In the Mix Continuous Compounding Using Twin Screw

Extruders
Medical Plastics and Biomaterials
Versatile twin-screw systems may be used for compounding, devolatilization, or reactive extrusionwith the finish products which range from pellets and fibers to tubes, film, and sheet.
Polymer compounds are useful for an wide range of molded and extruded medical components and
equipment extremely. Such compounds are comprised of a foundation resin that is thoroughly
blended with other components that provide specific beneficial properties relating to this end
product-for example, effect resistance, clarity, or radiopacity.
Twin-screw extruder with gear-pump front end and profile program,.
An important type of plastics processing machinery referred to as a twin-screw extruder can be used
to mix fillers and additives with the polymer in a continuous manner, so that the compound will
perform as required and achieve the required properties. Factors such as the choice of corotation
versus counterrotation, screw design and style parameters, and feeder-program and downstreampelletizing-program configurations are important design criteria for a successful compounding
operation employing twin-screw equipment.
Single-screw extruders are generally used to make products such as for example catheters and
medical-grade films from pellets which have already been compounded. The principal function of
these extruders is to melt and pump the polymer to the die, with minimal mixing and devolatilizing.
The use of an individual screw for such applications minimizes strength input in to the process; such
systems are in lots of ways the exact opposing of a compounding extruder, that is a high-energ-input device.
THE COMPOUNDING PROCESS
Compounding extruders are accustomed to mix together several materials into a homogeneous mass
in a continuous process. This is achieved through distributive and dispersive mixing of the many
components in the compound as required (Figure 1). In distributive blending, the components are
uniformly distributed in space in a uniform ratio without having to be broken down, whereas
dispersive mixing entails the breaking down of agglomerates. High-dispersive mixing needs that
significant energy and shear be part of the process.
Compounding extruders perform number of basic tasks: feeding, melting, blending, venting, and
producing die and localized pressure. Various types of extruders may be used to attain these goals,
including solitary 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 additives or fillers, and the amount of mixing required could have a
bearing on machine selection.
Twin-screw compounding products are primarily dedicated to transferring temperature and
mechanical strength to provide mixing and different support functions, with minimal regard for
pumping. Various operations performed via this kind of extruder include the polymerizing of
innovative polymers, modifying polymers via graft reactions, devolatilizing, blending varied

polymers, and compounding particulates into plastics. In comparison, single-screw plasticating

extruders are made to minimize energy type and to increase pumping uniformity, and are generally
inadequate to perform extremely dispersive and energy-intensive compounding functions.
Among the typical process parameters which are controlled in a twin-screw extruder operation are
screw rate (in revolutions each and every minute), feed rate, temperatures along the barrel and die,
and vacuum level for the devolatilization plant. Regular readouts involve melt pressure, melt
temperature, motor amperage, vacuum level, and materials viscosity. The extruder motor inputs
energy into the process to execute compounding and related mass-transfer capabilities, whereas the
rotating screws impart both shear and strength in order to mix the ingredients, devolatilize, and
pump.
Twin-screw compounding extruders for medical applications are available commercially in three
settings: corotating intermeshing, counterrotating intermeshing, and counterrotating
nonintermeshing (Shape 2). Although each possesses certain attributes that make it suitable for
particular applications, the two intermeshing types are better fitted to dispersive compounding
generally.
Twin-screw extruders work with modular barrels and screws (Figures 3 and 4). Screws happen to be
assembled on shafts, with barrels configured as plain, vented, area stuffing, liquid drain, and liquid
addition. The modular dynamics of twin-screw models provides extreme process flexibility by
facilitating such improvements as the rearrangement of barrels, making the length-to-size (L/D) ratio
much longer or shorter, or modifying the screw to match the specific geometry to the required
process task. Also, since wear is quite often localized in the extruder's solids-conveying and
plastication section, only specific pieces may have to be replaced during preventive repair
procedures. By the same token, expensive high-alloy corrosion- and abrasion-resistant metallurgies
can be employed simply where protection against wear is needed.
SCREW DESIGN
The cardiovascular of any twin-screw compounding extruder is its screws. The modular design of
twins and the choice of rotation and degree of intermesh makes likely an infinite number of screw
style variables. On the other hand, there are a few similarities among the many screw types.
Forward-flighted factors are used to convey elements, reverse-flighted elements are used to create
pressure fields, and kneaders and shear components are used to mixture and melt. Screws could be
manufactured shear intensive or less aggressive based on the number and type of shearing elements
built-into the screw program.
There are five shear regions in the screws for just about any twin-screw extruder, of screw rotation
or amount of intermesh regardless. The following is going to be a brief description of every region:
Channel-low shear. The mixing pace in the channel in a twin is comparable to that of a single-screw
extruder, and is significantly lower than in the additional shear regions.
Overflight/tip mixing-increased shear. Located between your screw tip and the barrel wall, this place
undergoes shear that, by some estimates, is really as much as 50 times greater than in the channel.
Lobal pools-increased shear. With the compression of the material entering the overflight area, a
mixing-cost acceleration happens from the channel, with an especially effective extensional shear
result.

