| Abstract: | A model for the melting process in a self wiping co-rotating twin screw extruder is described. Self-wiping co-rotating twin screw extruders are modular and starve fed. This leads to melting mechanisms that are different from single screw extruders. The melting process in the modular screw configurations generally occurs in specialized sections such as kneading disk blocks. The model, based on our previous experimental observations, considers the formation of two stratified layers of melt in contact with the hot barrel and solid pellets in contact with the relatively colder screw. In the kneading disk blocks, a part of the solid bed is blocked because of the relative stagger between successive disks. The model predicts both the location of melting and melting lengths in a screw configuration. Calculations for individual screw elements and kneading disc elements are presented first. Melting in a modular configuration of these elements is then considered. The effect of operating variables such as mass flow rate and screw speed on melting is then studied. The model is put in a dimensionless form and the effect of various dimensionless groups is discussed. We make a comparison to the experiment and agreement is good. |
