput is
elevated, the overall mixing often decreases, since the low-shear channel mixing area tends to
dominate the four independent high-shear regions. If the extruder acceleration is held consistent
and the throughput is usually decreased, the high-shear areas will dominate more, and better mixing
will result. The same principle pertains to counterrotating and corotating twins, each of which has
the same five shear regions.
In a traditionally designed counterrotating intermeshing twin, the top velocities in the intermesh
region are in the same direction, which benefits in an increased percentage of the supplies passing
through the high-dispersive calender gap region on each turn. New counterrotating screw
geometries happen to be less reliant on calender gap combining, and take advantage of the
geometric independence that's inherent in counterrotation to employ up to hexalobal mixing
element, in comparison with a bilobal aspect in corotation.
The surface velocities in the intermesh region for the corotating intermeshing twin are in opposite
directions. With this construction, materials are usually wiped from one screw to the various other,
with a low percentage entering the intermesh gap comparatively. Materials tend to follow a figureeight pattern in the flighted screw regions, and most of the shear is normally imparted by shearinducing kneaders in localized areas. Because the flight from one screw cannot distinct the various
other, corotation is bound to bilobal mixing elements at standard trip depth.
The aforementioned comparison of corotation and counterrotation is an extreme oversimplification.
Both types are excellent dispersive mixers and can perform most tasks equally well. It is limited to
product-particular applications that definitive recommendations can be designed for one mode over
the other.
FEED SYSTEMS
Single-screw extruders are flood-fed machines generally, with the solitary screw swiftness
determining the throughput pace of the device. Because twin-screw compounders are not flood fed,

the end result rate depends upon the feeders, and screw velocity can be used to optimize the
compounding efficiency of the procedure. The pressure gradient in a twin-screw extruder is normally
controlled and held at zero for a lot of the process (Figure 7). It has substantial ramifications in
regards to to sequential feeding also to immediate extrusion of a product from a compounding
extruder.
Selecting a feeding system for a twin-screw compounding extruder is really important. Components
may be premixed in a batch-type mixing product and volumetrically fed into the main feed slot of the
extruder. For multiple feed streams, each material is separately fed via loss-in-pounds feeders in to
the main feed interface or a downstream site (top or part feed). Each setup has advantages based on
the product, the average operate size, and the nature of the plant operation.
When premix is feasible, a percentage of the entire mixing task is accomplished prior to the
materials appearing processed in the twin-screw extruder. The result can be a better-quality
compound. Outputs may be increased also, since the screws can be run more "filled" compared with
sequential feeding. Many techniques do not lend themselves to premixing due to segregation in the
hopper and other related problems. A premix operation is appealing for shorter-run often, specialty
high-dispersion compounding applications, such as people that have color concentrates.
Loss-in-weight feeding systems are used to separately meter multiple components into the extruder
often. Loss-in-excess fat feeders accept a arranged point and utilize a PID algorithm to meter
elements with extreme precision (normally <0.5%). They're employed when supplies segregate
typically, when there are mass density fluctuations of the feedstock, whenever a product is being
extruded immediately from the compounder, or when any various other factor exists that can result
in inconsistent metering. The feeders will be readily interfaced with SPC/SQC operations. Multiplecomponent feed streams will be the better choice for larger-volume commodity production runs
often.
The pressure gradient associated with the starved-fed, twin-screw extruder facilitates feeding
downstream from the main feed port. Generally, there's near-zero pressure for a lot of the
procedure. The localized pressure depends upon the screw style, facilitating downstream feeding of
liquids or fillers such as for example barium sulfate.
Downstream feeding can be accomplished through injection ports for liquids, and into vents or
perhaps via twin-screw relative part stuffers for a wide range of other materials, in filler loadings
seeing that high due to 80%. This separation of the process tasks combined with targeted
introduction often outcomes in significantly less barrel and screw dress yourself in with abrasive
elements and in a better-quality product.
DOWNSTREAM SYSTEMS
After the material passes through a filtering device, the merchandise emerging from the extruder
should be converted into an application that can be handled by fabricating equipment. This includes
choosing the downstream pelletizer-generally a strand-cut normally, water-ring, or underwater
system.
In strand-cut systems, the molten strands are cooled in a water trough and pulled through a water
stripper by the pull rolls of the pelletizer. The pelletizer uses both top rated- and bottom-motivated
rolls, which feed the strands to a helical cutter. Die-face or water-band pelletizers cut the strands on
or near the die encounter with high-speed knives. The pellets happen to be conveyed right into a
slurry discharge then, which is pumped right into a dryer where the pellets are separated from the

drinking water. In underwater pelletizers, the die face is normally submerged in a water-packed
chamber or housing, and the pellets will be water quenched.
Sometimes, users desire to extrude a merchandise for instance a tube, film, sheet, or fiber directly
from the compounding extruder, thereby bypassing the pelletizing operation. This generally involves
conflicting method goals. For instance, to optimize compounding effectiveness, the twin screws are
most likely to be operated in a starved manner at big speeds, with a zero pressure gradient along
much of the barrel. This can bring about inconsistent or low pressure to the die, which is
unacceptable for extruding a product. If the screws happen to be run slower or filled more, pressure
can be received and stabilized but at the expense of an excellent compound. Equipment pumps or
takeoff single-screw extruders are sometimes attached to the front of the twin-screw compounder
and used to build and stabilize pressure to the die.
The controls associated with attaching a front-end takeoff tend to be more complex weighed against
those for a stand-alone compounding procedure. The takeoff equipment pump or solitary screw
becomes the get better at device, with feeder and extruder speeds adjusted compared to that of the
pump to keep up a continuous inlet pressure. A PID control algorithm can be designed that
communicates with the feeder(s) and considers the residence period from the feeder through the
extruder-generally about 1 minute. Each product run on the machine will generally need a fair
volume of development effort with regard to the pressure control function.
Advantages connected with in-brand extrusion from a twin-screw compounder include the polymer
having one-less heat and shear history, which results in improved end-product real estate often, the
elimination of pelletizing, the avoidance of demixing that can occur found in the single-screw
process, and the ability to fine-tune a good formulation on-line to get quality assurance.
CONCLUSION
There are plenty of critical design issues that a medical manufacturer should think about when
installing a compounding system. They are influenced by the elements being processed, the precise
end market in which the product will be used, the average run size, and the nature of the plant
where in fact the equipment will be located. Upstream downstream and feeding program options are
believe it or not important than the selection of counterrotation or corotation, or the shear intensity
found in the screw design. Because many subtle variances are present between competing twinscrew settings, a user's own tastes also enter the equation. All alternatives ought to be carefully
viewed as before a decision is normally finalized.