TWIN-SCREW EXTRUDERS

PAUL ANDERSEN

rotate relative to one another, the design of the ights and how they interact with one another, and the shape of the screw shafts. These variations are:

T W I N -S C R E W E X T R U D E R DESIGN OVERVIEW
The twin-screw extruder has the same three basic components as the single-screw extruder the drive section, the process section and the die/ discharge section as shown in Figure 1. The biggest difference between the two is that the twin-screw, as its name indicates, has two screw shafts inside the barrel rather than one. In addition, the twin-screw barrel and screw is usually built with modular components (Figure 2). The principle exception is the counter-rotating extruders used for prole extrusion. Within the family of twin-screw extruders there are several variations based on the way the screws

Co-rotating and counter-rotating designs Fully intermeshing and non-intermeshing

designs

Parallel shaft and conical shaft designs.

Figure 3 shows the typical twin-screw extruder designs based on these options.

C O -R O T A T I N G V S . C O U N T E R -R O T A T I N G
The terms co-rotating and counter-rotating describe the screw rotation in the extruder. In the co-rotating geometry, both screws rotate in the

Figure 1. Basic components of twin-screw extruders. 83

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Figure 2. Modular barrel and screw components.

same direction, either clockwise or counterclockwise. This is a machinery manufacturer choice and does not inuence the machine performance. In the counter-rotating design, one screw rotates clockwise while the other rotates counter-clockwise. Again, from a design point of view, it makes no difference which screw rotates in what direction. However, from a performance perspective there are consequences. These will be highlighted and discussed later in the counter-rotating extruder portion of this chapter.

INTERMESHING VS. N O N -I N T E R M E S H I N G
The terms intermeshing and non-intermeshing refer to the relative closeness of the screws. In non-intermeshing geometry machines, the two screws sit side by side, just as if they were two single screws sitting in a common barrel. Figure 4 shows the cross section of a typical counterrotating non-intermeshing machine. Fully intermeshing means that the screws sit so close together that, except for enough mechanical clearance between them to permit both screws to rotate without touching each other, the crest or top of one screw nests in the root or bottom of the other (Figure 5). When the term intermesh or intermesh zone is used in this chapter, it is referring to the area where the two screws overlap each other as described earlier in this paragraph.

Figure 3. Typical twin-screw extruder designs.

Figure 5. Fully-intermeshing (co-rotating) extruder.

Figure 4. Non-intermeshing twin-screw. 84

In co-rotating extruders, the screws are actually traveling in the opposite direction in the intermeshing region, while in counter-rotating designs the screw are going the same direction in the

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Figure 6. Wiping action of twin-screw extruders.

intermesh zone (Figure 6). This opposite direction motion permits a self-wiping action for the corotating, intermeshing design extruder as the screws rotate. The tip on one screw wipes (removes) material from the root of the neighboring screw. This action minimizes the potential for material to stay in one spot on the screw, which allows it to degrade and eventually re-enter the melt as a contaminant, such as a black speck. The counter-rotating intermeshing geometry does not produce a self-wiping action in the intermesh zone that is as effective as that

experienced in the co-rotating geometry. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, both screws are going in the same direction as they come together in the intermesh zone in a counterrotating screw design. Therefore, the relative velocity between the tip of one screw and root of the other is not signicantly different, and the wiping action is not as effective. Finally, as in the single-screw extruder, no wiping action exists for non-intermeshing counter-rotating geometry. Another impact of the co/counter, intermeshing/non-intermeshing design variables is

Figure 7. Extruder conveying characteristics. 85

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Figure 8. Single-screw conveying mechanism.

the mechanism that actually moves material forward or conveys material down the extruder in the various designs. Figure 7 shows conveying characteristics for single-screw, and both corotating and counter-rotating, fully intermeshing extruders. The single-screw extruder geometry relies on drag ow. Drag ow is the action of a rotating screw ight as it drags material that wants to stick or adhere to the barrel wall down the length of the extruder. If the material wants to stick to the screw more than the barrel wall, it will just remain at the same location on the screw. In this situation, there will be no material movement down the extruder. Figure 8 shows this principle with a nut and bolt. If both the nut and bolt are allowed to freely rotate, then the nut will remain at the same location on the bolt. However it the nut is xed to a surface, it will move along the bolt as material would move down the extruder channel. Getting back to Figure 7, it shows that the counter-rotating, fully intermeshing geometry does not rely on drag ow. The screws form individual C-shaped compartments that get pushed down the extruder channel by the screw rotation. This action is called positive displacement ow. The corotating, fully intermeshing extruder relies on both positive displacement and drag ow. A small

portion of positive displacement action occurs in the intermesh area where the two screws come together and drag ow in the rest of the barrel circumference.

PARALLEL

VS. CONICAL The terms parallel and conical refer to the relative screw diameter at the beginning and end of the extruder. In parallel systems, the screw diameter remains constant along the machine. In conical extruders, the diameter at the feed end is greater than at the discharge end (Figure 9). In this introductory section, I have illustrated signicant differences among the different geometry twin-screw extruders. In the next sections, the components and working principles of the co- and counter-rotating extruder designs will be described in more detail.

C O -R O T A T I N G , F U L L Y I N T E R M E S H I N G T W I N -S C R E W EXTRUDERS
Overview

Before talking about the details of the corotating, fully intermeshing twin-screw extruder, it might be interesting and useful to have a little general information. As I pointed out in the

Figure 9. Conical twin-screw extruder screw prole. 86

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Figure 11. 380 mm extruder (barrel and screws).

