EBT322 POLYMER PROCESSING

ASSIGNMENT

1. Describe and draw the extrusion processing

Raw plastic is fed into a hopper - along with any colorants or additives - that feeds down into the extruder.

The beads flow from the hopper down through the feed throat, which dispenses them onto a large spinning screw operating within a horizontal barrel.

The beads pass through the barrel on the screw while being heated to the melting temperature specific to the type of plastic. By the time it reaches the end of the screw, the plastic is thoroughly mixed and has a consistency like a bubble gum.

At the end of the screw, the extruded plastic flows across a screen and a breaker plate, which serve two functions. The screen removes any contaminants or inconsistencies in the plastic, and the breaker plate changes the motion of the plastic from rotational to longitudinal. It's now ready for the die.

The die for an individual plastic profile is more than just a hollowed-out shape of the final product. It's designed so that the plastic flows smoothly and evenly from the cylindrical profile of the extruder into the final profile shape. Consistency in this flow is critical to achieve an end product with integrity.

EBT322 POLYMER PROCESSING

ASSIGNMENT

2. Describe and draw the part of screw.

Figure 1 : Diagram of screw extruder

A simple metering screw consists of three sections which are feed section, transition section and metering section.

i) Feed Section This is the part of the screw where the unmolten polymer enters the barrel. The rotating screw moves the material along the heated barrel where it starts to melt. ii) Transition Section

In transition section or compression zone, gases like air and volatiles like moisture, are being removed. In this zone, the flight depth decreases and gases are pushed back into the direction of the hopper. Majority of the melting takes place in this section.

iii) Metering Section

In this section, pressure is generated which enables the material to be conveyed into the shaping area. The amount of pressure that can be build-up, depends on the length of the metering zone.

EBT322 POLYMER PROCESSING

ASSIGNMENT

Other important parts of screw are discussed below; This is the most important variables in screw design, usually has its i Channel depth largest value in the feed section and smallest value in metering section. The channel depth gradually decreases along the transition section which allows more work to be applied to the polymer. The helix angle is the angle of a screw flight relative to a plan ii Helix angle perpendicular to the screw plane. Changing helix angle from standard square pitch may give significant impact on processing. The smaller helix angle value is, the more flight turns per diameter. The pitch of the screw is defined as the distance between two consecutive flights. This is related to the screw helix angle, which iii Pitch is the angle between the flight and the plane perpendicular to the screw axis. Pitch that was designed to be equal to screw diameter is being called as square pitch. This is the measure of the space between the screws outer diameter and the barrel wall. Usually, it was considered to be 0.1% of the iv Flight clearance screw diameter. Small flight clearance may cause excessive wear on screw flights while large clearance may diminish the melting efficiency of the screw.

Figure 2 : Parts of the screw

EBT322 POLYMER PROCESSING

ASSIGNMENT

3. Differentiate between single screw and twin screw

Single screw extruder Useful machines to be used for pure polymer such as HDPE and not suitable for extruding heat-sensitive polymers, materials that exhibit

Twin screws extruder Remarkable mixing capability due to the interpenetration of the screws and the broad diversity of specialized screw designs which allow the extent of shearing/mixing to be precisely adjusted thus control degree of mixing in regards to mixing intensity and quality. High level of process flexibility, due to throughput and screw speed

strong tendency to degrade and materials that slip excessively on barrel surface.

Single screw extruders throughput and screw speed are dependent, and screw designs with multiple

independency, and capability to handle multiple processing functions in series in one single extruder. Higher process productivity, due to positive pumping action of the screws, ability to handle wider varieties of raw materials including and mix formulations screw

processing functions in series are restricted. Lower process productivity Also with single screw extruders invariably process decrease

performances

when screw wear increases.

complex

recipes,

speed-aided compensation of screw wear, lower downtime. Higher economical opportunities and business potential than single screw extruders, owing to higher process flexibility and productivity and to produce wider range of end products.

Does not able to produce wide range of end product thus lower economical opportunities and business potential.

EBT322 POLYMER PROCESSING

ASSIGNMENT

4. Give the problems or defects during do this processing

i)

Inhomogeneous deformation

This may occurred in direct extrusion which provide the dead zone along the outer surface of the billet due to the movement of the metal in the centre being higher than the periphery. After 2/3 of the billet is extruded, the outer surface of the billet moves toward the centre and extrudes to the through the die, resulting in internal oxide stringers. As container wall friction increase, possibility of extrusion defects also increase. On the other hand, if container wall temperature decreases, the extrusion defects will increase.

ii)

Surface cracking

Surface cracking was ranging from a badly roughened surface to repetitive transverse cracking. Surface cracking is when the surface of an extrusion splits. This is often caused by the extrusion temperature, friction, or high level of speed. It can also happen to lower temperatures if extruded product temporarily sticks to the die.

iii)

Chevron cracking This defect can occur at low extrusion ratio due to low frictional conditions on the zone of deformation at the extrusion die. High friction at tool-billet interface will give a sound product while low friction will give a centre burst.

iv)

Variations in structure and properties This kind of defect is within the extrusions due to non-uniform deformation. For example, grain growth may expand due to high hot working temperature.

EBT322 POLYMER PROCESSING

ASSIGNMENT

5. In particular extruder screw, the channel width is 45 mm, the channel depth is 2.5 mm, the screw diameter is 50 mm, the screw speed is 100 rpm, the flight angle is 17.42 and the pressure varies linearly over the screw length 1000 mm from zero at the entry to 20 MN/m2 at the die entry. Estimate: a. Drag Flow b. Pressure Flow c. Total Flow (Note: The plastic has a viscosity of 200 Ns/ m2).

Given data :

Channel width : 45 mm Channel depth : 2.5 mm Flight angle 17.42

Screw diameter : 50 mm Screw speed : 100 rpm Screw length : 1000 mm

Pressure : 20 MN/m2

i. Drag Flow

Where ;

Screw diameter D Screw speed N Channel depth in the metering section H Helix angle

Thus;

) (

)(

EBT322 POLYMER PROCESSING

ASSIGNMENT

ii. Pressure Flow

Where;

Screw dimensions (D, , H), with dependence on channel depth H cubed Pressure gradient in metering section Length of the metering section, L Melt viscosity

( ( )( ( ) ) ( )

iii. Total Flow

So;