Effect of process variables on melt temperature profiles in extrusion process using single screw plastics extruder

Abstract

Melt temperature is an important parameter in the melt processing of polymers. However, it is not possible to control melt temperature directly, only to influence it using processing parameters such as processing temperature settings. It is therefore important to know the influence of controllable process parameters on melt temperature. In this work, the relationships between controllable process parameters and melt temperature have been investigated for a 50 mm S + B single screw extruder. The extruder was equipped with a thermocouple mesh at the die inlet to determine melt temperature. It was found that melt pressure, die size, feed section barrel temperature, and compression section barrel temperature had a negligible effect on the melt temperature profiles generated, while increasing the screw speed resulted in higher melt temperatures. The metering section barrel temperature had a significant effect on melt temperature, thermal conduction effects being more important than shear heating effects. Equipment wall temperatures, downstream of the screw, produced changes in the melt temperature in the melt located within 7 mm of the wall. It was found that melt temperatures can be significantly different from those set on the equipment.     

聚醚酮熔体过滤装置的建立与改进研究

针对聚醚酮的合成反应会产生细小固体杂质,原料、精制及干燥过程会带入灰尘等杂质,熔体挤出造粒时聚醚酮因长时间塑化和加热会产生残渣等问题,设计、建立了聚醚酮连续过滤生产装置,采用挤出机熔融、加压,再经熔体泵加压,经过高目数过滤网对其进行过滤。对装置试运行后出现的问题进行了改进,确定了适宜的操作条件,加料速度40 kg/h,挤出机加热温度375℃;出口压力12 MPa,熔体泵出口压力22～45 MPa,过滤网304材质,网块直径200 mm、网直径180 mm,网孔直径5μm,换网次数1次/h。测试结果表明,过滤后Ф5μm的颗粒杂质个数<6个/cm2,纯物料收率90.5%。     

A composite model for an intermeshing counter‐rotating twin‐screw extruder and its experimental verification

A composite simulation model of solids conveying, melting and melt flow in a closely intermeshing counter‐rotating twin‐screw extruder has been developed. The model is based on combining new melt conveying models with melting and solids conveying models, and the die is included into considerations. A general approach is applied using fully three‐dimensional non‐Newtonian FEM modeling for melt conveying to develop screw pumping characteristics which are implemented into the composite model. Several screw configurations are considered including non‐classical elements. Computations are made for axial fill factor, pressure, temperature, and melting profiles. The results are validated experimentally. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 55:2838–2848, 2015. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Numerical simulation of fluid flow and heat transfer in a single-screw extruder with different dies

In a plasticating screw extruder, a polymer melt forms in the melting zone of the extruder. Pressurization of the molten polymer takes place in the melting and the metering sections so that the melt can flow through the restricted passage of the die and assume a desired shape. In a melt fed extruder, the throughput is governed by the pressure rise over the entire length of the extruder. The pressure developed in the screw channel may also be employed in rapid filling of molds, such as those in injection molding. When the geometry of the screw, the barrel temperature, and the die are selected, a unique set of operating parameters arise for a particular flow rate or screw speed. In the present study, numerical and analytical methods are used to calculate the transport in the extruder and the pressure drop in the die. An iterative numerical method based on solving the equations of motion and energy in the screw channel and a correction scheme to couple the die with the screw channel is discussed. The numerical algorithm is capable of handling an arbitrary variation of the viscosity of the polymeric fluid with the shear rate and temperature. The results obtained by simulating the fluid flow in the screw channel are compared with available numerical and experimental results in the literature, indicating good agreement. The performance characteristics of the extruder, for chosen thermal boundary conditions and screw geometry, are presented for different die geometries and different fluids. The important considerations that arise in the numerical simulation of the extrusion process are also discussed.     

A novel design for hot-melt extrusion pelletizers

In this work we investigated a novel die design for the scale-up of hot melt extrusion (HME) devices for direct pelletization of pharmaceutics. Therefore we analyzed the temperature distribution in a lab- and production-scale die as well as melt flow through the die. Finally we explored the possibilities of an inner rotating knife for stabilizing melt flow. The work was based on computational fluid dynamics for simulating non-Newtonian melt flow and corresponding temperature fields.The results show that a tight temperature control of the die material is necessary to guarantee a safe scale-up of the process. Even in lab-scale applications temperature inhomogeneities have been observed both experimentally as well as in the simulation. These inhomogeneities act as an trigger to destabilize melt flow and hence could lead to a shutdown of the process. The proposed inner rotating knife acts as a pulsating device and consequently is able to enhance process stability. However, due to heat dissipation in the small gap between rotor and stator, this device has to be fitted with a separate low-speed drive and cannot be coupled directly to the main extruder shaft.     