Figure 10. Barrel layout for some typical applications.

introduction, the co-rotating, twin-screw extruder has the same three basic components as the single-screw extruderdrive section, process section, and die/discharge section. Also the twinscrew barrel and screw are not typically singlepiece units, but rather are made up of modular components. Depending on the application, the extruder can be long or short (Figure 10). Just as with the single screw, the length of the twin screw is typically described by its L/D ratio. This is the ratio of the barrel length in inches, millimeters or other dimension of distance divided by the diameter of the screw (using the same units of distance). A typical L/D ratio for a compounding, twin-screw extruder (glass- or mineral-lled polymer) would be between 30 and 40 L/D. Shorter 16 L/D machines are used to manufacture many powder coating products (solvent-free spray paint used on appliance surfaces, etc.). Extruders of 40 to 50 L/D or even longer are used for applications such as very complex compounding processes with multiple ingredient additions required along the length of the machine. Also solvent or monomer removal from a polymer requires an extremely long machine.
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The co-rotating, fully intermeshing twinscrew extruder is manufactured in many sizes. The smallest have screw diameters 16 mm or less with a 5 hp or smaller motor and an output in the range of a pound per hour. The biggest machines are 380 mm (Figure 11), with larger sizes on the drawing board. They use motors up to 20,000 hp and currently produce product at rates

Figure 12. Compounding line.

approaching 150,000 pounds per hour. The small machines are typically used in laboratories for product development, although they are used as production machines in some industries (e.g., pharmaceuticals). The large-diameter machines are predominantly used to convert polyethylene and polypropylene powder that comes from the polymerization reactor into pellets. The pellets can then be used as feedstock for compounding lines that mix the polyethylene and polypropylene (or other polymers) with ber glass for better strength, mineral ller (i.e., talc, calcium

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DRIVE COMPONENTS
The typical extruder drive train consists of a motor and drive, a safety clutch, and a gearbox. Lets take a look at these three components but in a slightly different sequencemotor and drive, then the gearbox, and nally the clutch.
Motor and Drive Figure 13. Direct extrusion of wood composites.

carbonate, and clay) for increased modulus, additives for improved processing, or pigments/ color concentrates. Most compounding lines are based on co-rotating, fully intermeshing twinscrew extruders (Figure 12). Typically these extruders have screws with diameters between 40 and 140 mm. The polymer pellets (unlled or the compounded material) will then be used for injection molding parts, melt spinning ber, extruding sheet for compression molding and thermoforming, or extruding proles for an application such as window casements. However, in some processes the polymer compounding step is integrated directly with the nal shaping process, such as for 2x6 wood ber, composite decking (Figure 13). However, each of these machines has a conguration that, in general, is similar. Each will have a motor and drive, safety clutch or slip mechanism, gearbox, process section, and downstream equipment similar to the line shown in Figure 12. With the possible exception of the very small-diameter (less than 20 mm) units, all the machine process sections are constructed from modular barrel and screw components. The downstream equipment attached to the end of the process section can be a single device such as the strand die shown on the machine in Figure 12, or be a series of devices. This series can contain some or all of the following devicesstartup (divert) valve, throttle valve, crossover valve, gear pump, screen pack and changer, die plate, and pelletizer. Downstream devices will be discussed in general in a later section. They will only be incorporated in this chapter if they have a direct impact on one of the main extruder sections mention above.
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Depending on the machine size, the motor (as mentioned previously) can be under 5 hp or over 20,000 hp. Extruders up to 150 mm in diameter typically use a variable speed drive. A 150 mm unit can handle a 5,000 or possibly larger horsepower motor/drive and produce product at a rate of 20,000 plus pounds per hour. Today, extruders requiring 1,000 hp or less typically use AC variable frequency motors. AC motors/drives up to this size cost less (or no more) to purchase, less to run and maintain, and deliver constant torque over the entire speed range. For extruders above 150 mm in diameter, single-speed AC motors are typically used. The motor and drive should have been specied to match the maximum power transmission capacity of the extruder. Sometimes, if the material being compounded is one that does not require a lot of energy to process, the motor and drive may be specied to be undersized. This action has an impact on the control setup of the machine. Details about this issue will be discussed in a later section.
Gearbox

The gearbox takes a single input rotation speed from the motor, modies it, and then, through a series of gears, splits it to drive two output shafts. This is done in two stages. First the speed is modied in what is typically referred to as the reduction stage. The split is done in the distribution stage. By installing alternate reduction gear sets, one gearbox size can be ordered with different maximum output speeds. Therefore the maximum extruder speed depends on the gear ratio of the gearbox and the maximum motor speed. For example, an extruder with a 3 to 1 speed reduction would have a maximum speed of 600 rpm if a motor with an 1,800 maximum speed were installed, but only 367 rpm if an 1100-rpm motor

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were installed. Today, some extruders can turn at 1800 rpm. In these cases the reduction stage of the gearbox can actually be a step-up gear.

maximum allowable speed has increased by more than a factor of ten and gearbox torque by a factor greater than 2.5. The size of the motor installed on an extruder depends upon the gearbox rating and the maximum output speed required. In any event, the kW or hp that a gearbox can transmit is directly proportional to the rpm. Therefore, a gearbox that runs at a max rpm of 600 needs to have twice as much installed motor power as a gearbox with an output speed of only 300 rpm. Today, as mentioned previously, gearboxes are capable of output speeds of 1800 rpm. Depending on the motor input speed, such a high-speed gearbox would have a gear ratio of unity or less. That is, it is acting as a speed step-up device, not a speed reduction device as has been its task up till now. It could also have a motor that is three times the size of the one on the 600 rpm max rpm gearbox.
Safety Coupling

Figure 14. Gearbox design.

There are many designs for a twin-screw extruder gearbox. It is, therefore, not possible to cover this topic in the current chapter. Additionally, technicians from the extruder or gearbox manufacturer from whom the unit was purchased typically perform required maintenance. However, it might be interesting to take a look at a generic gearbox design (Figure 14). This is the top view of the middle layer of a gearbox. Over the years, gearbox design has improved to permit greater power transmission (more horsepower or kilowatts) and allow them to run at higher rpm values. However, the power

Figure 15. Development of power and speed.

transmission term used to compare gearboxes is not hp or kW, but torque. A gearbox torque is rated in newton-meters. Practically speaking torque is a measure of the rotational energy that can be transmitted. The total power is the product of the rotational energy times the rpm. Figure 15 shows a representation of the increase in permissible rpm and gearbox torque. The
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A coupling is installed between the motor and gearbox to protect the extruder process section and the gearbox from an over torque situation. An over torque situation occurs when there is a resistance to the turning screw that is greater than is mechanically permitted for safe operation. This can occur if too much material suddenly enters the extruder, or worsesome foreign object such as a bolt falls in and jams the extruder causing it to come to a sudden stop. The potential for damage occurs because the motor can not be sized exactly to match the gearbox. Therefore, the motor will be oversize or undersize with respect to the gearbox. If it is undersized, then there is no real problem because the motor cannot drive the system beyond the rated mechanical capacity. However, if it is oversized, then the gearbox and/or extruder shafts could be damaged because the motor is more powerful than the mechanical design capacity of the extruder. Under this circumstance, the safety coupling would pop open and disengage the motor from the rest of the extruder. In reality the safety coupling is the last line of defense against an over torque situation. The extruder controls should be set up to have an

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electrical shutdown before the mechanical disengagement of the coupling. Depending on the extruder manufacturer, the electrical shutdown occurs when the gearbox torque registers 100 105% of the rated capacity. These electrical controls will be covered in the later section on Controls and Interlocks. There are several designs for safety couplings. Desch, Autogard, and Brunell are a few of the manufacturers. You should consult your extruder manual to see if you have one of these or another type on you machine.

