Extrusion System (extrusion + system)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Development of an extrusion system for producing fine-celled HDPE/wood-fiber composite foams using CO2 as a blowing agent

ADVANCES IN POLYMER TECHNOLOGY, Issue 4 2004
H. Zhang
Abstract This paper presents an innovative design of a tandem extrusion system for fine-celled foaming of plastic/wood-fiber composites using a physical blowing agent (PBA). The plastic/wood-fiber composites utilize wood-fibers (WF) as a reinforcing filler in the plastic matrix and are known to be advantageous over the neat plastics in terms of the materials cost and some improved mechanical properties such as stiffness and strength. However, these improvements are usually accompanied by sacrifices in the ductility and impact resistance. These shortcomings can be reduced by inducing fine-celled or microcellular foaming in these composites, thereby creating a new class of materials with unique properties. An innovative tandem extrusion system with continuous on-line moisture removal and PBA injection was successfully developed. The foamed composites, produced on the tandem extrusion system, were compared with those produced on a single extruder system, and demonstrated significant improvement in cell morphology, resulting from uniform mixing and effective moisture removal. The effects of WF and coupling agent (CA) on the cell morphology were studied. An increase in the WF content had an adverse affect. The cell morphology and foam structures were improved when an appropriate CA was added. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Adv Polym Techn 23: 263,276, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/adv.20016 [source]


Polymer plasticization using supercritical carbon dioxide,

JOURNAL OF VINYL & ADDITIVE TECHNOLOGY, Issue 4 2008
Febe Kusmanto
The plasticizing effect of supercritical CO2 (scCO2) during the extrusion of polymers was investigated. A modified extrusion system was used to demonstrate the viscosity-reducing effect of scCO2 together with a capability to produce foam-free extrudate with selected polymers, including poly(vinyl chloride). Samples of extrudate and materials prepared off-line by using a pressure vessel were characterized by thermal, mechanical, and X-ray techniques. After gas diffusion from the polymer, there was no long-term effect on polymer structure and properties. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers. [source]


Investigation of the relationships between die build up and die swell

POLYMER ENGINEERING & SCIENCE, Issue 2 2009
Todd A. Hogan
Die build up (DBU) is a common problem encountered during extrusion of polymers where material accumulates around the die exit and may cause defects in the surface of the product. This study was initiated to better understand the fundamental relationships between DBU and die swell. The study was conducted on a strand die extrusion system using an ethylene-octene polyolefin elastomer resin. This study demonstrated that die swell is not a root cause of DBU. It was shown that at constant shear rate, increasing the die L/D ratio results in an increase in DBU, while die swell decreases. The important variables influencing DBU for the resin used in this study were: the shear rate or shear stress in capillary portion of the die, the nominal residence time that the resin is exposed to the high shear stress in the die capillary, and the concentration of oligomers present in the resin or generated during processing. These data support the conclusion that DBU is due to the shear-induced migration of oligomeric species in the polymer to the die surface. Higher shear rates and stresses in the die promote this migration and result in a higher concentration of oligomeric species near the die wall. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2009. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers [source]


Ultrasonic improvement of rheological and processing behaviour of LLDPE during extrusion

POLYMER INTERNATIONAL, Issue 1 2003
Shaoyun Guo
Abstract The effects of ultrasonic oscillations on die pressure, productivity of extrusion, melt viscosity and melt fracture of linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) as well as their mechanism of action were studied in a special ultrasonic oscillation extrusion system developed in our Laboratory. The experimental results showed that, in the presence of ultrasonic oscillations, the melt fracture or surface distortion of LLDPE extrudate is inhibited or disappears. The surface appearance of the LLDPE extrudate was greatly improved. The productivity of LLDPE extrudate was increased in the presence of ultrasonic oscillations. The die pressure, melt viscosity and flow activation energy of LLDPE decreased with the rise in ultrasonic intensity. The shear sensitivity of LLDPE melt viscosity decreased due to the increase of its power law index in the presence of ultrasonic oscillations. Inducing ultrasonic oscillations into LLDPE melt greatly improved its processability. A possible mechanism for the improved processibility is proposed. © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry [source]


Changes in the expression of plasma membrane calcium extrusion systems during the maturation of hippocampal neurons

HIPPOCAMPUS, Issue 1 2006
Sertac N. Kip
Abstract Spatial and temporal control of intracellular calcium signaling is essential for neuronal development and function. The termination of local Ca2+ signaling and the maintenance of basal Ca2+ levels require specific extrusion systems in the plasma membrane. In rat hippocampal neurons (HNs) developing in vitro, transcripts for all isoforms of the plasma membrane Ca2+ pump and the Na/Ca2+ exchanger, and the major nonphotoreceptor Na+/Ca2+,K+ exchangers (NCKX) were strongly upregulated during the second week in culture. Upregulation of plasma membrane calcium ATPases (PMCAs)1, 3, and 4 mRNA coincided with a splice shift from the ubiquitous b-type to the neuron-specific a-type with altered calmodulin regulation. Expression of all PMCA isoforms increased over 5-fold during the first 2 weeks. PMCA immunoreactivity was initially concentrated in the soma and growth cones of developing HNs. As the cells matured, PMCAs concentrated in the dendritic membrane and often colocalized with actin-rich dendritic spines in mature neurons. In the developing rat hippocampal CA1 region, immunohistochemistry confirmed the upregulation of all PMCAs and showed that by the end of the second postnatal week, PMCAs1, 2, and 3 were concentrated in the neuropil, with less intense staining of cell bodies in the pyramidal layer. PMCA4 staining was restricted to a few cells showing intense labeling of the cell periphery and neurites. These results establish that all major Ca2+ extrusion systems are strongly upregulated in HNs during the first 2 weeks of postnatal development. The overall increase in Ca2+ extrusion systems is accompanied by changes in the expression and cellular localization of different isoforms of the Ca2+ pumps and exchangers. The accumulation of PMCAs in dendrites and dendritic spines coincides with the functional maturation in these neurons, suggesting the importance of the proper spatial organization of Ca2+ extrusion systems for synaptic function and development. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Melt processing effects on the structure and mechanical properties of PA-6/clay nanocomposites

POLYMER ENGINEERING & SCIENCE, Issue 8 2006
Nitin K. Borse
Polyamide-6 nanocomposites were prepared using two organoclays, Cloisite 30B and Cloisite 15A, and Cloisite Na+, which is unmodified sodium montmorillonite (Na-MMT) clay. Nanocomposites were prepared using two twin-screw extrusion systems: System B employing conventional mixing and residence time conditions, while System A was modified to achieve longer residence time and higher mixing efficiency. The work considers the effects of mixing conditions, residence time, and interactions between the polymer and clay surface on the structure and mechanical properties of polyamide-6 (PA-6)/clay nanocomposites. Furthermore, a comparison was made between experimental data and the predictions of composite models usually employed to predict mechanical properties of nanocomposites. The melt processing of Cloisite 30B in System A produced the highest degrees of exfoliation and the largest enhancement of mechanical properties. The aspect ratios of the filler particles in the nanocomposites were estimated from TEM micrographs and from composite models. Yield stress data were employed to calculate the values of parameter B in Pukanszky's equation, which incorporates the effects of the interfacial interaction, interfacial strength, and specific surface area of the filler particles. POLYM. ENG. SCI. 46:1094,1103, 2006. © 2006 Society of Plastics Engineers [source]