Application of neural networks to meltblown process control

Process modeling is essential for the control of optimization and an on-line prediction is very useful for process monitoring and quality control. Up to now, no satisfactory methods have been found to model an industrial meltblown process since it is of highly dimensional and nonlinear complexity. In this article, back-propagation neural networks (BPNNs) were investigated for modeling the meltblown process and on-line predicting the product specifications such as fiber diameter and web thickness. The feasibility of this application was successfully demonstrated by agreement of the prediction results from the BPNN to the actual measurements of a practical case. The network inputs included extruder temperature, die temperature, melt flow rate, air temperature at die, air pressure at die, and die-to-collector distance (DCD). The output of the fiber diameter was obtained by neural computing. The network training was based on 160 sets of the training samples and the trained network was tested with 70 sets of test samples which were different from the training data. This research is preliminary and of industrial significance and especially valuable for the optimal control of advanced meltblown processes. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

The effect of melt viscosity on thermal efficiency for single screw extrusion of HDPE

In this work, a highly instrumented single screw extruder has been used to study the effect of polymer rheology on the thermal efficiency of the extrusion process. Three different molecular weight grades of high density polyethylene (HDPE) were extruded at a range of conditions. Three geometries of extruder screws were used at several set temperatures and screw rotation speeds. The extruder was equipped with real-time quantification of energy consumption; thermal dynamics of the process were examined using thermocouple grid sensors at the entrance to the die. Results showed that polymer rheology had a significant effect on process energy consumption and thermal homogeneity of the melt. Highest specific energy consumption and poorest homogeneity was observed for the highest viscosity grade of HDPE. Extruder screw geometry, set extrusion temperature and screw rotation speed were also found to have a direct effect on energy consumption and melt consistency. In particular, specific energy consumption was lower using a barrier flighted screw compared to single flighted screws at the same set conditions. These results highlight the complex nature of extrusion thermal dynamics and provide evidence that rheological properties of the polymer can significantly influence the thermal efficiency of the process.     

Set-point optimization of an adiabatic trickle-bed reactor system

A combined system parameter estimation and deactivation model identification procedure is proposed to create a grey model of an adiabatic residue hydrodesulfurization (RDS) trickle-bed reactor. Using the resulting grey model, a precomputed set-point table is used to optimize the set-point of the RDS reactor unit. The objective function chosen is the predetermined reactor outlet sulfur content and the optimal set-point is the reactor inlet temperature. Five crucial case studies using a dynamic simulator of an adiabatic RDS trickle-bed reactor demonstrate the applicability of the proposed algorithm in developing optimal set-points for a commercial process.     

振动力场作用下聚合物熔体单螺杆挤出过程数值模拟

根据塑料电磁动态塑化挤出过程中熔体输送的实际情况，对三维模型进行简化，利用大型有限元软件ANSYS模拟了叠加轴向振动力场作用下聚合物熔体在螺槽中的流动情况，求解出周期性变化的速度，压力场分布，结果表明，与稳态挤出过程相比，振动力场的引入在进出口压力差恒定的情况下，可以提高熔全输送流率。采用有限元模拟方法可以为确定和优化工艺参数，产品质量控制提供指导。     

Extrudate roughness of high-density polyethylene and linear low-density polyethylene: Determination of key parameters using screening design

A screening design is used to establish the contribution of various parameters to the roughness of cylindrical extrudates. A dimensionless response variable is proposed to characterize the extrudate roughness, and the effects of ten parameters on this roughness response were examined. Two polyethylenes (one high density and one linear low density) were investigated using a 45 mm single screw extruder. The results show that the main parameters affecting the extrudate roughness are, in order of importance, apparent shear stress at the die wall, die diameter, ratio of die length to diameter, and type of polymer. The other six parameters (the use of an additive, recycling, type of entrance adapter, die material, die temperature, melt temperature) were found to have a non-significant contribution to roughness.     

