Additive manufacturing apparatus and methods for mixing and dispensing materials, and articles with controlled particle concentrations. Additive manufacturing apparatus includes a mixer; a reservoir in fluidic communication with the mixer; and a build plate parallel to the reservoir. Additive manufacturing apparatus includes a mixer and a solid particle dispensing system and/or a slurry dispensing system. A method for handling precursors during additive manufacturing includes (a) providing first and second precursor materials and/or a slurry to a mixer; (b) mixing the materials in the mixer; (c) transporting the mixed materials directly to a reservoir disposed in parallel with a build plate; (d) curing at least a portion of the transported and mixed materials; and (e) repeating step (d) at least once. An article includes a plurality of adjacent layers, a concentration of particles in each layer defining a controlled concentration gradient and/or vary by no more than ±50%.

A method changes the material from a feed mixture to a subsequent mixture in a feed device of an extruder, the method comprising the steps of detecting a change request for changing the material, emptying a mixing area of a mixing device of the feed device, identifying the completion of the emptying of the mixing area, and filling the mixing area of the mixing device with the subsequent mixture after the completion of the emptying has been identified.

At a part of the screw main body at which the kneading portion is provided, conveyance portions, a barrier portion and a path are provided at a plurality of places. At least one of the places, the path is provided inside the screw main body, and includes an entrance and an exit. The entrance is opened in such a manner that the raw material whose pressure is enhanced by being restricted in conveyance by the barrier portion flows into the entrance. The path is formed in such a manner that the raw material flowing into the path from the entrance flows toward the exit in a direction opposite to the direction of conveyance.

An extruder screw conveying raw materials while kneading them includes a screw main body, conveyance portions, barrier portions, and paths. The conveyance portions convey the raw materials in an axial direction. The paths each include an entrance and an exit. The raw materials, the conveyance of which is limited by the barrier portions, flow in from the entrance. The raw materials flowing in from the entrance flow through the paths in the same direction as a conveyance direction of the conveyance portions. The exit is opened in the outer circumferential surface of the screw main body at a position outside the conveyance portions in which the entrance is opened.

Continuous method including mixing water and cementitous powder to form slurry; mixing the slurry and reinforcement fibers in a single pass horizontal continuous mixer to form fiber-slurry mixture, the mixer including an elongated mixing chamber having a reinforcement fiber inlet port, and upstream of the fiber inlet port is an inlet port to introduce water and cementitous powder together as one stream or at least two inlet ports to introduce water and dry cementitous powder separately as separate streams into the chamber, a rotating horizontal shaft/s within the chamber, part of the chamber for mixing the fibers and slurry and moving the fiber-slurry mixture to a mixture outlet; discharging the fiber-slurry mixture from the mixer outlet; forming and setting the fiber-slurry mixture on a moving surface; cutting the set mixture into fiber reinforced concrete panels and removing the panels from the moving surface.

Continuous method including mixing water and cementitous powder to form slurry; mixing the slurry and reinforcement fibers in a single pass horizontal continuous mixer to form fiber-slurry mixture, the mixer including an elongated mixing chamber having a reinforcement fiber inlet port, and upstream of the fiber inlet port is an inlet port to introduce water and cementitous powder together as one stream or at least two inlet ports to introduce water and dry cementitous powder separately as separate streams into the chamber, a rotating horizontal shaft/s within the chamber, part of the chamber for mixing the fibers and slurry and moving the fiber-slurry mixture to a mixture outlet; discharging the fiber-slurry mixture from the mixer outlet; forming and setting the fiber-slurry mixture on a moving surface; cutting the set mixture into fiber reinforced concrete panels and removing the panels from the moving surface.

A molded product production system includes a powdery material mixing and feeding device configured to feed mixed powdery materials including at least two types of powdery materials, a filler configured to fill, with the mixed powdery materials fed by the powdery material mixing and feeding device, a die bore of a compression-molding machine, a sensor configured to measure a mixing degree of the mixed powdery materials fed by the powdery material mixing and feeding device, and a molded product removal mechanism configured to distinguish a molded product obtained by compression molding mixed powdery materials having a mixing degree measured by the sensor out of a predetermined range from a molded product obtained by compression molding mixed powdery materials having a mixing degree within the predetermined range.

The invention describes an advanced mixing and metering technology with online analytics for a supply of formulated liquid thermosetting resins into an open or closed mold. The application addresses where a precise control of the composition of formulated components is required. Composite structures used in primary and secondary structural aerospace applications manufactured in Infusion or RTM processes are possible examples.

An extruder screw conveying raw materials while kneading them includes a screw main body, conveyance portions, barrier portions, and paths. The conveyance portions convey the raw materials in an axial direction. The paths each include an entrance and an exit. The raw materials, the conveyance of which is limited by the barrier portions, flow in from the entrance. The raw materials flowing in from the entrance flow through the paths in an opposite direction to a conveyance direction. The exit is opened in the outer circumferential surface of the screw main body at a position outside the conveyance portions in which the entrance is opened.

The invention describes a method for the manufacture of a plasticized polyvinyl alcohol polymer mixture including the steps of introducing a polyvinyl alcohol or a blend thereof having a degree of hydrolysis in the range of 93% to 98% or more into a mixing reactor; adding a processing agent, and a plasticizer to form a reaction mixture; wherein the plasticizer is selected from the group consisting of the following compounds and mixtures thereof: (a) sugar alcohols selected from the group consisting of: diglycerol, triglycerol, fructose, ribose, xylose, D-mannitol, triacetin, and mixtures thereof; polyols selected from the group consisting of: pentaerythritol, dipentaerythritol, and mixtures thereof; (b) diols selected from the group consisting of: methyl pentanediol, 1,2-propanediol, 1,4-butanediol, 2-hydroxy-1,3-propanediol, 3-methyl-1,3-butanediol, 3,3-dimethyl-1,2-butanediol, and mixtures thereof; (c) glycols selected from the group consisting of: polyethylene glycol 300, polyethylene glycol 400, alkoxylated polyethylene glycol, and mixtures thereof; (d) caprolactam, tricyclic trimethylolpropane formal, rosin esters, euricamide, and mixtures thereof; reacting the reaction mixture in a reaction zone to form plasticized polymer; and allowing the plasticized polymer to pass from the reaction zone.