1304 SSchoenfeld Kiev Sofia Applications en

Coperion Applications: Extrusion Plastics April 2013
Compounding of Filled Polymers with the Co-rotating Twin Screw Extruder ZSK Page 1
Compounding
with the
Co-rotating Twin Screw Extruder ZSK
Dipl.-Ing. Sabine Schönfeld

Sales Manager Engineering Plastics, Coperion Stuttgart

ZSK Mc18 - the new dimension in compounding technology
ZSK – overview and machine technology
Experiences with Md/a³ = 18 Nm/cm3
(Throughput rates)
FET (Feed Enhancement Technology for
side feed stuffer)
ZS-EG (Side vent stuffer)

Specific Enthalpy min. required energy for processing
The difference in enthalpy

multiplied with the
throughput rate results in
the required power input
P=m. h

ZSK – Power Input
Pel m . h = Pvt + Qheat+cool
m.hi
Qheat + cool
~3%
loss PVt
m.ho

ZSK Mc18 – shear rate for ZSK
. .
maximum 30 average
. .
minimum 0,9 average
. circumferential speed v
Shear rate 
channel depth

ZSK Mc18 – reduced shear rate with higher available torque
Low feed rate Higher

High feedrate
feed rate
Constant screw speed

barrel barrel
Q2 Q2
Q1 Q1
h
screw screw
Average value
of Shear rate
Average value
of Shear rate
SEI [kWh/kg]
Specific Energy- Consumed power [kW]

input SEI
= Throughput rate [kg/h]
Rate [kg/h]

Specific Energy Input - areas of application of the ZSK

ZSK Mc18 – Experience with Md/a³ = 18 Nm/cm³
PA6/66 + 30% GF (ZSK45)
PBT + 30 % GF (ZSK45)
PET (ZSK 45)
PE + 85 % CaCO3
PP + 40% Talcum (ZSK 45)

Example 1: ZSK Mc18 for reinforcing with glass up to 60%
1 Polymer A + polymer B + additives

(premix, alternative separate feeders)
1 3 2 Chopped glass fibers
3 Chopped glass fibers (alternative to 2) or
4 fillers
4 Alternative: glass or carbon fiber rovings
2 5 ZS-B twin screw side feeder
6 ZSK Mc18
7 Devolatilization
8 Strand die head
9 Water bath
10 Air knife unit
11 Pelletizer
7 7
10 11
8
6 9

Example 1: Fiber reinforcement – PA6 + 30% GF
Conditions: ZSK 45 Mc18 Md ~ 85%
Throughput increase: up to 50%
Mc PLUS Mc18
+
50 %
650
672 1089

Example 1: Fiber reinforcement – PA6 + 30% GF
Energy savings of 0,034 kWh/kg at constant rates!
Mc PLUS Mc18
0,201
0,167
672 1089

Microscopy of Glass fibers for PA6 + 30% GF
ZSK Mc PLUS : 600 rpm ZSK Mc PLUS: 900 rpm ZSK Mc PLUS: 1,100 rpm
ZSK Mc18: 600 rpm ZSK Mc18 : 900 rpm ZSK Mc18 : 1,100 rpm
1 mm

Example 2: Fiber reinforcement – PBT + 30% GF
Conditions: ZSK 45 Mc18 Md ~ 85 %

Throughput increase: up to 100% higher throughput rate for SEI = constant
Operation:
- 530 kg/h
- 600 rpm
- 0,146 kWh/kg
- 315 °C
Operation:
- 1040 kg/h
- 900 rpm
- 0,147 kWh/kg
- 318 °C

ZSK Mc18 for degassing of PET
1 PET
2 Atmospheric vent
3 Vacuum pump
4 ZSK Mc18
5 Die head
6 Water bath
7 Air knife unit
8 Pelletizer
2
1
3
7 8
5

Example 3: Degassing of PET – Pellets (iV = 0,84 dl/g)
Throughput increase Energy savings > 0,01 kWh/kg

at higher rates !

