Disclosed is a process for preparation of a propylene-based polymer composition involving the steps of: (a) mixing a propylene-based polymer and a peroxydicarbonate in a mixing device, wherein the mixing takes place at a temperature of ≤30° C., wherein the peroxydicarbonate is introduced into the mixing process in a dry form; (b) keeping the mixed composition at a temperature of ≤30° C.; (c) feeding the mixed composition into a melt extruder; (d) homogenizing the mixed composition at a temperature where the propylene-based polymer is in solid state during an average residence time of ≥6.0 and ≤30.0 seconds; (e) further homogenizing the mixed composition at a temperature at which the propylene-based polymer is in the molten state; and (f) extruding the homogenized material from a die outlet of the melt extruder followed by cooling and solidification; wherein the steps (a) through (f) are conducted in that order.

A method for the production of an elastic laminate, with the following steps in a production line: coextrudeing a first web of elastic film with at least three layers, with at least two different polymer materials, to feed contemporaneously said coextruded first elastic film web and two second nonwoven webs to a thermal, binding calender, wherein the first elastic film web is arranged between said two second nonwoven webs when entering the calender; wherein said first elastic film web, during the movement from the coextrusion step to the thermal binding step, passes from a melted state, to a solidified and cold state when entering the calender, to join, through spot welding in said calender, said second nonwoven webs with respective opposite outer layers of said first elastic film web, thus producing an intermediate web, to stretch mechanically said intermediate web according to a direction transverse to the same web.

The present invention relates to a method for continuously manufacturing UHMWPE products comprising:—providing a counter-rotating twin-screw extruder;—feeding UHMWPE powder into a hopper of said counter-rotating twin-screw extruder;—transporting said UHMWPE powder from said hopper through said counter-rotating twin-screw extruder to an outlet of said counter-rotating twin-screw extruder;—further transporting said UHMWPE powder from said outlet of said counter-rotating twin-screw extruder to an entrance of a heat-controlled tooling system for defining the shape of UHMWPE products;—withdrawing said UHMWPE products from an outlet of said heat-controlled tooling system.

Aspects of the disclosure are directed to methods and apparatus involving the extrusion of polymers or other materials. As may be implemented in accordance with various embodiments, a polymer is delivered into an inlet of a nozzle structure having the inlet and an outlet. The polymer is viscously heated and melted by rotating the nozzle structure about an axis extending through the inlet and the outlet, therein facilitating extrusion of the melted polymer through the nozzle structure outlet. A polymer supply may deliver the polymer into the nozzle structure inlet, and a coupler may facilitation rotation of the nozzle structure. A driver may further operate to control rotation of the nozzle structure relative to the coupler, for instance by generating a rotational output that causes rotation of the nozzle structure.

A vulcanizing agent is added during the processing of a polymer, and can form a crosslinking structure network in the polymer, thereby improving the mechanical properties of the material. Furthermore, the crosslinking agent can also de-crosslink the polymer material at a high temperature, and after being cooled, same can be crosslinked again to produce a network structure, thus endowing the polymer material with thermoplasticity for repeated processing.

The notched Izod impact toughness and tensile elongation of poly(lactic acid) (PLA)-homopolymers are increased by about 2 to about 4 times by blending therewith a PLA-copolymer having a difunctional flexible middle segment such as a polysiloxane or a polyether from about 0.6 wt. % to about 20 wt. %. The PLA-homopolymer-PLA-copolymer blend having a difunctional flexible polymer from about 0.5 wt. % to about 10 wt. % is thermally annealed to provide impact toughness of at least about 5 kJ/m.sup.2 and tensile elongation of greater than 12%. This exceptional improvement observed in the PLA blend is a synergistic effect of the addition of the difunctional flexible polymer of the copolymer and thermal annealing. The improvement observed in the mechanical properties with high PLA homopolymer content above about 90 to about 98 wt. % is unusual and results in an increased scope of molding and thermoforming applications. The annealed PLA-copolymers having a difunctional flexible middle segment have also been found to have improved notched Izod impact properties.

A method for producing a resin composition of the present invention is a method for producing a resin composition, the method including a step of obtaining a resin composition by heating and melt-kneading a mixture containing a particulate nucleating agent in which D.sub.50 is equal to or more than 0.1 μm and equal to or less than 300 μm and a thermoplastic resin using a twin screw extruder (100) including, inside a cylinder (10), a screw (50) having kneading discs (60), in which the step of obtaining a resin composition includes an extrusion step of extruding the mixture supplied into the twin screw extruder (100) in an ejection direction under kneading conditions in which X and Y satisfy 4.0≤X in a range of 6.0×10.sup.3≤Y≤7.0×10.sup.4 when a volume-based ejection amount is denoted by X (10.sup.−6.Math.kg.Math.h.sup.−1.Math.mm.sup.−3), and a strain rate is denoted by Y (min.sup.−1).

A biaxially-oriented film for thermoforming is disclosed including at least 75% by weight polyethylene and at least 95% by weight polyolefins, based on the total mass of the film. The polyethylene has an elongation at break of at least 7 in the stress-strain diagram, wherein the stress-strain diagram is measured at a temperature of 10° C. below the melting point of the polyethylene and the melting point is determined by differential scanning calorimetry using a heating rate of 10° C. per minute. A process for producing such films and to the use thereof are disclosed. A process for producing shaped bodies from such films and to the shaped bodies themselves are disclosed.

A microporous membrane wipe and a method of using such microporous membrane wipe are disclosed. The microporous membrane wipe may be uniaxially or biaxially oriented microporous membrane. The uniaxially or biaxially oriented microporous membrane may be made from one or more block and/or impact copolymers of polyethylene and/or polypropylene. A method of using such a microporous membrane wipe for skin oil blotting is also disclosed. Further disclosed is a method of using such a microporous membrane wipe for cleaning a surface for the removal of fingerprints, smudges and the like, where such surfaces may include, for example, eyeglasses, electronics, cell phones, displays, optical devices, camera lenses, microscope lenses and other precision optics, and/or the like.

An extrusion apparatus includes a diagnostic system with a material processing section and an extruder screw disposed for rotation in a barrel and surrounded by a shroud assembly. The apparatus includes a temperature control system with heater sand cooler. The apparatus includes a speed control apparatus that has a drive unit and a speed variation device that is coupled to the extruder screw. The apparatus includes a diagnostic system in communication with the material processing section and/or the speed control apparatus. The diagnostic system includes a sensor system in communication with the material processing section and/or the speed control apparatus; and a computer processor in communication with the sensor system and a computer. The computer processor includes a computer readable medium that employs one or more algorithms and that are executable by the computer to generate signals characterizing performance of the material processing section and/or the speed control apparatus.