TheEXTRUDERTIMES

VOL.01 / ISSUE-04 JULY-AUGUST 2006

IN THIS ISSUE:

R E V I E W :
Review:
Configuration of Screw Elements in EPZ! CONFIGURATION OF
Brainstorm:
PVC Compounded in Counter-TSE
SCREW ELEMENTS IN EPZ! A N OVERVIEW
Introduction: The adage ‘different strokes for different folks’ holds good when one
Question 4 You:
attempts to deal with the EPZ (Extruder Processing Zones) of a Co-rotating Twin-Screw
Shear, Shear Rate, and Shear Heating
Extruder. Within this EPZ area the ‘key to success’ lies with the exact design of the
‘Element and Barrel’ Configuration. In the game of Chess, a ‘good formation’ is impor-
tant to achieve a winning result, since pieces in isolation cannot perform. This is true in
the case of Compounding. Elements work best in some combinations, and some
elements are more powerful than others. Indeed, it is true!
Importantly,
1. The design has to deliver the correct amount of work on the
product for melting and mixing.
STEER A NEW

2. The design should have the capacity to take the product

“in” and “out” of the extruder.
3. Lastly, the design should allow gases or volatiles to
escape without the product leaking out through vents.
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community for new innovations.
It can be imagined that there are ‘different zones’ (area) inside the extruder performing
a series of specific functions1. Like a relay race, each zone passes on the ‘baton’ (the
material being processed) to the next zone and until the final stage. Extruder perfor-
mance measured by energy consumption, quantity and quality of output, largely
depends on the design of these processing zones. The effective selection of elements is
the first step in design. The right length and combination of elements is the next step.
In this 6-article series (beginning with ET#4) we shall discuss these various zones and
outline the element characteristics, its potential use and certain design principles. The
first set of three articles will focus on the selection of elements based on their innate
characteristics. The second set of three articles will provide the design principles for
combining or configuring these elements for different applications.
ELEMENTS for various PROCESSING ZONES
These processing zones make up the “Race-track” of a Twin Screw Co-rotating Extruder.
Intake Zone — for introducing the material into the extruder.
Melting Zone — for heating the material and therefore melting the material
and achieve partial or total mixing.
Venting Zone — for removing the volatiles & moisture.
Mixing Zone — for ensuring proper mixing.
Vacuum Zone — for completely removing the volatiles & moisture to the
(Venting Zone) required levels.
Metering Zone — for building up the required pressure at the die.
(Note: Other zones such as side feeding, liquid dosing etc., are not included in this article.)
Continued...

INTAKE MELTING VENTING MIXING VACCUM METERING

ZONE ZONE ZONE ZONE [VENTING] ZONE ZONE

4 A special initiative of
C O N S U LTA N C Y S E R V I C E S , I N D I A
 TheEXTRUDERTIMES

CONFIGURATION OF
SCREW ELEMENTS IN EPZ! A N OVERVIEW

Continued...

INTAKE MELTING VENTING MIXING VACCUM METERING

ZONE ZONE ZONE ZONE [VENTING] ZONE ZONE

Intake Zone
The Two popular methods of feeding an extruder are starve-feeding and force-feeding.
During force-feeding, a reserve of material is maintained in the hopper of the extruder
and material is “positively displaced” or “forced” into the extruder. Starve-feeding is the
condition when an extruder is fed at a rate less than the capacity of the screw. The
hopper remains empty and functions as a conduit to avoid material from spilling. Starve
feeding is the more popular method for feeding due to several advantages that will be
discussed later.

TABLE OF INTAKE ZONE ELEMENTS

ELEMENTS CHARACTERISTICS POTENTIAL USE

NOMENCLATURE GEOMETRY & CONVEYING FREE TENDENCY TO FEEDING

PROFILES EFFICIENCY VOLUME BREAKUP AND
COMPACT Nearly all twin-screw extruders are starve-fed,
although the degree of screw filling can vary,
Single Flight Highest Medium Medium All Types
‘V’ Element depending on the requirements of the process.
M E LT I N G
Right Handed Low Medium Medium Pellets All extruders melt plastic by heating it, but the
Screw Element melting process is different in co-rotating and
counter rotating extruders. In a co-rotating
extruder, the plastic is subjected to intense
Deep Flight Low Highest Medium Tri-lobed Force-fed Powders shearing and deformation in the kneading
Schubkanten
blocks.
Melting (also called fusion) should be nearly, but
Schubkanten High High High Powders, Mix of Powders not fully, complete before the material leaves
Element and Granules
the compression section and enters the vent
section. Insufficient fusion will allow powder to
enter the vacuum system, while complete fusion
Special Low Highest Medium Bi-lobed Force-fed Extruders
Schubkanten will interfere with the removal of gas and vapor
Element at the vent.
Source: Handbook-TSE by SPE.
Single Flight Medium Low Low Alloys & Blends with different
Elements melt characterization