Example 3: Degassing of PET – Pellets (iV = 0,84 dl/g)
Melt Temperature reduction of up to 10°C ! iV drop is less with higher torque

Basics for producing and compounding of PET
ZSK 45 Mc18 – 60% throughput increase in PET compounding
350 0,84
Throughput [kg/h]
iV [dl/g]
Raw material
0,83
18 Smaller IV drop iVo=0,83 dl/g
300 Mc
5 With same screw speed
K4
e
ZS
op as
0,82 ZS
dr re
K4
IV inc 5M
c 18
nt put
250
ns gh
0,81
co hrou
c+ Same IV drop
ta
M with 25% higher screw speed

wi % T
45
K 0,80 ZS
ZS
60
200
th
K4
30% increase in 5M
c+
throughput at 0,79
same rpm
150
0,78
100 200 300 400

200 300 400
Screw speed [rpm]
Screw speed [rpm]

Example 4: Highly filled polymers  CaCO3
Highly filled polymers are considered to have a higher filler degree than “convential” compounds. In our
understanding it is a filler level more than 75% by weight, most often more than 80% by weight.

Characterisation of bulk material
Glass-
Form of particles Talc CaCO3 Fibres Beads
Aspect ratio 5 - 100 approx. 1 > 10 1
very cohesive cohesive good flow very good flow
Flow factors 0 2 4 >10
Bulk density (kg/m³) Talc : 170-500

CaCO3: 600-800
GF fibres: 100-300
Hollow glass beads: 80-150
Moisture (%) Representative: 0,1 - 2 %
Wood CaCO3 TiO2 Diamond

Mohs-Hardness 1 5 >10

How to prepare a cake mixture (discontinuous)
- 1st loading - mixing

- 2nd loading - mixing
- 3rd loading - mixing
- ....
How to prepare a Highly filled

polymer compound (continuous)
Polymer +
Filler
Melting and Mixing Mixing
Filler Filler

General layout for Compounding of Filled Polymers (1).
Feeders and Extruder for Filler content < 80 % Discharge equipment

PP, PE CaCO3 CaCO3
15..30% 20..30% 30..60%
Strand Pelletizer
venting
atm. vac.
Waterring Pelletizer
Underwater Pelletizer

General layout for Compounding of Filled Polymers (2).
Feeders and Extruder for Filler content between 75 and 85 %
• Feeders / feeder layout / refilling of feeders

• Screen changer (Yes / No – if Yes – mesh size?)
• Gear pump (Yes / No)
• Pelletizing:
- Underwater
Additives
- Waterring
CaCO3
PP, PE - water treatment system (remark: fines)
15% - 30% 20% - 30% • Which product range will be produced?
- PP, LDPE, LLDPE, (which MFR values?)
CaCO3
- Filler content 60 % to 75% => Standard ZSK machine set-up
30% - 60%
- Filler content 75 % to 85% => Optimized ZSK machine set-up
Atm. ZSB
ZSB M
M
P1 P2
5 3 4 5 5 7 8 9 12 SW AV UG
1 10 11

Specific energy / discharge pressure versus CaCO3 content
0,14 160
0,12 140
Specific Energy Input [kWh/kg]
120
Discharge Pressure [bar]

0,1
100
0,08
80
0,06
60
0,04
40
0,02 20
SEI
0 0
Pressure
74 76 78 80 82 84
CaCO3 [wt%]

LDPE / LLDPE + 75 – 85 % CaCO3*
MFI 2,16/190°C dg/min 1-5 5 - 100

kg/h kg/h
ZSK 32 50 - 100 80 - 150
ZSK 40 100 - 200 150 - 300
ZSK 45 140 - 280 220 - 450
ZSK 50 200 - 400 300 - 600
ZSK 58 300 - 600 450 - 900
ZSK 70 540 - 1100 800 - 1600
ZSK 82 860 - 1700 1300 - 2600
ZSK 92 1200 - 2400 1850 - 3650
ZSK 103 1700 - 3400 2600 - 5200
ZSK 119 2600 - 5200 3950 - 7900
ZSK 133 3600 - 7300 5500 - 11000
* Throughput Rate depends on raw materials and formulation

