A process for continuously preparing a polyolefin composition made from or containing a polyolefin and carbon black in an extruder device. The process includes the steps of supplying polyolefin in form of a polyolefin powder and carbon black to a mixing device; alternatively, (a) measuring the flow rate of the polyolefin powder supplied to the mixing device or (b) measuring the flow rate of the polyolefin pellets prepared in the extruder device; adjusting the flow rate of the carbon black to the mixing device in response to the measured flow rate of the polyolefin powder or adjusting the flow rate of the polyolefin powder to the mixing device in response to the measured flow rate of the polyolefin pellets; melting and homogenizing the mixture within the extruder device; and pelletizing the polyolefin composition into the polyolefin pellets.

The invention refers to a method for producing expanded polymer pellets, which comprises the following steps: melting a polymer comprising a polyamide; adding at least one blowing agent; expanding the melt through at least one die for producing an expanded polymer; and pelletizing the expanded polymer. The invention further concerns polymer pellets produced with the method as well as their use, e.g. for the production of cushioning elements for sports apparel, such as for producing soles or parts of soles of sports shoes. A further aspect of the invention concerns a method for the manufacture of molded components, comprising loading pellets of an expanded polymer material into a mold, and connecting the pellets by providing heat energy, wherein the expanded polymer material of the pellets or beads comprises a chain extender. The molded components may be used in broad ranges of application.

Expandable thermoplastic polyurethane comprising blowing agent, wherein the Shore hardness of the thermoplastic polyurethane is from A 44 to A 84.

A process for producing foamed thermoplastic polyurethane particles comprises the steps of a) melting a thermoplastic polyurethane in a first extruder (E1), b) injecting a gaseous blowing agent in a second extruder (E2), c) impregnating the gaseous blowing agent homogeneously into the thermoplastic polyurethane melt in a third extruder (E3), d) extruding the impregnated thermoplastic polyurethane melt through a die plate and granulating the melt in an underwater granulation device under temperature and pressure conditions to form foamed thermoplastic polyurethane particles.

The invention relates to a method to reduce or prevent agglomeration of polyisobutylene particles in aqueous media by LCST compounds and highly pure isobutylenes obtained thereby. The invention further relates to polyisobutylene products comprising the same or derived therefrom.

Disclosed herein is a system comprising a first pump; a pelletization system that comprises an underwater pelletizer; where the pelletization system is located downstream of the first pump and is in fluid communication with it; a direct line that is located downstream of the first pump and upstream of the pelletization system; where the direct line does not contain a pump or a heat exchanger; and a bypass line that is located downstream of the first pump and upstream of the pelletization system; where the bypass line comprises a second pump; where the first pump is operative to discharge the polymer to the pelletization system via the direct line when the polymer has a melt viscosity greater than 10.sup.5 centipoise; and where the first pump is operative to discharge the polymer to the pelletization system via the bypass line when the polymer has a melt viscosity less than 10.sup.5 centipoise.

The invention relates to a mixing and kneading machine for continuous preparation processes, such as for producing granules, extruded profiles, or molded articles, such as polymer granules, polymer extruded profiles, or polymer molded parts, having a feeding and mixing device (12) and a discharge device (14), wherein the feeding and mixing device includes a housing (18), a screw shaft (34), and a connecting element (24), wherein the connecting element is arranged at a front side of the housing and is also connected to the discharge device, wherein a hollow interior is formed in both the housing and the connecting element, and the screw shaft extends, at least sectionally, in the axial direction through the interior of the housing and, at least sectionally, in the axial direction through the interior of the connecting element, and wherein a plurality of kneading elements (40), which extend from the inner circumferential surface of the housing into the interior, are provided in the housing, and wherein kneading elements (40) are also arranged on the inner circumferential surface of the connecting element and extend into the interior of the connecting element, and the discharge device has a degassing device (26).

A nozzle arrangement for a granulator has a nozzle body with an inlet side as well as an outlet side, a nozzle plate with nozzle holes arranged on the outlet side for forming melt strands, and flow channels formed in the nozzle body and connected to the inlet side and the outlet side in a fluid-conducting manner for supplying a melt flow to a nozzle plate. An annular connection channel connects a plurality of flow channels in a fluid-conducting manner. A method for separating a melt flow into melt strands is also described.

The present invention provides a resin composition having a high level of processability, which is a resin composition including a saponified ethylene-vinyl ester-based copolymer (A), a layered inorganic compound (B), and a carbonic acid salt (C) (provided that the carbonic acid salt (C) excludes the layered inorganic compound (B)).

A method for processing a mixture of recycled polyester material and a polyester prepolymer from a polyester manufacturing process, wherein a recycled polyester material is mixed with a polyester prepolymer, from a polyester manufacturing process, and treated in a bulk thermal treatment reactor (7) with a process gas which flows in a counter-current or a cross-current flow direction to the flow direction of the mixture. In this process, the process gas, before entering a catalyst vessel (14), is passed through a protective bed (11) containing a solid adsorbent material that removes high-boiling organic substances or organic substances, with a high combustion temperature, from the process gas stream.