Investigation of the temperature homogeneity of die melt flows in polymer extrusion

Polymer extrusion is fundamental to the processing of polymeric materials and melt flow temperature homogeneity is a major factor which influences product quality. Undesirable thermal conditions can cause problems such as melt degradation, dimensional instability, weaknesses in mechanical/optical/geometrical properties, and so forth. It has been revealed that melt temperature varies with time and with radial position across the die. However, the majority of polymer processes use only single‐point techniques whose thermal measurements are limited to the single point at which they are fixed. Therefore, it is impossible for such techniques to determine thermal homogeneity across the melt flow. In this work, an extensive investigation was carried out into melt flow thermal behavior of the output of a single extruder with different polymers and screw geometries over a wide range of processing conditions. Melt temperature profiles of the process output were observed using a thermocouple mesh placed in the flow and results confirmed that the melt flow thermal behavior is different at different radial positions. The uniformity of temperature across the melt flow deteriorated considerably with increase in screw rotational speed while it was also shown to be dependent on process settings, screw geometry, and material properties. Moreover, it appears that the effects of the material, machine, and process settings on the quantity and quality of the process output are heavily coupled with each other and this may cause the process to be difficult to predict and variable in nature. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 54:2430–2440, 2014. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers     

聚丙烯基高含量埃洛石纳米管复合材料的制备和性能

采用双螺杆挤出机制备聚丙烯(PP)基高含量(33 phr)埃洛石纳米管(HNTs)复合材料,从挤出机沿程3个位置和机头出口处取样,观察样品的微观结构并测试其流变性能和热稳定性。结果表明,本文设置的螺杆结构提供的分散和分布混炼使PP/HNTs复合材料中HNTs团聚体的尺寸快速减小,HNTs在PP基体中分散得越来越均匀,使挤出机沿程3个位置所取复合材料样品的低频区储能模量逐渐提高、末端斜率逐渐降低、松弛时间逐渐变长。机头入口所取复合材料样品的热稳定性要比机头出口样品的高,这归因于前者样品中较为无序且较均匀排列的HNTs纳米空腔能更有效地诱捕降解产物。     

Applying the constrained minimum variance control theory on in-line viscosity control in the extrusion molding process

In this study, the constrained minimum variance (CMV) control strategy was applied on the extrusion process. An in-line viscometer was designed and used to measure the viscosity of the polymer melt between the screw end and the die. Under constant temperature, the screw speed was treated as the plant control input, and the viscosity of the polymer melt was treated as the output. The system transfer function and the disturbance dynamic model of the plant were obtained experimentally. Comparing the CMV control strategy with the open loop control method, the variance decreased 39.1% in the simulation, and it also decreased 24.3% in experimental results. This shows that the CMV control method is effective on reducing the fluctuation of viscosity in an extruder. Improved stabilization of the viscosity of the polymer melt in the barrel was thus achieved.     

Effect of process variables on melt velocity profiles in extrusion process using single screw plastics extruder

Abstract

Single screw extruders are used to generate a continuous flow of molten polymer in many industrial polymer processes. The melt velocity profile as extruded is important in determining the properties of the final product and influences process related phenomena such as die swell and the onset of sharkskin. The factors that influence the velocity profile would be expected to be the melt temperature (this affecting the viscosity of the melt), the screw and die geometry, and the output rate from the extruder. In the present work a thermocouple mesh sensor coupled with a cooled stainless tube has been used to determine velocity profiles in melts exiting from the screw of a single screw extruder. The results show that the technique can be used successfully to determine velocity profiles in the extrusion process.

It was found that the main influence on the magnitude of the melt velocity was the extruder screw speed. Melt temperature, and hence melt viscosity, were found to have little effect on the velocity profiles measured. The flow in the centre of the duct was retarded slightly owing to the flow across the screw tip and no rotational component of flow was observed. The velocity profiles measured seemed to be reasonably stable, only small changes being observed in the velocity profiles as the melt flowed along a duct of uniform cross-section, although these changes were limited in nature. Die diameter and length had a limited effect on the velocity profiles generated, although the die entry angle did have a significant effect on the shape of the velocity profile at higher screw speeds.     

Correlations between extrusion and injection molding process variables for PVC dry blends

Although thermoplastic extrusion and injection molding have been extensively studied by a large number of authors, very little is known about the correlations between the extrusion and injection molding process variables. This paper describes the various comparable process variables between extrusion and injection molding of PVC dry blends. The Brabender extruder of 19 mm diameter and 25:1 length to diameter ratio and the Szekeley reciprocating single screw injection molding machine were used. PVC dry blends of industrial importance were prepared using a high speed mixer. The four mix formulations based on a commercial grade of PVC were used. Process variables studied during the injection molding were the melt temperature near the nozzle, injection pressure, injection speed, and energy consumption. Process variables studied during extrusion were the melt pressure at the die, power consumption, and the melt temperature at the die orifice. The correlations between the extrusion and injection molding process variables for PVC dry blends have been established.     