Highly filled CaCO3 Compounds
• Filling Degree > 80 % requests a very good processing Know-How together with a
suitable formulation for highest throughput.
• Feeder layout & arrangement, screw configuration, temperature profile and processing
parameters are essential.
• Coperion GmbH started to focus on these formulations many years ago and initiated
internal trials (also with customers). In the meantime machines specifically configured for
these highly filled polymers are successfully in operation:
Key-references lines (CaCO3: > 80%):

ZSK 92 Mc PLUS (Europe)
ZSK 98 Mv (South America)
ZSK 125 Mv (Europe)
ZSK 70 Mc PLUS (Eastern Europe)
ZSK 98 Mv (Europe)
2 x ZSK58McPlus (South America)

Example 5: Filled Polymers Talc
Experience with Feed Enhancement Technology FET
Trials on ZSK 50:

+ 200 % PP + Talcum
+ 140 % + 170 % talcum in barrel 4 by side
feeder (ZSB)
Talcum Luzenac A3:

0,21 g/cm3, d50: 1,1 µm
Talcum Luzenac A7:

0,22 g/cm3, d50: 2,3 µm
Talcum Luzenac A20:

0,28 g/cm3, d50: 3,7 µm

ZSK Mc18 –
Patented Equipment for Feed Enhancement Technology FET
With the patented FET equipment, the product feed can be optimized so that drive power of the
ZSK Mc18 is fully transferred into the process section – even when processing powder bulk
materials.
The results: Vacuum pump

• Increases in throughput rate up to 300 %
• Maximum productivity
• Maximum operating safety
• Increased flexibility of the processing system
ED*
T
TEN
PA *European Patent
U.S. Patent Application
Japanese Patent Application
Chinese Patent Application

Installation possibilities for FET and working principle

ZSK Mc18 – Feed Enhancement Technology FET
Working principle
Friction and higher bulk density

increase the conveying angle:
FET not active Conveying angle  capacity
Angle of conveying approx. 20°
FET active
Angle of conveying approx. 40°

Typical setup for FET-ZSB
Filler
Additives
Polymer
FET - ZSB

Experience with FET at ZS-B (production)
ZSK 92
+ 10 %
+ 40 % PP + 3 types of Talcum
Talcum in barrel 4 by side

+ 30 % feeder ZS-B
limits with FET:

recipes 1 and 2:
destabilisation of
degassing because of
increased back-up
length before discharge
recipe 3:
feeder limited

Experience with FET-ZSB (trials)
Trials on ZSK 40:

200 PA 6 + filler,
+ 55 %
+ 250 % without FET filler in barrel 4
160 by side feeder (ZSB)
with FET-ZSB
[kg/h]
Throughput [kg/h]
Talcum Luzenac
120 Steamic OOS:
+ 200 %
Throughput
0,25 g/cm3
80
Flame retardant :
0,20 g/cm3
40
Graphite:
0,08 g/cm3
0
60 % Talcum 43 % Flame 50 % Graphite
Retardant

SEI can be reduced by:

• Increasing capacity at same screw speed
• Reducing screw speed at same capacity

Typical setup for FET at ZSK upstream (example: HFFR)
Production experience with

HFFR:
Capacity increase in ZSK 92
from 1,4  2,2 t/h
Avoid leakage of gland
Oil packing
ZS-B 1: ZS-B 2:
Polymer, ATH, ATH
Additives

Experience with FET at ZSK combined with FET at ZS-B (trials)
Trials on ZSK 50 Mc PLUS:
PVDF powder
+ 130 % barrel 1 open
barrel 2 feeding PVDF
through ZS-B 58 with FET
barrel 3 additional FET at
ZSK
PVDF powder: 0,247 g/cm³

Summary
Advantages for feed limited processes:
• Capacity can be increased

• Specific energy can be reduced
• Use of finer / non compacted fillers is possible
• Processes can be stabilized
• Smaller machine size possible
• If necessary, filter membrane can be easily replaced
• Insert can be cooled permanently to avoid melting of filter cake components
• Not suitable for melts or “wet“ products
To be considered:
• Effect of FET always depends on the type of product, its particle shape and size distribution
• The extruder and its auxiliaries have to be adapted to higher capacity, e.g.
- installed motor power and screw design,
- feeding system,
- degassing system,
- pelletizer, pellet cooling, conveying and handling system