Barrel Components

PROCESS SECTION
The process section of the extruder consists of a number of different components. There are extruder barrels and screw elements that can be assembled in numerous sequences to accomplish specic processing tasks. There are feed system components for introducing material into the extruder. These are in addition to the actual feeders that are used to meter material at a specic rate into the extruder. There are also discharge components for transporting the material from the end of the extruder and delivering it to a die for shaping the product as it leaves the extruder.
Feed System Components

Of the many feed system components, the design of the feed chutes and feed hopper can have signicant impact on how the extruder operates. This system is designed to transport material from the feeder(s) to the feed opening in the extruder. Typically when the material being introduced is in a standard eighth-inch pellet form, there are no problems. However, powders (particularly low-bulk density powders) can be more difcult to handle. If not handled properly, the powders can uidize and will not feed well. The two most important points to remember when designing the feed system is to make sure that the distance the material drops from the feeder to the extruder is as short as possible and to have an air-removal mechanism in the system. If either of these is not considered, then it is possible for the material to entrain a great deal of air which is then vented back through the feed further uidizing the powder.
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As I mentioned in the introduction, co-rotating twin-screw extruders are constructed by taking various components and assembling them in a specic sequence. In one sequence, they may make a machine for compounding polypropylene and glass ber. In another sequence, they may make a machine for making breakfast cereal. There are ve main barrel component variations. There are top open feed barrels for introducing solid material, typically at the beginning of the extruder. There are side feed barrels used in conjunction with a device called a side feeder or stuffer. This barrel design is used to introduce solid material to a middle section of the extruder that already contains molten material. Most side feed barrels have an opening or vent in the top to let air or moisture escape. If this vent is not needed, it can be plugged. Vent barrels are used to remove volatile material from the system. These volatile materials can be as harmless as air or steam. They can also be harmful chemicals that are still in the polymer from when it was originally made, or were formed as part of the compounding process. In either event they need to be removed from the system. The vent section is typically located near the end of the machine. It may also be connected to a vacuum system that helps remove the volatile substances and condense them back into liquid form for disposal. There are solid barrels that are used in melting, mixing, and conveying sections of the machine. Some solid barrels are drilled to permit a measuring or metering device to be inserted. Measuring devices might include a melt thermocouple or pressure transducer. The metering device might be an injection nozzle for addition of liquids into the melt. For all three types of devices, the bores use 1/2 inch threads. The length of each barrel section varies depending upon machine manufacturer and/or extruder series. Typically, the barrels are between 3 and 6 diameters long. That is, their length is 3 to 6 times the diameter of the machine. The barrel cross section again varies by machine manufacturer and extruder series. Today the cross

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section is typically rectangular. The other design option is round. Barrels are typically heated electrically and cooled with water. Each barrel is generally an individually controlled heating/cooling zone. The heaters are normally plates that are attached to the outside of the barrel or heater cartridges that are inserted directly into the barrel body. Each barrel is usually also cored for cooling. Therefore, to heat up the machine, the electrical heaters are used. If the machine gets too warm, a controlled pulse of water is introduced into the barrel to cool it to the desired temperature. It is important that the water be demineralized. Typically, the barrel being cooled is hot enough to convert the water pulsed into the cooling channel to steam. If the water contains minerals, they will be deposited on the cooling bore surface. At some point, the cooling bores will become coated (or worse, clogged). This will make them less effective (or even useless) for cooling. As an alternative design, especially on very small machines, some manufacturers combine heating and cooling in the same external clampon unit. In some situations, especially when the machine is operated in an explosion-proof environment, or at (or below) room temperature, a single heating/cooling uid is used. For heating above room temperature, this is typically hot water, steam, or oil. For running at (or below)

Figure 16. Typical sections of a twin-screw extruder.

room temperature, chilled water or a water-glycol solution is used.

Screw Components

As mentioned before, a screw conguration in a co-rotating, twin-screw extruder is composed of two basic types of elementsconveying elements and mixing elements. Conveying elements transport material from one section of the extruder (i.e., the feed section) to another (i.e., the melting section). Figure 16 illustrates the typical sections in the twin-screw extruder designed for compounding. Mixing elements are used to melt, disperse (break into smaller pieces), and homogenize the material being processed. The several different types of mixing elements will be detailed later in this section. All these different types of elements are arranged on a shaft in a specic sequence. The exact sequence is determined by the requirements of the task. Therefore, the arrangement required to process polymer composites is different from the one used to make wood-ber composite

Figure 17. Screw-shaft element connection. 91

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decking which, in turn, is different from the one needed to produce lled polypropylene. The elements are held in place on the shaft by two means. The rst is a screw tip which prevents the elements from falling off the end of the shaft. The second is by designed mating geometry between the shaft and elements so that the elements do not rotate. Depending on the manufacturer and the age of the machine, this geometry can vary from round or square keys that t into grooves on both the shaft and elements to mating splines that are cut into both the shafts and elements. Figure 17 shows examples of several mating designs. However, it is important to remember that more mating grooves enable the shaft to transmit higher amounts of energy from the motor and gearbox through the shaft and elements to the material being processed. Therefore, the design on the right in Figure 17 can transmit much more energy than the design on the left.

Figure 19. Pitch.

would be approximately 20 mm and the largest approximately 80 mm. I have used the term pitch, but have not dened what it is. Pitch is the distance that is traveled along an element when the helix is followed through a 360 rotation (Figure 19). Wide pitch elements might typically be used in feed or devolatilization areas of the extruder where we want a low degree of ll. Medium (1.0D) pitch is used to convey material down the extruder, typically from one unit operation to another. Finally, narrow pitch elements are suited for areas where compaction of material and/or 100% ll is desired, such as before kneading blocks or seals, or between unit operations (i.e., feeding and vacuum devolatilization). You may wonder what the maximum allowable pitch is that will still convey material down the extruder. From a theoretical point, 2.5D pitch provides the greatest drag ow capacity. That is, in the absence of any ow restrictions it will convey more material, exhibit a lower degree of ll, and have a lower residence time than lower pitch elements. But it also has increased sensitivity to pressure

Figure 18. Conveying elements. Screw Bushings

Screw bushings are typically constructed with pitches ranging from approximately 0.5D (narrow pitch) to 2.0D (wide pitch) (Figure 18). The letter D refers to the diameter of the extruder. By dening pitch in relation to diameter we can refer to an element pitch independent of machine size. This means, for example, that the smallest conveying element pitch on a 40-mm twin-screw
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Figure 20. Backup lengths vs. pitch.

