A method of forming a polyolefin-carbon nanomaterial composite which contains oriented electrically conductive pathways. The method involves milling a polyolefin with particles of a carbon nanomaterial, molding to form a composite plate, and subjecting the composite plate to an AC voltage. The AC voltage forms oriented electrically conductive pathways by partial dielectric breakdown of the composite. The presence of the oriented electrically conductive pathways gives the polyolefin-carbon nanomaterial electrical and thermal conductivity higher than the polyolefin alone.

A method of forming a polyolefin-carbon nanomaterial composite which contains oriented electrically conductive pathways. The method involves milling a polyolefin with particles of a carbon nanomaterial, molding to form a composite plate, and subjecting the composite plate to an AC voltage. The AC voltage forms oriented electrically conductive pathways by partial dielectric breakdown of the composite. The presence of the oriented electrically conductive pathways gives the polyolefin-carbon nanomaterial electrical and thermal conductivity higher than the polyolefin alone.

Systems for manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament from polymer, where the systems are configured for: (1) passing polymer flakes through a crystalliers; (2) melting the polymer to create a first single stream of polymer melt; (3) separating the first single stream of polymer melt into multiple streams of polymer melt; (4) exposing the multiple streams of polymer melt to a pressure of between about 0 millibars and about 25 millibars in a chamber; (5) recombining the multiple streams of polymer melt into a second single stream of polymer melt; and (6) providing the second single stream of polymer melt to one or more spinning machines that are configured to form the second single stream of polymer melt into bulked continuous carpet filament.

A polymer melt candle filter having a support which comprises a hollow cylindrical body defined by a first end, a second end, and a cylinder wall having a first end portion and a second end portion. The first end portion includes a screw thread on its outside surface and optionally a hex fitting on its inside surface for receiving a hex wrench. The second end portion includes a plurality of holes in the cylinder wall. The area of the openings of the holes on the outside surface of the cylinder wall may be larger than the area of the openings of the corresponding holes on the inside surface of the cylinder wall. The shape of the openings of the holes on the outside surface may be non-circular. A polymer melt filter plate assembly which comprises (a) a support plate comprising a plurality of threaded holes; (b) at least one filter which is screwed into at least one of the threaded holes via the screw thread on the outside surface of the first end portion of the filter support; (c) a tie rod with (i) a first end extending through a hole in a cone insert and a cap located at the second end of the filter support, and (ii) a second end extending through a threaded hole in the support plate; and (d) a cross bar which is attached to the second end of the tie rod for holding the support plate inside a shaft of an apparatus for filtering a polymer melt.

A polymer melt candle filter having a support which comprises a hollow cylindrical body defined by a first end, a second end, and a cylinder wall having a first end portion and a second end portion. The first end portion includes a screw thread on its outside surface and optionally a hex fitting on its inside surface for receiving a hex wrench. The second end portion includes a plurality of holes in the cylinder wall. The area of the openings of the holes on the outside surface of the cylinder wall may be larger than the area of the openings of the corresponding holes on the inside surface of the cylinder wall. The shape of the openings of the holes on the outside surface may be non-circular. A polymer melt filter plate assembly which comprises (a) a support plate comprising a plurality of threaded holes; (b) at least one filter which is screwed into at least one of the threaded holes via the screw thread on the outside surface of the first end portion of the filter support; (c) a tie rod with (i) a first end extending through a hole in a cone insert and a cap located at the second end of the filter support, and (ii) a second end extending through a threaded hole in the support plate; and (d) a cross bar which is attached to the second end of the tie rod for holding the support plate inside a shaft of an apparatus for filtering a polymer melt.

Provided is a method of producing a film by cryogenically grinding polypropiolactone to form a powder, and extruding the powder to form the film. Provided herein are also polypropiolactone films having certain biocontent and compostability, as well as certain mechanical and physical properties. Such films may also be suitable for use as packaging materials.

A filtering device for filtering molten plastic material that employs a filtration mesh belt that enters and exits a chamber, engaging an outer surface of a hollow perforated cylinder inside of the chamber, without losing any molten plastic material during the replacement of the filtration mesh belt and without tearing even when operating at high pressures inside of the chamber.

A filtering device for filtering molten plastic material that employs a filtration mesh belt that enters and exits a chamber, engaging an outer surface of a hollow perforated cylinder inside of the chamber, without losing any molten plastic material during the replacement of the filtration mesh belt and without tearing even when operating at high pressures inside of the chamber.

Useful thermoplastic polymer powders are formed by a method comprising: cooling a foam comprised of a thermoplastic foam below the brittleness temperature of the thermoplastic polymer, wherein the foam has an average strut dimension of 10 to 500 micrometers, and comminuting the cooled foam to form a thermoplastic polymer powder. The method allows for the efficient grinding of the thermoplastic polymer having improved morphology and desirable characteristics such as dry flow without flow aids.

In one instance a semicrystalline polyketone powder useful for additive manufacturing is comprised of a bimodal melt peak determined by an initial differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) scan at 20° C./min and a D.sub.90 particle size of at most 300 micrometers and average particle size of 1 micrometer to 150 micrometers equivalent spherical diameter. In another instance, A composition is comprised of a semicrystalline polyketone powder having a melt peak and a recrystallization peak, wherein the melt peak and recrystallization peak fail to overlap.