A method of forming a composite material includes mixing granules of thermoplastic(s) and granules of reinforcing material(s) using a mixer with an interior friction coating. The friction generated by interaction between the granules and friction coating causes granules of at least one of the thermoplastic(s) to be heated to a liquid or semi-liquid state. The liquid/semi-liquid thermoplastic(s) act a binder for the mixed material. A system for forming such a composite material includes such a mixer with an interior friction coating. The system may also include a mould and/or a press for forming material produced by the mixer into a finished shape. The method and system may use post-consumer and post-industrial material as an input allowing such material to be recycled. In some cases, cross-contaminated or mixed post-consumer/post-industrial material may be recycled, potentially reducing environmental impacts.

Provided is a dust stop device for a sealed kneader, the device being capable of excellent supply of lubricating oil. The sealed kneader includes a pair of rotors and a supporting member. The dust stop device includes a rotating ring attached to each rotor and a stationary ring attached to the supporting member. Both the rings have respective contact surfaces which make surface contact with each other. The stationary ring has a lubricating-oil supply portion with a through-hole. A part of the through-hole, the part including a part opened in the contact surface, is a long hole extending along a circumferential direction of rotation of the rotating ring.

An extruder screw for a multi-screw extruder for plastics extrusion includes: a feeding and metering zone for melting and homogenizing the plastic and an evacuating zone for carrying away gaseous constituents and a compressing and/or discharging zone; a multi-screw section, which has a plurality of planetary screws, which lie open on the outer circumference of the extruder screw, at least over part of their length; and a driving zone, in which the planetary screws engage by way of a toothing in an external toothing on a central shaft or in an internal toothing in a stator ring or in the inner wall of an extruder bore of the multi-screw extruder. The feeding and metering zone extends into the multi-screw section, wherein the respective part of the planetary screws that is lying in the metering zone is at least partially enclosed.

A device and a method for producing reaction plastics, including a first metering device with a first metering unit and a second metering unit, each of which is suitable for receiving and dispensing a first mixing component in a metered manner, a second metering device which is suitable for receiving and dispensing a second mixing component in a metered manner, and a mixing device which is suitable for receiving and mixing the first mixing component dispensed by the first metering unit and/or the second metering unit of the first metering device and the second mixing component dispensed by the second metering device. For this purpose the first metering unit and the second metering unit are connected to the mixing device such that prior to beginning the mixing process, the first mixing component can be brought to an operating state required for the mixing process, in particular an operating pressure, by guiding the first mixing component from the first metering unit to the second metering unit via the mixing device.

A method for charging at least one extruder with at least one material web including rubber and/or plastics mixtures includes: transporting the at least one material web, at a distance from at least one material feed of the at least one extruder, into a region of a material feed, in each case by a conveying device; and receiving and/or processing and introducing, by at least one handling device having at least one tool, an initial region of the at least one material web into the at least one material feed of the at least one extruder. At least the at least one extruder, the conveying device, and the at least one handling device comprise a production plant.

A co-rotating self-cleaning multi-screw extruder with a speed ratio of 2.5 and an extruding method therefor are disclosed. The screw mechanism includes a center screw and peripheral screws which rotate in the same direction. The peripheral screws are each of a double threaded structure, and the center screw is of a quintuple threaded structure. The rotation speed of the peripheral screws is 2.5 times that of the center screw, and the peripheral screws are always meshed with the center screw, whereas the adjacent peripheral screws are intermittently meshed with each other. The extruding method therefor is as follows: there is a periodically open space between adjacent peripheral screws, providing the periodical and intermittent mixing action, so that material from different thread grooves is mixed with each other. Meanwhile, the topological chaos action, by which the material is cut into two portions, is formed between the center screw and the peripheral screws, and the chaos mixing is caused by the random motion which is generated from the periodical changes of the channel, so that a periodical action of “compression-expansion” is achieved. Furthermore, due to the tensile force field action caused by the differences in rotation speed between the center screw and the peripheral screws, the compression preheating and dispersion mixing of the material are achieved. The co-rotating self-cleaning multi-screw extruder effectively improves the efficiency of conveying and mixing of materials.

A system for continuously treating recycled polymeric material includes a hopper configured to feed the recycled polymeric material into the system. An extruder can turn the recycled polymeric material in a molten material. In some embodiments, the extruder uses thermal fluids, electric heaters, and/or a separate heater. The molten material is depolymerized in a reactor. In some embodiments, a catalyst is used to aid in depolymerizing the material. In certain embodiments, the catalyst is contained in a permeable container. The depolymerized molten material can then be cooled via a heat exchanger. In some embodiments, multiple reactors are used. In certain embodiments, these reactors are connected in series. In some embodiments, the reactor(s) contain removable static mixer(s) and/or removable annular inserts.

A system for preparing a polymeric mixture includes: a containment device configured to distribute dry polymeric materials; a receiving chamber in fluid communication with the containment device; a wetting bowl; a dispersing channel; and a mixing chamber connected to the dispersing channel. A method of preparing a polymeric mixture includes distributing water and dry polymeric materials through the various components of the system and mixing the materials with the mechanical mixing device.

According to some aspects, a mixer for detection and/or removal of material in an undesired location of an additive fabrication device is provided. For instance, in an inverse stereolithography device, liquid photopolymer may adhere and cure or partially cure to a surface of the additive fabrication device in a location that may interfere with the additive fabrication process and/or cause the additive fabrication process to be unsuccessful. The mixer may be coupled to a movable structure within the additive fabrication device so that the mixer, when coupled to the movable structure, may be moved along at least one axis within the additive fabrication device. The mixer may be configured to detect and/or remove undesired material from a surface within the additive fabrication device.

The invention concerns an apparatus (1) for the dispersion of an expansion gas even in supercritical conditions, e.g. carbon dioxide, in a reactive resin, of the kind in which a reaction chamber having an input (27) for gas and an input (37) for resin is provided. Advantageously, the chamber is a dispersion and containment chamber made into a casing (2) of predetermined high resistance susceptible to sustain high pressure and is divided into two sections (6,7) by a head (14) of a dispersion and mixing cylinder-piston group (4) in fluid communication between themselves by means of at least one pouring passage (31, 36, 32, 39) provided with a static mixer (38), motor means (3) being provided for piston (34) control of said mixing cylinder-piston group (4). The invention also concerns a process for the formation of a polyurethane foam starting with the dispersion of carbon dioxide, even supercritical, in a reactive resin in which at least one initial dispersion and mixing controlled phase of the two components is provided in a dispersion and containment chamber under pressure divided into two sections (6,7) by a head (14) of a cylinder-piston mixing group (4) in fluid communication between themselves by means of at least one pouring passage (31, 36, 32, 39) provided with a static mixer (38) and in which adduction, dispersion and mixing occurs under high pressure (at least greater than 75 bar).