Infrared melt temperature measurement of single screw extrusion

An infrared temperature sensor has been used to provide real time quantification of the thermal homogeneity of polymer extrusion. The non‐intrusive sensor was located in the barrel of a single screw extruder, positioned such that it provided a measurement of melt temperature in the channel of the metering section of the extruder screw. The rapid response of the technique enabled melt temperature within the extruder screw channel to be monitored in real time, allowing quantification of the thermal stability of the extrusion process. Two polyethylenes were used in experiments with three extruder screw geometries at a range of screw speeds. Data generated by the infrared sensor was found to be highly sensitive to thermal fluctuations relating to the melting performance of the extruder screw. Comparisons made with an intrusive thermocouple grid sensor located in the extruder die suggested that the infrared technique was able to provide a similar level of information without disturbing the process flow. This application on infrared thermometry could prove highly useful for industrial extrusion process monitoring and optimization. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 55:1059–1066, 2015. © 2014 The Authors. Polymer Engineering & Science published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society of Plastics Engineers     

Grooved feed single screw extruders—improving productivity and reducing viscous heating effects

Owing to their high productivity, pressure invariance, and controlled throughput and melt temperature, groove feed systems are becoming widely accepted for the extrusion of pipes, blown films, and blow molded articles. Within the research presented in this paper, a fully instrumented 45 mm extruder equipped with a grooved fed bushing was used to measure pressure distributions, screw and die characteristics, and melt temperature profiles. The screw geometry included decompression and compression zones, and Saxton distributive and Maillefer dispersive mxing heads. The screw and die characteristic curves show the high system productivity where throughputs comparable to 60 and 90 mm conventional extruders were measured. The high throughput induced a dramatic reduction in melt temperature measured at the tip. To better understand and confirm our experimental findings, analytical models were used.     

Entrance pressure drop studies of corn meal dough during extrusion cooking

The entrance pressure drop during extrusion cooking of corn grits was measured using a cylindrical die viscometer attached to a single screw extruder and compared with results obtained using low-density polyethylene (LDPE). The cylindrical die viscometer had a length to diameter ratio of 40 with half-entry angles of 30, 37.5, 45 and 90° with the horizontal. The entrance pressure drop at the die was measured as a function of extrusion temperature, product moisture content and the die entry angle. Results indicate that the flow behavior of corn grits and the entrance pressure drop were affected by product moisture content, process temperature and the shear history in the extruder. Entrance pressure drop also increased with wall shear stress for plastic melt, but for food biopolymer, the increase was observed provided shear history effects were minimized. Entrance correction increased with apparent shear rate for LDPE, but the reverse was true for corn meal. Using Cogswell's analysis, corn grits exhibit severe extension thinning behavior in entry flow.     

Model identification of a twin screw extruder for thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) applications

Multi‐input multi‐output (MIMO) models of a twin‐screw co‐rotating extruder for thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) are developed using the process identification techniques. The process inputs are screw speed (SS) and barrel temperature (WT). The three outputs are motor load (ML), melt temperature (MT), and melt pressure (MP). Two appropriate rubbers for TPV applications with different physical and mechanical properties are used for the experimentation. The process model is obtained from the experimental input–output data using various identification techniques such as least squares and prediction error. Recursive online model identification is performed on the process to update the model parameters in real time. To perform the identification studies, the process data was transferred via OPC server from the local PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) to the Advanced Control and Identification toolbox in MATLAB software. The effect of rubber properties and two curative agents (Peroxide and Phenolic) in the TPV experiment are studied on the final identified models. This comprehensive model identification study provided sufficient accurate models for further model based process analysis and control for TPV applications. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2010. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Gloss control in rigid PVC—Part II. Effect of processing variables on the gloss of rigid PVC profiles

This paper describes the results of a study of the effect of extrusion conditions on the gloss of rigid PVC profiles. Extrusion variables investigated are extrusion melt temperature, extruder temperature settings, extrusion rate, and the die/sizer metal surface condition. It is hoped that this information will help PVC profile manufacturers to optimize their process for achieving desirable gloss.