Example 6: Masterbatch processing and final applications

Single step production of masterbatch
Premix
20 - 80% Masterbatch
Organic / Mixing hot or cold Extruding in customized colour
inorganic
pigments
+
80 - 20%
virgin
polymer
Masterbatching

Premix
3 4 5
1
1. Polymer pellets
2. Pellet grinding
2 3. (Wax)
6
4. Pigment
5. Polymer powder
6. Mixer
7. Volumetric feeder
8. ZSK Compounder L/D = 36-44
7 Risk of agglomeration! 9. Vacuum pump
10. Water bath
11. Discharge to pelletizer
9
11
10
8

Split-feed = feeding pigments into polymer melt
Feeding each component separately
20 - 80%
Organic /
inorganic
pigments
+
0 - ~20%
wax Extruding Masterbatch
powder/ in customized colour
micronized
20 - 80%
virgin
polymer
pellets
Masterbatching

Split-feed = feeding pigment into polymer melt
Alternatively: feeding mix of pigments and wax
20 - 80%
Organic /
inorganic Mixing
pigments
+
0 - ~20%
wax Extruding Masterbatch
powder/ in customized colour
micronized
20 - 80%
virgin
polymer
pellets
Masterbatching

Split-feed
1. Polymer pellets
2. Polymer silo
3. (Wax)
4. Pigment(s)
1
5. Mixer
6 6. Gravimetric feeders
2 7. Side feeding
3 4
8. ZSK compounder L/D = 44
9. Venting
5 10. Vacuum pump
11. Die head
7 12. Water bath
6 13. To pelletizer
9 9 10 11
13
12
8

Benefits of split-feed
Polymers can be
Higher pigment load processed in pellet form
possible
The first 3 barrels remain clean

short cleaning time
Reduced wear in the
plasticizing zone
No premix needed
for monobatches
Reduced residence time of
the pigments
no pigment deterioration
Less wax or no wax
at all needed
Pressureless handling
and mixing of pigments Product feed distributed
better product quality to two openings
higher throughputs

.
Improved quality with higher shear rate 
LLDPE (MFR=20) + 40 % organic yellow + 30 % Wax

produced on ZSK 26 Mc at 30 kg/h
Pressure filter value [bar*cm2/g]
Better quality at higher screw speeds
Screw speed in rpm

2-step masterbatch process
1. Masterbatching 2. Colouring
Production of Monobatch/ Mixing of different SPCs

Single Pigment Concentrate (SPC)
SPC contains only one kind of pigment
„Light green“
20 - 80% yellow SPC
customized
1 pigment masterbatch
SPC +
e.g. yellow
+ extruding blue SPC extruding
80 - 20%
+
virgin
polymer
white SPC

Color matching / quickbatch
1 1 1 1 1. Storage contrainer for

masterbatches
2. Gravimetric feeders
3. Motor and gearbox
4. ZSK Compounder
L/D = 28-36
2 2
5. Degassing
2 2 6. Die head
7. Water bath
8. Discharge to pelletizer
5 6
3 8
7
4

The masterbatch application is determining the type of ZSK
ZSK Mc18 ZSK Mv PLUS

Type of masterbatch
Do/Di = 1,55 Do/Di = 1,80
SPC inorganic pigments e.g. TiO2 or Fe2O2 ++ +
SPC organic pigments e.g. Phthalo blue ++ +
Color masterbatch in Premix or Split-feed ++ +
Color-matching ++ +
Carbon Black/ Nigrosine-Masterbatch ++ ++
Effect pigments / Pearlescents e.g. Iriodin / Fluorescents + ++
Additiv-Masterbatch + ++

ZSK Mc18 – twin screw side devolatilization unit (ZS-EG)
ZS-EG – Zweiwellige Seitenentgasung
• Co-rotating twin screws to keep the product within

the processing zone and ensure a safe and constant
devolatilization
• deep flighted co-rotating twin screws that provide
high venting capacity
• large free cross-sectional area of the flow channel
ensures low gas velocity

