Breakup of silica agglomerates in corotating twin screw

extruder Modeling and experiment

Extensive experimental studies about silica agglomerate breakup during compounding with polymer
melts of varied viscosities and polarities on a modular corotating twin-screw extruder were
conducted. In order to avoid a subjectivity of the effect, due to small size contaminants involved,
silica agglomerates had been characterized by measuring their mass standard ideals. Increasing
plastic compounding machines the screw velocity, melt viscosity, and silica focus were found to
increase the silica agglomerate breakup. The result of these parameters on agglomerate breakup
was rated the following: silica focus > polymer viscosity screw revolutions per minute (rpm). A
good correlation between silica agglomerate breakage and power insight was also found. Using the
experimental dispersion and info method, a composite modular kinetic unit for analyzing silica
agglomerate breakup during compounding in a corotating twin-screw extruder was examined. The
kinetic constants of breakup and reagglomeration of silica agglomerates had been calculated based
on the stresses applied to the agglomerates and their cohesive power. These constants for silica
agglomerates were identified to be not significantly diverse at high concentrations. The latter was in
contrast to experimental info from available literature on compounding of calcium carbonate with
polypropylene where in fact the substantial reagglomeration kinetic constants of calcium carbonate
in comparison with those of breakup enjoyed a major function in the agglomerate breakup.
Comparison of the experimental and calculated benefits on the silica agglomerate size evolution
during compounding with polymer melts indicated a reasonable arrangement between them at
superior rotational speeds.