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ow. That is, as the pitch of an element increases, drag ow conveys material in the down-channel direction at a faster rate. However, if there is a restrictive force placed in the ow path, (a reverse-type screw bushing or kneading block, or a die) the higher pitch element is less effective in building up the pressure necessary to push material past the restriction. That is why we typically do not use wide pitch elements before a die. Figure 20 shows that the highest pitch element has a greater backup length than the medium pitch element. It is also important to point out that even though wide pitch elements are more sensitive to pressure ow, within the

Figure 22. Working principle of screw elements.

designed to accommodate hard-to-feed or lowbulk density materials. The self-wiping prole of the pushing ight has been transformed into a square channel prole (Figure 21). Depending upon machine size, the element can have as much as 40% greater free volume. These elements typically have either pitches of 1.5 or 2D. Other special screw elements are SF bushings (single ight) (Figure 22). These are used in both feed and discharge sections of the extruder for creating more positive displacement ow. The wide crests create signicant barriers for leak ow. A narrow pitch version of the SF element has been used most frequently in reactive processing to convey water-like viscosity feeds. Reverse pitch elements are used to generate backpressure and therefore create sections of 100% ll that, for example, can be used to separate unit operations, or totally ll a mixing section (Figure 23).

Figure 21. Standard vs. undercut elements.

normal pressure range seen in the extruder, in most instances, they still have greater pumping capacity than does a narrow pitch bushing. In all cases, the factors determining the optimum element pitch are volumetric ow rate and the shear and temperature sensitivity of the material being processed. Screw bushings are typically used for conveying material down the extruder, but there are also reverse pitch elements. Reverse pitch elements are meant to restrict the ow of material and, therefore, increase residence time and the amount of energy incorporated into the product. In addition to conveying screw bushings, several elements have been designed for special situations. For example, elements have been
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Figure 23. Forward and reverse conveying. Kneading Blocks

While screw bushings are constructed as a continuous helix (pitch), kneading blocks are built up from individual discs (Figure 24). Each disc has an angular offset from the disc upstream and downstream. Kneading blocks are characterized by total length, number of discs, and stagger angle

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Figure 24. Kneading blocks.

between successive discs (i.e., KB45/5/40 is a unit 40-mm long with 5 discs staggered at 45 with respect to each other). Kneading blocks come in three basic formsconveying, neutral and reverse (Figure 25). As shown schematically in Figures 26, kneading blocks provide both distributive (homogenization) and dispersive (breaking into smaller pieces) mixing. The relative intensity of each depends upon individual disc width and the stagger angle between discs. Figure 26 also shows that for constant stagger angle, an increase in disc width results in an increased dispersive mixing component per unit mixing length. However, as a result, distributive mixing (stream splitting) is decreased. In addition to mixing, disc width has another impact on kneading block performance. A wide disc conveying kneading block has greater drag ow capacity than a narrow disc KB. It is also less efcient at pushing material forward when working against backpressure. This relationship is similar to the one exhibited by screw bushings as pitch is increased. However, the controlling

mechanism is totally different. As the individual discs on the kneading block element rotate, each disc tip pushes a nip of material in a circumferential path. As would be expected, the polymer spreads itself downstream and upstream perpendicular to the circumferential ow. The wider each disc, the more material is spread in the axial direction and the greater the ratio of net down-channel to circumferential material ow. In addition to disc width, modifying the stagger angle between discs also inuences net down-channel ow. Obviously changing the stagger angle from conveying to a neutral or a

Figure 26. Forwarding kneading blocks.

reverse stagger has a signicant effect on downchannel ow as well as the magnitude of an elements dispersive/distributive components (Figure 27). Also, for either forward or reverse pitch kneading blocks, the greater the stagger angle, the larger the angle opening between discs and the easier it is for leak ow to occur. In downchannel conveying units, this results in reduced conveying capacity and, therefore, higher degreeof-ll and increased residence time. For reverse pitch units, a larger stagger angle means less

Figure 25. Kneading block performance comparison. 94

Figure 27. Operating principle of 3-lobe geometry.

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effective polymer restriction. Neutral elements have the maximum leak ow opening. As they rotate, they push an equal amount of material in positive and negative directions. Figure 27 shows pictorially the change in leak ow opening for 30, 45, 60, and 90 (neutral) staggered elements in a two-lobe system.

Figure 28. Operating principle of 3-lobe geometry. Special Elements

stream splitting for generation of interfacial surface; the latter contributes to conveying capacity. The main function of both elements is to provide the maximum amount of distributive mixing (little, if any, dispersive mixing) with minimal energy input. The self-wiping version is a design evolution developed to meet everincreasing quality standards. The elements that do not wipe the entire barrel wall provide a lowvelocity zone for material stagnation and potential degradation. All the twin-screw extruder manufacturers have developed their own elements for special applications. It would be impossible to go into all the variations. I recommend that you visit the website for your particular brand of twin-screw to get the most up-to-date and detailed information.

Three-Lobe Geometry for a Two-Lobe System Special three-lobe kneading blocks (Figure 28) have been developed and patented by Werner & Peiderer for applying stress more evenly to material in a two-lobe system (e.g., thermoplastic melt containing a substantial amount of un-melt). They provide a more uniform shear rate, without sacricing self-wiping. Both ow simulations and extruder-testing have shown that these elements function in a different manner than the standard two-lobe kneading blocks.

INSTRUMENTATION CONTROLS AND INTERLOCKS

A compounding extruder system is protected from failure in two ways. The rst is through a mechanical design that provides maximum lifetime of each component (i.e., application of proper safety factors for gears, bearings, and shafts) and proper sizing of the drive motor and safety clutch. The second is through a system of interlocks that provide warnings, alarms, and shutdown functions for the startup or running of the equipment.
Mechanical Design

Figure 29. Gear mixing elements.

