TheEXTRUDERTIMES

VOL.01 / ISSUE-01

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2006

IN THIS ISSUE:

Review:
Fractional Element Geometry
Catalyst:
Conveying Elements
ReCap:
Multiow Index
Brainstorm:
Drastic Temperature Decrease

R E V I E W

FRACTIONAL ELEMENT GEOMETRY IN

HIGH-SPEED DEEP-FLIGHTED TWIN-SCREW EXTRUDER

This issue of ET is sponsored by STEER's

The Generation Next Co-rotating
Twin-screw Extruder

A I M S A N D O B J EC T I V E S
To share breakthroughs and happenings in the
Extruder Industry with special emphasis on
Twin/Single Screw Extruders.
To serve as an information sharing platform for
STUDENTS, ENGINEERS and COMPOUNDERS.
To generate triggers and encourage contributions
from scientists, technocrats and teaching
community for new innovations.

Co-rotating twin-screw extruders have evolved through the years. Deeper flights lead to
increased efficiencies and reduced shear rates in a twin-screw extruder. This feature is
advantageous in increasing the screw speed thereby maintaining mixing rates and
increasing the volumetric capacity of the machine. An improvement in process efficiency
is realized due to the reduction in viscous dissipation per unit mass of material. The
ability to process material has benefited from improvements made in diameter ratio and
specific torque. The advantages with deeper screw flights are higher intake capacity
(especially in starve feed), lower melt temperature due to decreased shear stress, and
greater devolatisation capacity. Further, the ability to process certain shear and temperature sensitive materials is greatly enhanced in an extruder with deeper flights. The
increase in melt temperature due to the kneading elements at high speeds is solved by
fractional lobed element geometry with unequal tip angles. This geometry can easily
replace standard kneading elements.
Forty years ago, Erdmenger determined the need for fractional elements. Erdmenger
said, One disadvantage that was hitherto encountered in apparatuses of this type
(twin-screw extruders) was that it was only possible to vary the dimension lying in the
axial direction but not the dimension lying transversely to the axis, e.g. the thickness of
the layer of material used, which often has an important effect on the transfer of heat
or the transfer of material or the course of the reaction, which in practice is the most
important alteration.
The standard twin-screw elements have equal tip angles for all lobes. These limit the
types of elements that operate in a twin-screw extruder if the geometry is based solely
on the design of Erdmenger.
For example, in an eccentric trilobed kneading element, the small tip angle leads to
higher wear rate. Increasing the tip-angle gives a circular shape to the element and
reduces the free volume available in the extruder. Elements having different tip-angles
have been invented by Dr. Babu Padmanabhan. These elements continue to work as
conjugate pairs while suiting the needs of twin-screw extrusion. The new element
geometry provides greater flexibility in design of individual elements.
Continued...

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

FRACTIONAL ELEMENT GEOMETRY IN

HIGH-SPEED DEEP-FLIGHTED TWIN-SCREW EXTRUDER

continued...
The end profile of a fractional element formed as a result of transforming a one-lobe to
a four-lobe profile as shown in Figure 1. This shows the profile at a location that is
halfway through the transformation. At every step of the transformation the profile
obtained has to be intermeshing and fully wiping. Figure 2 clearly shows the basis for the
classification. The last two digits provides the location of the transformation from onelobe to two-lobe profile. If n is the number of lobes on one end with less lobes and N
is the number of lobes on the other end with more lobes, then the condition for perfect
transformation is that N/n should be a whole number. Figure 3 shows the configuration of the extruder screw where the regular kneading blocks are formed with fractional
lobed geometry. The screw speed and configuration are the two key variables. The zone
temperatures are shown on the barrel segments. The kneading length in the mixing zone
of both the configuration are maintained at 180mm and also increase in pressure
matches both configuration. The fractional lobed geometry shown in this configuration
is selected based on certain observations made on the changes in cross-section during
rotation of the corresponding geometry. The motivation was to avoid high pressure
points during the full 360 degree turn of the flights.

