The present invention relates to a process for the manufacturing of composite materials from natural fibers and thermoplastic polymers. Examples of fibers are wood fibers originating from pulping processes known as refiner pulp (RMP), thermomechanical pulp (TMP) or chemi-thermomechanical pulp (CTMP), but the process can also be applied to other kinds of natural fiber containing raw materials. In the process according to the present invention, fibers are introduced from the blowline or the housing of a refiner into a flash tube dryer, separated from humid air in a cyclone, introduced into a compounder and mixed with at least one thermoplastic polymer and the product is subsequently pelletized. The process according to the present invention is advantageously run as a continuous process.

A method for preparing at least a first component of a comestible composition includes providing particles of an encapsulating ingredient having an average longest dimension of less than 1000 microns to a mixer. Particles of an active ingredient having an average longest dimension of less than 1000 microns are also provided to said mixer. A composition of said encapsulating ingredient and said active ingredient is formed.

A vertical household noodle maker includes a base, a stirring container connected to the base, a stirring rod longitudinally arranged in the stirring container, an extrusion cylinder horizontally arranged at one side below the stirring container, a spiral rod arranged in the extrusion cylinder, an extrusion die and a control unit. The stirring rod includes a rod body and a stirring blade. The motor rotates the stirring rod and the spiral rod, and a feeding inlet in communication with the extrusion cylinder is provided at a bottom of the stirring container. An inner wall of the stirring container is provided with a cutting rod, and a projection of the cutting rod at least partially overlaps with a projection of the stirring blade in the horizontal direction when the stirring blade is driven by the motor to rotate to a position of the cutting rod.

A device (1a . . . 1i) for processing thermoplastic plastic is described, comprising a storage container (2) for receiving pieces of plastic particles or a conveying line (14) for conveying the pieces of plastic particles, and a conveying screw (3) following the storage container (2)/the conveying line (14) at a transfer opening (A). The device (1a . . . 1i) also comprises an extruder (4) following the conveying screw (3) and an air outlet (7) arranged opposite the transfer opening (A) and directed at this opening. A method for operating the device (1a . . . 1i) is also described, in which an air stream is aligned with the transfer opening (A). The strength and/or the direction of the air stream is adjusted or controlled as a function of a load on the extruder (4).

Recycling devices for producing additive manufacturing filament from received materials including objects to be recycled, discarded objects, obsolete objects, and the like. A recycling device may include a material processing system an extrusion mechanism and a spooling assembly. The material processing system receives material, reduces the size of the received material via a material size reducer and actively pushes the material through at least a portion of the device. The extrusion mechanism produces filament from the material and the spooling assembly loads the filament onto a spool for later use. The spooling assembly may include detachable elements configured to interface with and supply filament to an additive manufacturing device. Depending on configuration, recycling devices may create filament from plastic, metal, in-situ material, or a combination thereof.

A wet mix elastomer composite comprising carbon black dispersed in an elastomer including a blend of a natural rubber and styrene-butadiene rubber. When the wet mix elastomer composite is processed with CTV Method 1, the vulcanized wet mix elastomer composite exhibits a resistivity that A) has a natural logarithm satisfying the equation ln(resistivity)0.1(loading)+x, where x is 14, or B) is at least 2.9 times greater than the resistivity of a vulcanized dry mix elastomer composite having the same composition and prepared using Comparative CTV Method 1.

Method for continuously preparing polypropylene pellets having reduced low-molecular weight volatile organic compounds, the method comprising the steps ofa) preheating polypropylene pellets, b) feeding the preheated polypropylene pellets of step a) to a purge vessel and maintaining the pellets in said purge vessel while directing a flow of at least 10 Nm3 purge gas per hour per m3 of polypropylene pellets (Nm3/ m.sup.3 .sub.pp.hour) through the pellets, c) removing polypropylene pellets from said purge vessel, wherein the residence time of polypropylene pellets in said purge vessel is at least 24 hours and the polypropylene pellets are maintained at a temperature Tp of from 100 to 140 C., wherein in the preheating step a) the pellets are preheated to a temperature in the range of Tp20 C. and Tp+10 C.; wherein the polypropylene pellets have a temperature<40 C. before the preheating step a)

A method for the production of granulate suitable for the production of extrusion-blow-molded hollow bodies, comprising: sorting by type, washing, and comminuting PET articles originating from a post-consumer collection of plastic packaging, removing contaminants from the PET articles, premixing PET material from various types of the sorted PET articles so that a Trouton ratio of mixed PET material at a shear rate of 50 to 200 s.sup.?1 is less than 4, drying the PET material, melting the dried PET material, pressing the PET material through a filter, dividing the PET material into individual melt streams, cooling and solidifying the melt streams in a water bath and separating the solidified melt flows into pellets, wherein the pellets have an intrinsic viscosity of 0.5 to 0.75 dl/g, crystallizing the pellets, and drying and condensing the crystallized pellets in a solid-phase polycondensation reactor until they reach an intrinsic viscosity of 1.0 to 1.7 dl/g.

A method of forming a fiber-reinforced molding compound. The method includes establishing a melt stream of a source material and dosing a composite material into the melt stream. The composite material includes carbon reinforcing fibers pre-impregnated by a polymeric material. The composite material has at least 30% of the fibers protected by the polymeric material. The method further includes forming a molding compound from the source and composite materials, dispensing the molding compound from the extruder, and using the molding compound to produce a part.

A method of forming a fiber-reinforced molding compound. The method includes establishing a melt stream of a source material including a first polymeric material and dosing a composite material into the melt stream. The composite material includes pre-impregnated reinforcing fibers and a second polymeric material. The method further includes forming a molding compound from the source and composite materials and dispensing the molding compound from the extruder. The first and second polymeric materials are different than each other to introduce a functionality into the molding compound that is not present in the second polymeric material. The method further includes using the molding compound to produce a part.