Distributive Mixing Elements For distributive mixing beyond the capabilities of narrow disc kneading blocks, toothed mixing elements, such as those shown in Figure 29, are used. The number of teeth around the circumference, as well as the tooth angle denes these elements. The former contributes to
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A twin-screw extruder is designed to transmit energy from the motor by way of the gearbox and process section to the material. The amount of energy that can be transferred depends on machine design and allowable rpm. However, upset conditions in an operation can result in overload situations that need to be compensated for by safety factors in the mechanical design of the machine components. The drive motor is sized so that its power rating is equal to or greater than 120% of the rating of the gearbox and shafts. The motor amperage is calibrated to display the torque being transmitted through the shafts as percent of the maximum allow value. When torque reaches 105%, a warning light is activated, the feed

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system is shut down, and a timer is initiated (typically about 2 minutes). If the torque remains above 105% but below 110% for two minutes (our example), the main drive motor shuts down. If the torque drops below 105% within this two-minute period, the timer is reset. If the torque exceeds 110% the motor shuts down instantly. The mechanical clutch between the motor and the gearbox input shaft is the nal safety interlock. This clutch is set to disengage or slip at a torque level equal to 115% of the torque rating for the combination of the two shafts divided by the gearbox ratio.
System Interlocks

Downstream equipment running Cooling water pump running (for closedloop cooling systems only)

All trip signals off

A heat-up saturation period is required to ensure that the process section has reached thermal equilibrium. A bypass for this is provided in case there is a shutdown after the process section is heated up. If any of the thermocouples are broken, the heater for the respective process zone will not operate properly. This condition will prevent startup but will not shut down the extruder while running. On gearboxes with a forced lube oil system, the lube oil pump must be running and have a normal oil pressure reading. The potentiometer for main drive speed adjustment must be set to 0 speed set point to prevent the main drive motor from starting at high speed. All downstream equipment must be running to accept extrudate when it reaches the pelletizer or die. Cooling water pump must be running for all closed-loop cooling systems. All other trip signals must be off so that the machine may not be started under alarm conditions. Extruder Immediate Trip Interlocks Immediate trip interlocks are triggered by conditions that threaten to damage the extruder in a short period of time. Some of these trips require a response time of less than one-tenth of a second. Any one of the following conditions will cause extruder shutdown:

Co-rotating twin-screw compounding extruders typically have ve interlock systems to permit safe operation and prevent damage to any of its components. 1. Extruder Startup Permissive Interlocks 2. Extruder Immediate Trip Interlocks 3. Extruder Timed Trip Interlocks 4. Feed System Trip Interlocks 5. Downstream Equipment Trip Interlocks These systems utilize current sensors, strain gauges, tachometers, thermocouples, level sensors, switches, proximity sensors, and other devices to monitor the extrusion line and provide input to the logic system that controls it. The purpose and physical signicance for each interlock in the process is described below. Extruder Startup Permissive Interlocks The following drive startup conditions must all be satised. These conditions are inputs into an AND logic block and all must be a logic 1 (i.e., yes) to permit startup.

Barrel temperatures up to set point for 1 to 4

hours for heat saturation

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Greater than 110% torque High discharge pressure High extruder thrust bearing load High main drive motor temperature Low main drive motor cooling airow for air-cooled motors Extruder coupling guard not in place Clutch disengagement or slippage Extruder DC drive malfunction Downstream equipment not running.

No thermocouple breaks Extruder lube oil pump running and oil

pressure is normal (forced lubrication gearboxes only)

Speed indicator set to 0

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Exceeding 110% of the rated torque of the system will shut down the main drive motor. This condition is sensed by a current transmitter on the extruder motor SCR drive power supply. A pressure transducer, after the last barrel, is used to monitor extrusion pressure and, above a certain point, shuts down the extruder. This is to avoid damage to downstream equipment and to the thrust bearings. A strain gauge thrust-sensing system on the thrust bearings will also cause shutdown if there is too much pressure. If the drive motor overheats or the airow stops on an air-cooled motor, it is shut down to prevent burn out. For operator safety, the extruder coupling guards must be in place to prevent shutdown. Torque in excess of 115% will cause the coupling to slip or disengage; this will be sensed and the main drive motor will shut down. If the downstream equipment shuts down, the main drive motor stops also, in order to prevent damage to the downstream equipment, and/or over torque of the screw shafts and couplings. Extruder Timed Trip Interlocks There are extruder conditions that do not require immediate shutdown, but cannot be tolerated for more than a few minutes. When these conditions are encountered, warning indicators are turned on and timers are tripped that start a shutdown sequence. If the conditions are corrected, the shutdown sequence is cancelled. Otherwise the main drive trips off at the end of its timing interval. The following are the standard conditions for tripping a timed interlock:

Running at less than 20% torque and greater than 10% screw speed indicates loss of feeding and activates a two-minute timer. If these conditions persist, the two-minute timer activates an under-load alarm and starts a four-minute trip timer. If feeding is not restored (thereby, returning torque to normal levels) within this period, the extruder main drive motor is shut down to prevent the wear that can result from operating the extruder empty at high speeds. To protect the gearbox from poor lubrication, a two-minute trip timer is activated when the lube oil pressure is low, or the pump is not running (for forced lubrication systems), or when the extruder gearbox temperature is high. The extruder torque may run up to 105%, but if it exceeds this value, a two-minute trip timer is activated. If the torque returns to below this value the timer is reset. If the machine is run between 105% and 110%, it will shut down after two minutes. When any of the above gearbox or torque two-minute trip timers is activated, the feed system shuts down. Feed System Trip Interlocks The feed system trip interlocks are designed to prevent damage to the extruder from running dry, feeding at low speed, or feeding ller in a side feeder when there is no polymer. In order to start and operate the main feeder the following conditions must be met:

Low extruder torque (<20%) and screw

speed >10%

All two-minute trip timers must be off Extruder drive motor must be running Extruder screw speed is greater than 10% Side feeder must be running (where applicable).