FLE X YOUR RISK MUSCLE

The modular design of the extruder screw assembly provides an option for a wide Bull's-eye every time? If so, you're standing too close
selection of screw elements for configuring in the ‘intake zone’. The popular twin-screw to the target. As comedian Woody Allen puts it, "If
elements2 are Single Flight Element (SFE), Schubkanten (SKE), Special Schubkanten you're not failing every now and again, it's a sign
Element (SSKE), Normal Right-hand Screw element (RSE), Deep flight SK element (DSK), you're not doing anything very innovative." Everyone
and the newly invented Single Flight ‘V’ shaped (SFV) element. has a "risk muscle" You keep it in shape by trying new
things. If you don't, it atrophies and you're no longer
Free Volume is the space available in a unit length (= diameter) of the extruder. This is able to take chances.
obtained by removing the space occupied by screw elements inside the 8 shaped barrel.
HOW CAN YOU EXERCISE YOUR RISK MUSCLE?
Conveying Efficiency is the ability of the element to move the material forward in the
extruder. It is 100%, if all the material moves forward at the completion of each turn of source: Roger von Oech's Creative Whack Pack.
rotation.
Compaction is the removal of air trapped in the material. For example, knocking or
vibrating a vessel containing a powder compacts the material (reduces the volume) while STEER’s Fractional-lobed Kneading
stirring does not. Breaking up results in reduction is particle size or changes in shape of elements (patented) provide a more
particle. uniform shear action vis-à-vis standard
kneading elements. For high speed
Melting Zone extruders the melt mixing is greatly
It is common to imagine melting as a phase transformation from Solid to Liquid. In case enhanced with these elements having
of polymers, melting is generally associated with reaching the required melt viscosity or unequal tip width and multi lobed
melt temperature. It is really that the crystalline polymers undergo some amount of geometry.
melting while amorphous polymers undergo glass transition. The work that can be
carried out depends on the resistance offered to it. As the Polymer melts, the resistance
drops as the viscosity reduces. Strong compression aids in the melting of Crystalline
Polymers like Polyamides and Polyolefins. Frictional heat generation by shearing forces is
sufficient for increasing the temperature of amorphous Polymers like Atactic Polystyrene
and Polycarbonate to the required process temperature which is usually above the Glass
Transition Temperature.

TABLE OF MELTING ZONE ELEMENTS

ELEMENTS CHARACTERISTICS POTENTIAL USE

MELTING ABILITY

NOMENCLATURE GEOMETRY & AMORPHOUS CRYSTALLINE DISPERSIVE SHEAR

PROFILES MIXING ABILITY UNIFORMITY

Fractional Highest Highest Highest High All types of Melting

Kneading and Dispersive Mixing
Element

Right Handed Low Medium Low Medium Easy to Melt

Kneading Crystalline Material
Element

Left Handed Medium High Medium Medium Crystalline Material

Kneading
Element

3KB Kneading High Highest High Medium Amorphous

Elements

Neutral Medium High High Low Not usually recommended

Handed for Melting
Kneading Used for Mixing
Elements

Mixing3 that accompanies melting is dispersive in nature. This is due to the high viscosity
levels of the melt at the time of melting and as a result of which the high shear stresses
opens an opportunity for elongation and break-up.
This melt mixing is achieved by Kneading Elements by the amount of shearing between
the tip of the kneading block and the barrel. The intensity of shear experienced by the
material will vary depending on the gap it passes through as the Kneading blocks
complete a full rotation. In many cases, a hot zone is created due to intense action at
certain points.
This article is contributed by Dr. Babu Padmanabhan, Chief Executive Officer
and Founder of Steer Engineering. He is a PhD in Mechanical Engineering
from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg VA
1Choice of material of construction (MOC) generally has no
effect on the function of the zones. However, wear (or
increased clearances) can have serious effect. It is to avoid
wear that the right material has to be chosen keeping in
mind the ‘specific wear mechanism’.
2SFE and RSE screws follow the Erdmenger design and are
fully wiping profiles. SKE, DSK and SFV are modified screw
profiles that have incomplete wiping profiles.
3Mixing at the time of melting has some difficulty. Certain
materials that have the tendency to agglomerate will do so
before it is mixed into the polymer. Therefore, pre-mix
preparations become vital.
(Please note: In the subsequent articles, we shall cover the
other zones (Venting Zone, Mixing Zone, Vacuum (Venting)
Zone and Metering Zone.)