Intermesh interaction-substantial shear. Right here is the mixing region between the screws where
in fact the screws "clean," or nearly wipe. Intermeshing twins tend to be more shear-intensive in this
region than are nonintermeshing twins obviously.
Apex mixing-great shear. This is the region where in fact the interaction from the second screw
affects the materials mixing rate. Mixing factors can be dispersive or distributive. The wider the
mixing element, the considerably more dispersive its action, as elongational and planar shear results
occur as supplies are forced up and on the land. Narrower mixing elements are more distributive,
with increased melt-division rates and significantly less elongational and planar shear (Amount 5).
Newer distributive blending elements allow for many melt divisions without extensional shear, which
are often particularly ideal for mixing high temperature- and shear-sensitive materials (Figure 6).
Single-screw extruders contain the channel, overflight, and lobal combining regions, but not the
apex and intermesh ones. Because single-screw units absence these high-shear regions, they're
generally not suitable for high-dispersive mixing. They are often adequate, however, for distributive
mixing applications.
All twin-screw compounding extruders are starved-fed units virtually. In a starved twin-screw
extruder, the feeders placed the throughput rate and the extruder screw rate is independent and
employed to optimize compounding effectiveness. The four high-shear regions are independent from
the amount of screw fill basically. Accordingly, at confirmed screw quickness, as throughput is
elevated, the overall mixing often decreases, since the low-shear channel mixing region tends to
dominate the four independent high-shear regions. If the extruder velocity is held continuous and
the throughput is certainly decreased, the high-shear areas will dominate more, and better mixing
will most likely result. The same principle applies to counterrotating and corotating twins, each
which gets the same five shear regions.
In a designed counterrotating intermeshing twin traditionally, the top velocities in the intermesh
location are in the same direction, which benefits in an increased percentage of the resources
passing through the high-dispersive calender gap place on each turn. New counterrotating screw
geometries are less dependent on calender gap blending, and make use of the geometric flexibility
that is inherent in counterrotation to employ up to hexalobal mixing element, as compared to a
bilobal aspect in corotation.
The top velocities in the intermesh region for the corotating intermeshing twin are in opposite
directions. With this construction, materials are generally wiped from one screw to the other, with a
comparatively low percentage getting into the intermesh gap. Materials tend to follow a figure-eight
style in the flighted screw areas, and most of the shear is usually imparted by shear-inducing
kneaders in localized regions. Because the flight from one screw cannot apparent the additional,
corotation is bound to bilobal mixing components at standard flight depth.
The above comparison of corotation and counterrotation can be an extreme oversimplification. Both
types are great dispersive mixers and will perform most tasks similarly well. It is limited to productspecific applications that definitive recommendations can be made for one mode on the other.
FEED SYSTEMS
Single-screw extruders happen to be flood-fed machines generally, with the sole screw swiftness
determining the throughput level of the device. Because twin-screw compounders aren't flood fed,
the result rate depends upon the feeders, and screw swiftness can be used to optimize the
compounding efficiency of the procedure. The pressure gradient in a twin-screw extruder is

