Provided is a dust stop device for a sealed kneader, the device being capable of excellent supply of lubricating oil. The sealed kneader includes a pair of rotors and a supporting member. The dust stop device includes a rotating ring attached to each rotor and a stationary ring attached to the supporting member. Both the rings have respective contact surfaces which make surface contact with each other. The stationary ring has a lubricating-oil supply portion with a through-hole. A part of the through-hole, the part including a part opened in the contact surface, is a long hole extending along a circumferential direction of rotation of the rotating ring.

A method for manufacturing a rubber composition includes kneading a rubber component, an inorganic filler and a thioester-based silane coupling agent, and adding a vulcanizing agent and one or more compounds selected from the group of an imide compound and an N-oxyl compound to a mixture of the rubber component, the inorganic filler, and the thioester-based silane coupling agent such that the vulcanizing agent and the imide compound and/or the N-oxyl compound are kneaded with the mixture including the rubber component, the inorganic filler, and the thioester-based silane coupling agent.

Provided is a method for producing an electrode paste capable of readily and reliably removing bubbles from the produced electrode paste. A method includes a step for performing vacuum-defoaming of bubbles present in an electrode paste (8) by vacuuming the inside of a defoaming tank (6) while introducing the electrode paste (8) to the defoaming tank (6). In the step for performing vacuum-defoaming of bubbles present in an electrode paste (8), a rising velocity (fluid surface rising velocity VL) of the fluid surface of the electrode paste (8) in the defoaming tank (6) is made smaller than a rising velocity (reference bubble rising velocity VGa) of the bubbles in the electrode paste (8) by adjusting a flow rate (supply flow rate Q) of the electrode paste (8) introduced to the defoaming tank (6).

Provided is a method for producing an electrode paste capable of readily and reliably removing bubbles from the produced electrode paste. A method includes a step for performing vacuum-defoaming of bubbles present in an electrode paste (8) by vacuuming the inside of a defoaming tank (6) while introducing the electrode paste (8) to the defoaming tank (6). In the step for performing vacuum-defoaming of bubbles present in an electrode paste (8), a rising velocity (fluid surface rising velocity VL) of the fluid surface of the electrode paste (8) in the defoaming tank (6) is made smaller than a rising velocity (reference bubble rising velocity VGa) of the bubbles in the electrode paste (8) by adjusting a flow rate (supply flow rate Q) of the electrode paste (8) introduced to the defoaming tank (6).

A kneader includes a kneader main body including a casing including a kneading chamber and a kneading portion that is disposed in the casing and kneads a material in the kneading chamber. The material supplied to the kneading chamber includes a resin material, an inorganic additive added to the resin material, and a coupling agent for enhancing affinity of the inorganic additive for the resin material. The kneader further includes a kneading monitoring portion that monitors a kneading state of the material by detecting a reaction product that is generated by a reaction between the coupling agent and the inorganic additive.

A mixing and extrusion machine (10) for the manufacture of rubber mixtures includes a mixer with a converging conical twin-screw (12) with a fixed frame (14) that supports sleeves (16). Two screws (18), being mounted at an angle, are mounted in the mixer (12) in such a way as to move in translational movement between an opening (22) arranged upstream and an outlet (25) arranged downstream of the sleeves. The screws are mounted in the sleeves with removable doors including sliding shutters (40) installed relative to the outlet (25). The sliding shutters move linearly between a closed position, in which the sliding shutters prevent the mixer from discharging the mixture, and an open position, in which the sliding shutters prevent discharge of the mixture through the sides of two counter-rotating rollers (32) of a roller nose type system located just downstream of the outlet.

A kneading state determination system includes a kneading unit and a determination unit. The kneading unit kneads a kneading material, and transmits a kneading state value indicating a kneading state to the determination unit. Based on the kneading state value transmitted from the kneading unit, the determination unit determines kneading of the kneading material in the kneading unit in accordance with a preset determination condition. The determination condition includes a determination period and a state value range. The state value range is set as a range for the kneading state value. The determination period is a partial period of a period from start to completion of the kneading in the kneading unit.

A kneading state determination system includes a kneading unit and a determination unit. The kneading unit kneads a kneading material, and transmits a kneading state value indicating a kneading state to the determination unit. Based on the kneading state value transmitted from the kneading unit, the determination unit determines kneading of the kneading material in the kneading unit in accordance with a preset determination condition. The determination condition includes a determination period and a state value range. The state value range is set as a range for the kneading state value. The determination period is a partial period of a period from start to completion of the kneading in the kneading unit.

A sealed kneading machine includes a kneading chamber to which a material to be kneaded is supplied, and a rotor disposed in the kneading chamber to be able to rotate about a rotor shaft. The rotor includes a plurality of kneading blades for kneading the material to be kneaded, and the length of all the kneading blades in the rotor shaft direction of each thereof is 45% or less of the total length of the rotor in the rotor shaft direction.

The invention is directed to an apparatus for making a finished rubber mixture which includes a reactive additive. The apparatus includes a tandem mixer with an upper machine having an upper mixing chamber and a lower machine having a lower mixing chamber. The lower mixing chamber is larger than the upper mixing chamber and there are rotors disposed in each mixing chamber. Mixture components are introduced into the lower mixing chamber via a loading shaft of a loading unit. The loading unit has at least two metering devices, a cutting or preheating unit connected upstream of a metering device and a first conveyor belt to the loading shaft. All conveyor belts of the apparatus can be switched on and off automatically, such that mixture components weighed in can be held in a wait position thereon.