JULY-AUGUST 2006 | VOL.01 / ISSUE- 04

 TheEXTRUDERTIMES
DROP A N A SSUMP TION
Colombus challenged the Spanish courtiers to stand
an egg on its end.
They tried but failed.
He then hard-boiled one and squashed it down.
"That's not fair". they protested, "you broke the
rules."
"Dont be silly," he replied, "you just assumed more
than you needed to."
WHAT CAN YOU LET GO OF?
WHAT UNNECESSARY ASSUMPTIONS CAN YOU
ELIMINATE?
Source: Roger von Oech's Creative Whack Pack.
What is the difference between shear,
shear rate, and shear heating?
The best answer will be published in subsequent ET
with name and photograph of the reader. Readers
are INVITED to send-in their answers with/without
drawings/pictures/illustrations to
etec@steerworld.com
The answers have to be precise and directed to the
question. Should be a minimum of 75 words and
not to exceed 250 words.
Any research paper relevant to the question are to
be sent as attachment, to serve as a reference
material.
The ET expert panel, would SELECT the most
appropriate answer. ET's decision is final and no
correspondence will be entertained. The Winner's
answer will be published in the subsequent issues
of ET. The participant to send full name and address
particulars, along with the Answers.
LAST DATE to receive the entry is
Saturday, September 30, 2006.
Subscribe to ET e-mail newsletter-
Please send us your name, complete address,
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Technical Contributions Most Welcome!
ET solicits editorial contributions by way of
case studies associated with unique applica-
tions and extruder technology project /
products. The article/contributions may be
adaptations to a new technology, break-
throughs or process or anything interesting.
Please send your contributions to
etec@steerworld.com
www.extrudertimes.com
Brainstorm Reader's Queries on Extruders, Elements,
Polymer-Compounding etc are answered
by ET's Expert Group
Can PVC be successfully compounded on a co-rotating TSE?
- Mr. K.Kumar, Bangalore
Traditionally, PVC has always been compounded on a conical counter machine. However
there has been regular enquiries about possibilty of getting PVC compounded in a Co-
rotating Twin-screw Extruder. The general impression is not positive because people
have not given a sincere try. There was no acceptable explanation as to why PVC can be
processed only on counter machines. Some cited reasons like "elongational mixing
action" in counters and so on. After all, PVC—though different from other
thermoplastics—is just another polymer and our belief is that it should be possible to run
it on Co-rotating TSEs, provided that the right configuration and conditions were made
available.
Fortunately, one of the user, experimented with our special assistance. We decided to
run PVC trials on the 40mm 1200rpm Co-rotating TSE at an 'application development
center'. Results were convincing and came as per expectations. In fact, we went ahead
and successfully processed, some more difficult compounds.
The learnings from our experiments are:
1. Use special screw elements—Fractional lobe Elements (STEER/Patented)
2. Running above 300rpm was difficult, but possible with more experimentations.
3. One can get a max. of 200kgs/hr—not bad at all for a 40mm machine.
4. Back-pressures were relatively high with rigids.
It is here that a 6 x D Single-screw Dump Extruder would become useful and handy. In
summary, we would say Just Go Ahead. You can 'Compound PVC’ on a Co-rotating TSE
(with an adapted machine)
- Dr.Pradeep Bakshi on behalf of ET expert panel.
For further queries on the subject you may write to: etec@steerworld.com
Brainstorm invites questions - Readers and practitioners may send their questions to
ET. The questions must state clearly the background of the problem / issue. Selected
questions with answers will appear in subsequent issues of ET. Please send your
questions to etec@steerworld.com
Answer for ET 2
Q: What are the symptoms of high barrel-wear in a Twin Screw Extruder? 
A:
1. Dispersion of material in the extrudate will be poor. This will result in increased clogging of
the filter and a resultant increase in pressure at the filter for the same level of output or run-time.
The output may have to be reduced to over come frequent filter change.
2. The Motor Power consumed (Ampere is a good indication at constant speed) will be lower
since the work done on the material is reduced. In other words, the Specific Energy will reduce
sharply.
3. Material will bleed through the vent due to excessive clearances.
Winner: Mr. Sanjay Rana of Plastichemix industries, Vadodara
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