definitely controlled and held at zero for a lot of the procedure (Figure 7). This has substantial
ramifications with regard to sequential feeding also to direct extrusion of a product from a
compounding extruder.
Selecting a feeding system for a twin-screw compounding extruder is really important. Components
could be premixed in a batch-type mixing product and volumetrically fed into the main feed port of
the extruder. For multiple feed streams, each materials is separately fed via loss-in-pounds feeders
into the main feed interface or a downstream location (top or side feed). Each setup has advantages
with respect to the product, the average run size, and the nature of the plant procedure.
When premix is feasible, a percentage of the entire mixing work is accomplished before the
materials appearing processed in the twin-screw extruder. The result could be a better-quality
compound. Outputs can also be increased, since the screws could be run even more "filled" weighed
against sequential feeding. Many operations do not lend themselves to premixing because of
segregation in the hopper and other related problems. A premix operation is often appealing for
shorter-run, specialty high-dispersion compounding applications, such as for example those with
color concentrates.
Loss-in-weight feeding systems are accustomed to separately meter multiple components in to the
extruder often. Loss-in-weight feeders accept a place point and utilize a PID algorithm to meter
products with extreme accuracy (normally <0.5%). They're typically employed when materials
segregate, when there are mass density fluctuations of the feedstock, whenever a product is being
extruded from the compounder immediately, or when any various other factor is present that can
result in inconsistent metering. The feeders are easily interfaced with SPC/SQC operations. Multiplecomponent feed streams tend to be the better decision for larger-volume commodity production
runs.
The pressure gradient associated with the starved-fed, twin-screw extruder facilitates feeding
downstream from the primary feed port. Generally, there is near-zero pressure for a lot of the
process. The localized pressure is determined by the screw style, facilitating downstream feeding of
liquids or fillers such as for example barium sulfate.
Downstream feeding could be accomplished through injection ports for liquids, and into vents or via
twin-screw area stuffers for a wide range of other materials, in filler loadings while high seeing as
80%. This separation of the procedure tasks coupled with targeted introduction often benefits in
significantly less barrel and screw put on with abrasive elements and in a better-quality product.
DOWNSTREAM SYSTEMS
After the materials passes through a filtering device, the products emerging from the extruder must
be converted into an application which can be double screw extruder handled by fabricating
equipment. This consists of selecting a downstream pelletizer-generally a strand-cut normally,
water-ring, or underwater program.
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- and bottom-influenced rolls,
which feed the strands to a helical cutter. Die-face or water-ring pelletizers cut the strands on or
near the die deal with with high-speed knives. The pellets will be conveyed right into a slurry
discharge then, which is pumped into a dryer where in fact the pellets are separated from the
drinking water. In underwater pelletizers, the die face can be submerged in a water-packed housing
or chamber, and the pellets happen to be water quenched.

Sometimes, users wish to extrude a product for instance a tube, film, sheet, or perhaps fiber out of
the compounding extruder directly, thereby bypassing the pelletizing operation. This involves
conflicting process goals often. For instance, to optimize compounding productivity, the twin screws
are most likely to be operated in a starved manner at great speeds, with a zero pressure gradient
along much of the barrel. This can result in inconsistent or low pressure to the die, which is
unacceptable for extruding something. If the screws will be run slower or loaded more, pressure
could be stabilized and gained but at the expense of an excellent compound. Equipment pumps or
takeoff single-screw extruders are occasionally attached to the front of the twin-screw compounder
and employed to build and stabilize pressure to the die.
The controls connected with attaching a front-end takeoff are more complex compared with those
for a stand-alone compounding procedure. The takeoff equipment pump or single screw becomes the
expert device, with feeder and extruder speeds adjusted compared to that of the pump to keep a
constant inlet pressure. A PID control algorithm is created that communicates with the feeder(s) and
considers the residence time from the feeder through the extruder-generally about 1 minute. Each
product operate on the system will generally need a fair volume of development effort with regard to
the pressure control function.
Advantages connected with in-range extrusion from a good twin-screw compounder are the polymer
having one-less heat and shear history, which often results in improved end-product properties, 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 in support of quality assurance.
CONCLUSION
There are plenty of critical design conditions that a medical manufacturer should consider when
installing a compounding system. These are influenced by the materials being processed, the
specific end market where the product will be used, the average run size, and the type of the plant
where in fact the accessories will be located. Upstream feeding and downstream system options are
believe it or not important than the selection of counterrotation or corotation, or the shear strength
used in the screw design. Because many subtle distinctions can be found between competing twinscrew modes, a user's own choices also enter into the equation. All alternatives should be considered
before a decision is without question finalized carefully.