A kneading device uniformly kneads materials to be kneaded while efficiently and quickly kneading the materials to be kneaded. A kneading device includes a kneading chamber accommodating materials to be kneaded and a pair of rotors. The pair of rotors is rotated in the kneading chamber and kneads the materials to be kneaded by a plurality of kneading blades. The plurality of kneading blades in each rotor is composed only of inclined blades inclined to the same direction in a rotational direction of the rotor with respect to an axial direction of the rotor when the rotor is developed into a planar state. The rotor has bent blades which are bent at bent portions to change tilt angles with respect to the axial direction of the rotor in the plurality of kneading blades.

A polymer processing system includes a mixer. The mixer includes at least one side wall and a bottom wall that cooperate to define a chamber. At least one side wall also defines a bore. The mixer also includes a pair of rotors that are disposed in the chamber and are rotatably received by the at least one side wall for mixing polymers. The mixer also includes at least one injector that at least partially extends through the bore of the at least one side wall. The polymer processing system also includes a ram that is movably connected to the mixer. The polymer processing system also includes a compressed air supply that is fluidly connected to the at least one injector to supply compressed air to the chamber through the at least one injector.

In production of electrode paste, powder and solvent are separately injected into a hollow exterior component, the powder and the solvent are transferred to a downstream side in a transfer direction by rotation of two rotary shafts supported by the exterior component in a state where the rotary shafts are located parallel to each other at a predetermined interval, a mixture is produced by mixing the powder and the solvent by rotation of the rotary shafts without applying a shearing force, which is higher than or equal to a predetermined shearing force, to the powder, and producing electrode paste by kneading the mixture through application of a shearing force, which is higher than the shearing force that is applied in the mixing step, to the mixture through rotation of the rotary shafts.

In production of electrode paste, powder and solvent are separately injected into a hollow exterior component, the powder and the solvent are transferred to a downstream side in a transfer direction by rotation of two rotary shafts supported by the exterior component in a state where the rotary shafts are located parallel to each other at a predetermined interval, a mixture is produced by mixing the powder and the solvent by rotation of the rotary shafts without applying a shearing force, which is higher than or equal to a predetermined shearing force, to the powder, and producing electrode paste by kneading the mixture through application of a shearing force, which is higher than the shearing force that is applied in the mixing step, to the mixture through rotation of the rotary shafts.

This rotor for kneading includes a rotor shaft (27) having a tubular shape; a blade part (22) that is provided on an outer peripheral surface of the rotor shaft (27); and a filling body (36) that is provided in a recessed part (28) formed inside the blade part (22) and made from a material having a higher thermal conductivity than a material from which the rotor shaft (27) and the blade part (22) are made.

In the field of mixing rubber mixtures, a rotor (100), for use in an internal mixer having a mixing vessel in which the rotor rotates, includes one or more blades (104), each blade having a tip (104a) with a profile having a predefined curvature and an anti-wear device detachably fixed to the tip (104a) of at least one blade. The anti-wear device includes a plate (110) with a profile defined by a lower surface (112) with a curvature complementary to that of the tip (104a) and an upper surface (114) with a curvature complementary to that of a wall of the vessel to define, between them, a zone of minimum distance that allows a passage of the mixture between the plate (110) and the wall of the vessel. One or more fastening systems (135) are fitted and tightened with respect to the plate (110) so as to engage the rotor (100).

A method for producing a powder comprising at least one polymer for use in a method for the additive manufacture of a three-dimensional object is described. The method includes the step of mechanically treating the powder in a mixer with at least one rotating mixing blade, wherein the powder is exposed to a temperature T.sub.B and T.sub.B is at least 30 C. and is below the melting point T.sub.m of the polymer (determined according to DIN EN ISO 11357) if the polymer is a semi-crystalline polymer, or wherein T.sub.B is at least 30 C. and wherein T.sub.B is at most 50 C. above the glass transition temperature T.sub.g of the polymer (determined according to DIN EN ISO 11357) if the polymer is a melt-amorphous polymer. Compared to a time before the start of the treatment, it may be achieved that after the treatment, the bulk density of the powder is increased by at least 10% (or in the case of polymer, copolymer or polymer blend of polyamide at least 2% and more) and the BET surface area is decreased by at least 10%, and optionally also the pourability is improved by at least 10%.

A method for producing a powder comprising at least one polymer for use in a method for the additive manufacture of a three-dimensional object is described. The method includes the step of mechanically treating the powder in a mixer with at least one rotating mixing blade, wherein the powder is exposed to a temperature T.sub.B and T.sub.B is at least 30 C. and is below the melting point T.sub.m of the polymer (determined according to DIN EN ISO 11357) if the polymer is a semi-crystalline polymer, or wherein T.sub.B is at least 30 C. and wherein T.sub.B is at most 50 C. above the glass transition temperature T.sub.g of the polymer (determined according to DIN EN ISO 11357) if the polymer is a melt-amorphous polymer. Compared to a time before the start of the treatment, it may be achieved that after the treatment, the bulk density of the powder is increased by at least 10% (or in the case of polymer, copolymer or polymer blend of polyamide at least 2% and more) and the BET surface area is decreased by at least 10%, and optionally also the pourability is improved by at least 10%.

A production line (200) for performing multi-pass mixing sequences of rubber mixtures has at least one first mixing line (200A) that produces a masterbatch and at least one second line (200B) that performs a final mixing process during a final pass of a multi-pass rubber mixing sequence. A mixing process produces a variety of rubber mixtures in a production line of the type disclosed.

A rubber composition manufacturing method comprising an operation in which an intermeshing internal kneader is used to knead at least rubber, silica, and silane coupling agent, wherein the operation comprises a first step in which kneading which is accompanied by increase in kneading temperature is carried out during an initial phase of the operation; kneading is carried out during the first step while a ram is maintained in a state in which it is at a first position which is higher than a lowermost position within a range of movement of which the ram is capable; and during the first step, an effective volume when the ram is at the first position is 105% to 120% relative to a value of 100% for an effective volume when the ram is at the lowermost position.