Extruder gearbox lube oil pressure low (for

forced lube systems)

Extruder gearbox lube oil pump not

running (for forced lube systems)

Extruder gearbox lube oil temperature high Extruder main drive motor torque greater
than 105%, but less than 110%.
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If a two-minute timed trip sequence is operational, then the feeder will not start or continue to operate. This allows the machine to empty itself when it is in a warning condition. The main feeder is tripped and, if it exists, so is the downstream feeder. If a side feeder (side stuffer) is being used, it remains running (unless the extruder shuts down) to prevent backow of the melt into the side feeder. If the extruder shuts down, all

Society of Plastics Engineers

feeders are shut down. However, unlike the previous conditions, the side feeder (stuffer) is also shut down to prevent packing the barrel with a high percentage of ller or reinforcement material. If the screw speed is below 10%, the same action is taken as with the two-minute timers. If the side feeder (stuffer) shuts down or is not running, its feeder is tripped, as is the main feeder (unless bypassed). The side feeder (stuffer) is normally set up to auto-start when the extruder is above low speed (>10%). The downstream feeder for the side feeder (stuffer) is started by a one-minute timer activated by the main feeder running. This ensures that polymer has reached the side feed barrel. Downstream Equipment Trip Interlocks As stated earlier, the main drive will trip off if the downstream equipment is not running. Generally speaking there is a signal which the main interlock system receives from each downstream equipment system. The status of this signal depends on the state of all the various downstream components such as gear pumps, diverter valves, water pumps, conveyors, screenpacks, pelletizers, and so on. Due to the variety of downstream equipment, it is beyond the scope of this article to discuss each system. When the downstream equipment system interlocks are all satised, a logic 1 or an ON signal is transmitted to the Extruder Immediate Trip Interlock System and the extruder is allowed to run. Any condition in the downstream equipment system that causes a logic 0 signal will shut down the extruder.
Control and Measurement

die. Also, material parameters such as feed rate and recipe ratio must be measured and recorded. Screw rpm, as the term indicates, is a measurement of how fast the screws are turning. As mentioned in the previous section, this value could be anywhere from 100 to 1,800 rpm. Most typical compounding systems run between 600 and 1,200 rpm. The primary reason that screw speeds are measured is to have a rst line indication of the energy being introduced into the material. The higher the screw speed, the greater the energy input. Remember, the greater the energy input, the higher the material temperature. Barrel temperature is set to either introduce or remove heat from the barrel. Interestingly enough, the feed barrel typically does not have a temperature controller but cold or cool water is continuously circulated through the barrel to minimize the possibility that polymer will melt as it enters the feed throat. For barrels just downstream from the feed zone, the temperature is set to a temperature at or above the melting point of the polymer. The objective is to introduce heat into the barrel and also the polymer. Once the polymer has been melted, the barrels are set to a temperature close to the discharge temperature of the polymer. This sets up an approximately adiabatic operating condition such that the material in the extruder is being neither heated nor cooled by the barrels. Material temperature is typically measured in the die or transfer pipe at the end of the extruder. The most accurate measurement is with an immersion thermocouple. An immersion thermocouple is placed in the melt stream, so that it is only measuring the melt temperature rather than the temperature of the metal equipment surrounding it. Energy is introduced into the extruder through both the motor and the heaters. However, on production machines 50 mm and greater in screw diameter, the most signicant amount of energy is introduced by the motor through the conversion of electrical energy to mechanical energy as the screw rotates. This energy is best measured by
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The success of a compounding operation is not only dependent on obtaining the desired product quality initially, but to maintain consistent quality. In order to assure consistent quality, the processing parameters on the machine must be accurately measured, recorded, and, if appropriate, controlled. The typical parameters measured in the course of extruder operation are screw rpm, temperature (both barrel and material), motor power consumption (either in the form of amps or kilowatts), and, nally, pressuretypically at the

Twin-Screw Extruders

recording the kilowatts (kW). Kilowatts are the product of amps (current) times volts used in running the motor. For a DC (direct current) motor and drive, the voltage varies directly with screw speed. As the screw speed is increased, the system voltage increases proportionately. The amps measure the amount of current being used to turn the screw. The more difcult it is to turn the screw (maybe because there is more material in it), the more current is required. Therefore, at a specic rpm (voltage is constant), the amps measure the relative energy required to process the product. You may have heard of the term % torque. The amp consumption for a xed rpm, tracks the % of available power being consumed. To describe how energy is introduced to the material, the value is typically represented as kilowatt-hours per kg of material or horsepower per pound of material. Discharge pressure is monitored for a number of reasons. First, it is interlocked with the operating system to assure the safety of the gearbox thrust bearings. Thrust bearings are rated for a specic maximum pressure. If that pressure is exceeded, they are more likely to fail. Therefore, to protect the gearbox, the machine will shut down if the pressure gets too high. Another reason to measure pressure is to monitor the status of downstream equipment such as the screen changer and die. If the pressure builds up, then the screens may need to be changed, or some of the die holes may be plugged.

Downstream/Discharge Components

Between the end of the extruder and the nal polymer discharge, there are often several pieces of additional equipment. In the simplest setup, there is only a die at the end of the machine; but more complicated processes may require additional pieces of equipment such as screens, screen changers, gear pumps, or other devices for the specic process. On the large twin-screw extruders (250380 mm, rates up to 70 tons/hr.) used to convert polyethylene and polypropylene powder resin to pellets, there are other pieces of downstream equipment. There can be a discharge throttle valve to introduce additional energy into the system. Also, many times there is a gear pump installed to efciently generate the pressure (sometimes several hundred bar) needed to have the material ow through the screens and the underwater pelletizer. The type of discharge components depends on the material being extruded and the chosen process. For example, pellets produced during compounding may be pelletized through an underwater pelletizer or through another process such as a quench bath. Processes producing nal extruded product such as this will feed the extrudate through sizing equipment. Your application will dene your discharge equipment. Thanks to Cincinnati Milacron and Polymer Processing Institute for photo and graphic contributions to this chapter.

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COUNTER-ROTATING TWIN-SCREW EXTRUDERS

CHARLIE MARTIN

OF
intermeshing mode, as previously discussed, dominates the compounding market, having captured over 90% of current installations. Counter-rotating designs are primarily used for specialty applicationssuch as high-level devolatilization and reactive extrusion. By contrast, low-speed, late fusion (LSLF) counter-rotating twin-screw extruders are primarily used for PVC and other shear-sensitive formulations that benet from a design that minimizes energy input combined with pumping uniformity. These devices are often inadequate to perform energy-intensive processing. As implied by the category, the LSLF counter-rotating twinscrew extruder operates with lower rpm than its high-speed cousin. Just like any extruder, control parameters for the counter-rotating twin-screw extruder include screw speed, feed rate, temperatures along the process section, and vacuum level. Monitor-only parameters include melt pressure, melt temperature, and motor amperage. The motor (AC or DC) inputs energy into the process via interacting twin screws imparting both shear and energy. Higher screw speeds result in more shear for a given screw design. Barrel sections are electrically heated and cooled by liquid or air, depending upon the machine conguration and heat-transfer requirements of the process.
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G ENERAL C HARACTERISTICS C OUNTER -R OTATING T WIN -S CREW E XTRUDERS

Counter-rotating twin-screw extruders are used for a variety of plastic products and processes. It is interesting to note that closely intermeshing, counter-rotating twin-screw extruders can be designed to pump materials in a non-drag ow manner in locked C-shaped chambers. Only this device (and ram extruders) can convey via positive displacement, as compared to the drag ow single-screw extruder and semidrag ow co-rotating twin-screw extruder. There are two distinct and separate families of counter-rotating twin-screw extruders:

High-speed and energy input, with both

intermeshing and non-intermeshing designs, melt the polymer early and are designed as mass-transfer devices, with the primary applications being mixing, devolatilization, and reactive extrusion (HSEI).