'Elements having different tip angles

continue to work as conjugate pairs,
while suiting the needs of twin-screw
extruder'

Figure 1: Fractional Four-lobed Element Geometry 1.4.50

Figure 3: Configuration with Fractional Kneading Blocks

Processing on various materials with fractional-lobed elements have already been carried
out. This involved processing of polymers with a high filling of carbon black, organic
pigments, glass fibre, etc. Fractional elements were also used on PVC compounding.
Using fractional elements, it is possible to finely control the compounding process to a
greater extent than what is considered possible with standard elements.

This article is contributed by Dr. Babu Padmanabhan, Managing Director and

Founder of Steer Engineering. He is a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg VA

Figure 2: Generation of Fractional Geometry

'Using fractional elements, it is possible

to finely control the compounding
process to a great extent'

CATALYST
Through this column ET will cover briefly
relevant information on key components that
goes into an extruder

Long Bi-lobed Conveying Element with Short lead

This Long Bi-lobed Normal Conveying Element is a short lead
element. The profile of the element is called the Erdmenger profile
(E) or the Normal (N) profile. The ratio of the lead to diameter is 0.5.
In general, elements with lead to diameter ratios of 0.5-0.8 are used
for building up pressure prior to the die-head or for increasing the
fill the channels prior to mixing, and for squeezing prior to melting
in the case of Crystalline or Semi-Crystalline polymers. These
elements are no longer used in the melting zone of amorphous
polymer due to excessive wear. The length of this element is twice
as long as the lead of the element.
Eccentric Tri-lobed Conveying Elements
This Eccentric Tri-lobed Conveying Element is also referred to as a
Camel back element. It has been used in the metering zone of
Thermoset material.
S o u r c e : w w w. s t e e r w o r l d .c o m

E XCERP TS

R|E|C|A|P|

Peter Drucker the first and famous Management Guru is no more. But

ET enables recapitulating few definitions

and terms with respect to extruders and
compounds

his thoughts on leadership and management live forever. Heres recalling

some of his gems:

Tasks of management are: Fulfilling the institutions specific purpose,

making work productive and the worker achieving, and managing social
impact and social responsibilities.

1. Melt flow index

Efficiency is the minimum condition of success; effectiveness is its

foundation

Work without high quality is dishonesty

The number of grams of polymer that can be pushed out of a

capillary die of standard dimensions (diameter: 2.095 mm, length:
8.0 mm) under the action of standard weight (2.16 kg for PE, at
190C) in 10 minutes (ASTM Standard 1238). The usual melt index
range is from less than 1.0 (called fractional) to more than 25 (up to
100 for injection molding). For PP it is usually called melt flow rate
and the standard temperature is 230C.

The basic factor in economic development is the rate of brain formation

2. Linear Polymers

From Moses to Einstein

It is also classified as branched polymers.

In a speech he gave at the London School of Economics at its centennial

function, the late K. R. Narayanan (former President of India) spoke of the
contribution of Jews to LSE and the world. Here is an extract from this
delightful speech: First there was Moses who looked up to the skies and
said that everything came from the heavens. Then came Solomon, who
looked further down and declared that everything came from the head, that
is Wisdom. He was followed by Jesus who looked further down and said that
everything came from the heart. Next was Karl Marx who decreed that
everything came from the stomach. Then came Sigmund Freud who looked
a little further down and asserted that everything came from sex. And finally
up popped Albert Einstein who was certain that everything was relative.

In linear polymers, the monomeric units are linked together, linearly,

with little or no long chain branching. In branched polymers, side
chains are attached to the backbone of the molecular chain. Highdensity polyethylene (HDPE) is linear, while low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is branched. Linear LDPE (LLDPE) is stiffer than LDPE in
shear but softer in extension. In extension the LLDPE chains slide
by without getting entangled (since the chain branches are very
short).