ZSK Mc18 – twin screw side devolatilization unit (ZS-EG)
Barrels exchangeable
with ZS-B
High torque drive

Example 7: Recycling Applications
UPCYCLING with COREMA

Robert Obermayr, COREMA product manager
5th EREMA Agents Meeting & Discovery Days 2012, Ansfelden/Linz
(Austria)

Recycling and compounding in one machine?
Sustainability – a worldwide megatrend
Raw material loops on the increase - in all fields of Recycling

economy, usage of recycled materials will rise
Performance requirements are increasing for

recyclates – conditioning is necessary to achieve Compounding
proper material specifications, i.e. advancing
polymer characteristics by mixing with fillers and
additives
Energy consumption is a key factor 1-step process

Technology

Recycling and Compounding in a single step
COREMA opens
® the door to the wide field of compounding
STS

Thank you very much for your attention.


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Coperion Applications: Extrusion Plastics April 2013

Dipl.-Ing. Sabine Schönfeld

Coperion Applications: Extrusion Plastics April 2013

Coperion Applications: Extrusion Plastics April 2013

The difference in enthalpy

Coperion Applications: Extrusion Plastics April 2013

Pel m . h = Pvt + Qheat+cool

Coperion Applications: Extrusion Plastics April 2013

Coperion Applications: Extrusion Plastics April 2013

Low feed rate Higher

Constant screw speed

Specific Energy- Consumed power [kW]

Coperion Applications: Extrusion Plastics April 2013

Coperion Applications: Extrusion Plastics April 2013

PA6/66 + 30% GF (ZSK45)

PET (ZSK 45)

PP + 40% Talcum (ZSK 45)

Coperion Applications: Extrusion Plastics April 2013

1 Polymer A + polymer B + additives

Coperion Applications: Extrusion Plastics April 2013

Coperion Applications: Extrusion Plastics April 2013

Coperion Applications: Extrusion Plastics April 2013

Coperion Applications: Extrusion Plastics April 2013

Conditions: ZSK 45 Mc18 Md ~ 85 %

Coperion Applications: Extrusion Plastics April 2013

Coperion Applications: Extrusion Plastics April 2013

Throughput increase Energy savings > 0,01 kWh/kg

Coperion Applications: Extrusion Plastics April 2013

Melt Temperature reduction of up to 10°C ! iV drop is less with higher torque

Coperion Applications: Extrusion Plastics April 2013

M with 25% higher screw speed

100 200 300 400

Coperion Applications: Extrusion Plastics April 2013

Coperion Applications: Extrusion Plastics April 2013

Aspect ratio 5 - 100 approx. 1 > 10 1

very cohesive cohesive good flow very good flow

Flow factors 0 2 4 >10

Bulk density (kg/m³) Talc : 170-500

Moisture (%) Representative: 0,1 - 2 %

Wood CaCO3 TiO2 Diamond

Coperion Applications: Extrusion Plastics April 2013

- 1st loading - mixing

How to prepare a Highly filled

Coperion Applications: Extrusion Plastics April 2013

Feeders and Extruder for Filler content < 80 % Discharge equipment

Coperion Applications: Extrusion Plastics April 2013

Feeders and Extruder for Filler content between 75 and 85 %

• Feeders / feeder layout / refilling of feeders

Coperion Applications: Extrusion Plastics April 2013

Discharge Pressure [bar]

Coperion Applications: Extrusion Plastics April 2013

MFI 2,16/190°C dg/min 1-5 5 - 100

* Throughput Rate depends on raw materials and formulation

Coperion Applications: Extrusion Plastics April 2013

Key-references lines (CaCO3: > 80%):

Coperion Applications: Extrusion Plastics April 2013

Trials on ZSK 50:

Talcum Luzenac A3:

Talcum Luzenac A7:

Talcum Luzenac A20:

Coperion Applications: Extrusion Plastics April 2013

The results: Vacuum pump

Coperion Applications: Extrusion Plastics April 2013