Low-speed, late fusion, intermeshing with

either parallel or conical screws are designed to avoid energy input and do not melt the materials (typically PVC) until the middle or latter part of the process section (LSLF). High-speed, energy input (HSEI) counterrotating twin-screw extruders can be intermeshing or non-intermeshing. The co-rotating

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As in co-rotation, the gearbox transmits power from the motor to the screws, reduces the motor speed to the desired screw rpm, maintains the angular timing of the screws, and takes the thrust load from the screw set. The gearbox is usually separated into two distinct partsthe reduction section and the distribution section. The reduction gearbox is a conventional helical gearbox, which reduces the motor input speed (1,800 rpm, for example) to the screw output maximum speed, which may be anywhere from 10 to 500+. In the process of reducing the speed, the torque is multiplied by the same ratioso all the shafts, gears, and bearings have to be designed to continuously transmit the torque rating of each part of the gear system. The distribution gear section takes a single-shaft input from the reduction gear and transmits it to two (2) parallel output shafts. As a safeguard, a mechanical over torque coupling is utilized that connects the motor shaft to the gearbox input shaft and automatically uncouples/disengages the motor if the torque exceeds a preset level. The feed system is a critical component in any counter-rotating twin-screw extrusion system. Various delivery mechanisms are used for feeders, including screw-augers, vibratory trays, and belts. Liquid feed streams typically use piston or gear pumps to set the rate to the extruder system, depending upon the viscosity of the liquid, and can utilize a heated or ambient reservoir/piping. Feeders can be either volumetric or loss-in-weight, depending upon the nature of the installation. For low-speed counter-rotating twin-screw extruders, the feed system can be a ood fed hopper, where the hopper sits over the extruder feed throat, which relies on gravity to move the materials into the machine. In this case, the screw rpm determines the throughput rate. For PVC materials, the formulation is generally pre-mixed in a high-intensity mixer and the hopper is lled.

Another option is to take the same PVC pre-mix, but to meter it to the extruder feed throat via starve feeding, making the feed rate independent of the screw rpm. Crammer feeders can be used for highly lled or low bulk density formulations. The sequence of process operations in a counter-rotating twin-screw extruder is almost identical to the co-rotating design. Flighted screw elements push material forward past barrel ports, through mixers, and out of the extruder to the die. Zoning elements isolate operations within the extruder. Mixing elements can be distributive or dispersive in nature. Screw designs can be made shear intensive or passive, based upon the intended range of applications.

HIGH-SPEED, ENERGY INPUT (HSEI) C O U N T E R -R O T A T I O N

There are various types of HSEI counterrotating twin-screw extruders with the commonality being that the machine is primarily designed to input energy into the process. The following is a description of different models that are available.
Traditional intermeshing and parallel design

The traditional counter-rotating intermeshing twin-screw extruder designed for mass transfer operations was embraced in the 1970s for the manufacture of color masterbatch and similar products (Figure 1). Looking into the feed throat, the screws rotate outward to facilitate feeding of the material on both screws. In the screw intermesh region, the ight of one of the screws penetrates the ight depth of the second screw and the velocity of the screws intermesh is in the same direction. This region is referred to as the calender gap. Screw rotation forces materials up and through the calender gap (Figure 2) to facilitate melting and mixing, as the processed materials experience an extensional shear effect. Essentially, the entire length of the screw can

Figure 1. Traditional counter-rotating intermeshing compounding screw design. 102

Counter-Rotating Twin-Screw Extruders

the relatively low screw rpm allows either air or liquid cooling to be considered.
Counterflight intermeshing and parallel design

Figure 2. Top view counter-rotating, intermeshing calender gap and gear mixer.

function as a mixing device as materials continually experience the extensional mixing and shear associated with the calender gap. In addition to calender gap mixing, gear mixers can be utilized for distributive mixing, as well as blister rings for planar shear mixing, and/or to provide a seal for vacuum venting. At the discharge end of the screws, the traditional counter-rotating intermeshing can be designed to pump in a C-locked chamber (Figure 3).

A new approach to mixing in counter-rotation was introduced by Leistritz in the 1990s, referred to as counteright. Counteright technology shifts the mixing from the calender gap to lobal mixing elements, as in co-rotation. In co-rotation the rotational clearances typically limit the lobe count to two, hence the term bi-lobal. In counter-rotation, up to six lobes are possible at the same ight depth (Figure 4). This translates into more mixing events for each screw rotation.

Figure 4. Example hexa-lobal counter-rotating mixers.

Figure 3. Example c-locked chamber.

Screw diameters for this type of twin-screw extruder range from 18 to 135 mm. A typical process length is 20 to 30 to 1 L/D. Because of screw deection inherent with the materials traveling through the calender gap, the screw rpm is typically limited to 150 or below. Barrels and screws can be either one-piece or modular, and
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For instance a bi-lobal twin-screw extruder operating at 100 rpm would have 200 mixing events as compared to 600 for a hexa-lobal counter-rotating mixer. To allow for higher screw speeds, open ighted elements are utilized to drive material over the counteright mixers. The redistribution of mixing to the counteright elements combined with the minimization of a calender-gap effect allows signicantly higher screw rpm without screw deection, as compared to the traditional counter-rotating designs described above. Interestingly, counter-rotating screw designs that integrate both traditional and counteright have been successfully employed for many specialty applications. Figure 5 shows three different areas of the screw and describes the effect achieved at each of the areas. For the counteright designs, screw diameters range from 18 to 135 mm. A typical process length is 32 to 52 to 1 LD and screw rpm of up to

Society of Plastics Engineers

Figure 5a. Feeding and melting.

Figure 5b. Calender gap and hexa-lobal mixing.