Human resource management should make the strengths of employees

productive and their weaknesses irrelevant
Management is the means by which a society makes productive its own
values and beliefs

It is also called melt index or melt flow rate

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2006 | VOL.01 / ISSUE- 01

TheEXTRUDERTIMES

Brainstorm

Reader's Queries on Extruders, Elements,

Polymer-Compounding etc are answered
by ET's Expert Group

The Background: We have a co-rotating twin-screw extruder machine with following

specs: Barrel Dia 48mm. Do/Di ratio 1.49. Screw Speed 600 rpm. The temperature set
was @230C. Actual temp 120C. CaCO3 more than 65% Filler from side feeder. Base
polymer PP from the main feeder. Side feeder output 255 kg/hr.
A SHOR T PhD COUR SE ON LE A DER SHIP
1. Make a list of all things done to you that you
abhorred.
2. DON'T DO THEM TO OTHERS. EVER.
3. Make another list of things done to you that you
loved.
4. DO THEM TO OTHERS. ALWAYS.
- Dee Hock, founder of VISA

Plastindia 2006
February 9 - 14, New Delhi
NPE Society of the Plastics Industry Inc
June 19 - 23, 2006
McCormick Place, Chicago, IL, USA
Plastivision India 2007
7th National Exhibition and Seminar,
Mumbai

The Generation Next Co-rotating Twin-screw

Extruder is on display at Plastindia 2006, New Delhi.
February 9 - 11, Hall No, 15, Booth No. 11

The Query: Why is there a drastic temperature decrease of almost 90C, once the barrel
temp reaches 140C filler started coming out from the atmospheric vent? (Received from
Mr.Prakash H from Bangalore, India.)
Dear Mr. Prakash
The naturally occuring Calcium Carbonate (Chalk, Limestone, Marble) has a Specific heat
capacity of approximately 0.8 kJ/kg/C. When the calcite enters at room temperature
into the extruder at 225 Kg/hr, the total heat energy required to heat it up to operating
temperature will be 10 kW (assuming there is little moisture in the Calcite, with more
moisture, the heat-loss is even higher). This can also be interpreted as the cooling capacity of the Calcite. The only way to heat the Calcite is by working it along with the polymer
as a result of the Screw action. This heating happens due to shear while the material
travels along the extruder. The loss of heat due to entry of Calcite cannot easily be
compensated by Barrel heating (since barrel heating is generally limited to standard
applications where the heat-transfer between the barrel and the melt is limited). This is
a normal phenomenon but if this not acceptable, a possible solution will be to pre-heat
the Calcite to operating temperature before entry into the extruder. Another solution is
to have higher heating capacity in the Side-feeder Barrel, say 5 or 6 kW as against the
normal range of 2.5-3 kW. It is possible that once the melt cool excessively, some conveying efficiency is lost and the capacity of the extruder is reduced. This caused the extruder
to get over filled and the filler escapes with the gases in the atmospheric vent.
- Babu Padmanabhan on behalf of ET expert panel.
For further queries on the subject you may write to: drbabu@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

Technical Contributions Most Welcome!

ET solicits editorial contributions by way of
case studies associated with unique applications and extruder technology project /
products. The article/contributions may be
adaptations to a new technology, breakthroughs or process or anything interesting.
Please send your contributions to
etec@steerworld.com

All rights reserved: Reproduction without prior permission of the publisher is expressly prohibited. The publisher
makes every effort to ensure that the ETs contents are correct. However, we accept no responsibility for any
errors or omissions and accept no responsibility for any loss or damage caused as an effect thereof. The opinions
expressed by experts are their own and in no way reflect that of the publisher.
Printed and Published by: ET editorial coordinator KSRam on behalf of STEER CONSULTANCY SERVICES, 290, 4th
main, 4th phase, Peenya Ind. Area, Bangalore - 560 058, India.
etec@steerworld.com
FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION ONLY

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C O N S U LTA N C Y S E R V I C E S , I N D I A