Figure 5c. Hexa-lobal mixing, degassing, thermal homogenization and discharge.

liquid cooling. Screws are also segmented and assembled on high-torque, splined shafts.
Counter-rotating, non-intermeshing design (CRNI)

The CRNI twin-screw extruder has nonintermeshing screws, which allows for unique design capabilities because each screw can be designed using congurations similar to a singlescrew extruder. Normally, the design of each screw is mirrored on the other screw, but this is not always the case. The screws can have forward or reverse ights, different helix angles, thick or thin ight thicknesses, multiple screw starts, and other single-screw design features. A small root diameter can be specied in the feed area to

facilitate a large free volume for low bulk density feedstocks and the root diameter can be tapered up after the feed section to compress and melt the polymer. Screw elements can be matched or staggered at different points along the process length to facilitate pumping and/or mixing (Figure 6). Different types of mixing elements are available for distributive and dispersive mixing. Screw diameters for the CRNI twin-screw system range from 20 to 250 mm. A typical process length for this twin-screw conguration is 30 to 54 to 1 L/D and screw rpm of 500 or less are used. The screws are segmented and historically have been connected by triple start threaded studs. Barrels are also modular and are typically liquid cooled. Due to absence of an intermesh and the associated geometric limitations, the nonintermeshing mode may be specied at 100 to 1 L/ D or more. This can be benecial for processes that require a long residence time (for instance, some specialty reactive extrusion applications).
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Figure 6. Example CRNI mixed and staggered screw ights.

Counter-Rotating Twin-Screw Extruders

LOW SPEED, LATE FUSION (LSLF) C O U N T E R -R O T A T I O N

The LSLF counter-rotating twin-screw extruder shares some of the characteristics of the counter-rotating intermeshing design described above; however, this mode is characterized by a gentle melting effect and narrow residence time distribution, in combination with high-pressure pumping capabilities. Comparatively low screw rpm, late fusion screws are designed to avoid imparting too much energy to the process. These effects are of particular importance when processing a thermally sensitive material, such as PVC. As compared to the HSEI counter-rotating twin-screw extruder, LSLF mode is used for materials and/or applications where shear- or temperature-sensitive materials are being

Figure 7. Schematic of conical (top) and parallel (bottom) low speed, late fusion counter-rotating twin-screw extruders.

processed, high head pressures are desired, and/or the materials do not convey well by drag ow. Historically, 90%+ of this format twin-screw extruder has processed PVC materials. Currently, there is a push to expand the market applications for this mode of twin-screw extruder into alternative materials, so that in the future 70 to 80% usage for PVC may become the norm. The LSLF counter-rotating twin-screw extruder is primarily a positive displacement pump that conveys material with controlled melt temperatures. Various ight pitches, as well as multi-start screws are available. The calender gaps are sized for gentle mixing and minimal friction.
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Lower melt temperatures help minimize sizing and cooling problems of complex shapes, which is a typical end product in the PVC prole industry. In its solid state, PVC powder has a comparatively low bulk density. The performance of the feed zone determines the uniformity of the melt over the full length of the screw. As the material passes from the feed zone into the preheating/pre-compression zones, a transformation from a solid to a viscous melt begins to occur. As the material enters the compression zone, ow is restricted and the nite ight volume in the compression zone generates a backpressure that compresses the material, while shear increases and the viscosity of the melt stream decreases. Devolatilization occurs late in the process, typically using multi-start screws to increase the surface area of the melt stream, and just before nal pumping. In the metering zone, the primary process functions are to complete the plasticizing process and generate pressure to pump the material through a die at high pressure. There are two types of LSLF counter-rotating, intermeshing designsconical and parallel. These two designs (Figure 7) are dened by the diameter of the screws at the feed section versus at the tips. The parallel screw has no change in diameter as you travel down the screw, while conical screws decrease in size as you approach the tips. In conical screws, the large-diameter feed zone has a continuous taper to the discharge end (or tips) of the screws. For example, a 55-mm model has a feed zone diameter of 114 mm and a discharge diameter of 55 mm. The conical screw design provides a natural compression over the entire length of the screws. Less dramatic pitch changes are required in the ight geometry to achieve a homogeneous melt, as compared to a parallel design. The large diameter in the feed zone provides a larger area for maximizing heat transfer and facilitates rotational shear to be applied to the incoming material. The small discharge diameter minimizes rotational shear and heat generation as the screws pump the material through the die.

Society of Plastics Engineers

A unique feature of the conical design is that the radial clearance between screws and barrel can be altered to assist in desired changes to the process. Moving the screws forward tightens the radial clearance and improves the pumping efciency of the extruder for high head pressure applications. Moving the screws backward increases or opens up the radial clearance, increasing back ow and mechanical shear from the screws and improves mixing capability for highly lled or lubricated compounds. Conical twin-screw extruders have shorter processing sections and footprint as compared to parallel designs. The parallel counter-rotating LSLF twinscrew extruder is differentiated from the conical extruder in that the screws are cylindrical and have a constant diameter. Radial clearance cannot be adjusted. The screws are typically longer than those of a corresponding conical design, and the screw geometry relies solely on dimensional changes to the gaps between the screw ights, the ight count, and changes in pitch to achieve the desired compression ratio to transform the feedstock from a solid to a melt. The additional length of the screws provides more versatility for sequential process tasks to be performed. Since the diameters of the screws are constant, the same circumferential speed is provided over the entire length, and wider screw ights are typically incorporated into the design. This serves

to reduce surface pressure and helps to minimize screw and barrel wear. Once wear has occurred, barrels and screws are more easily rebuilt due to the constant diameter and tolerances throughout the length of the processing zone. LSLF counter-rotating twin-screw extruders range from 25 to 170 mm screw diameters, with motors from 10 to 300 hp. Maximum rpm varies with size, but is generally below 50 rpm and the typical process length is 20 to 28 to 1 L/D. Screws and barrels are normally one-piece, which makes the cost signicantly lower compared to modular designs. Heating of the barrels is via electric band heaters, and cooling is external to barrel by either liquid or air. Screws are typically internally cored for liquid cooling, which is a preferred design feature for thermally sensitive PVC.

SUMMARY
There are many counter-rotating twin-screw extruder types from which to choose to perform various polymer-processing applications. The end product can be a pellet or extruded part. Continuing developments in counter-rotation, sometimes drawing upon co-rotating technologies, will continue to expand and improve the range of products that can be successfully manufactured, taking advantage of the unique geometric capabilities inherent with counter-rotating designs.

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