The invention relates to a method for changing the material from a feed mixture to a subsequent mixture in a feed device of an extruder, comprising the following steps: detecting a change request for changing the material, emptying a mixing area of a mixing device of the feed device, identifying the completion of the emptying of the mixing area, and filling the mixing area of the mixing device with the subsequent mixture after the completion of the emptying has been identified.

A hydroxyl-functionalized polybutadiene polyurethane hotmelt prepolymer that comprises the chemical reaction product of at least one polybutadiene diol, at least one chain extender having a hydroxyl functionality of two and a molecular weight of less than or equal to 300 g/mol and optionally at least one polybutadiene polyol that has a number-average mean functionality between greater than 2.0 and less than or equal to 3.0 with at least one aliphatic or alicyclic diisocyanate, is thermally vulcanizable, and at room temperature is sufficiently solid or high-viscosity that it can be rolled into a roll as a film applied to a carrier without flowing out or being squeezed out on the side.

Pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) compositions and methods are provided and may comprise a) at least one crosslinkable polymer constructed at least of (i) at least two monomers selected from monomer A, monomer B, and monomer C, wherein each monomer, independently of one another, comprises an olefinically unsaturated aliphatic or cycloaliphatic hydrocarbon, and (ii) at least one comonomer D comprising an olefinically unsaturated monomer having at least one carboxylic acid group and/or carboxylic anhydride group. The PSA compositions and methods may also comprise b) at least one organosilane and c) at least one tackifier resin.

A color 3D printer and its method of use are disclosed. The color 3D printer uses a number of chambers to dye a filament to a given color. This colored filament is then extruded, pursuant to an associated 3D model of an object, to produce varying colored physical objects, on demand, with the use of a single filament and a single print head. Further, the color 3D printer features a waste management apparatus which provides a number of ways to dispose of waste fluid.

A process and associated system for creating color effects in extrudable material, such as plastic and metal for example, are presented. Flows of first and second viscous materials of respective colors are provided and then combined in a predetermined pattern to form a stream of combined viscous material. In a first aspect, the flow rate of the first viscous material is caused to vary over time in order to vary an amount of the first viscous material in the stream. In a second aspect, which may be used alone or in combination with the first aspect, the first and second viscous materials have distinct viscosities to reduce an amount of color blending between the first color and the second color in the stream of combined viscous material. A static mixer may then be used to apply a predetermined dividing, overturning and combining motion to the stream of combined viscous material to partially mix the first viscous material and the second viscous material, such that upon exiting the static mixer, the first material of the first color and the second material of the second color form a color pattern in the stream of combined viscous material. Sheets of extrudable material may be created using such process and used in the manufacturing of many different products including for example kayaks and stand-up paddle boards.

A composite material and method of producing a composite material for use in fabrication, building and construction is disclosed. A composition as disclosed herein comprises a high proportion of particulate waste material dispersed in a matrix of thermoplastic polymer and wax. A method of producing a composite material comprises melt mixing thermoplastic polymer and wax with a particulate material, thereby dispersing the particulate material in a melt mixture of the composite material.

Systems and methods are provided for mixing parts of a thermoset resin during impregnation of a composite preform. One embodiment is a method that includes positioning a composite preform at a forming tool, flowing a first part of the thermoset resin into a mixing chamber at the forming tool, flowing a second part of the thermoset resin that is chemically distinct from the first part of the thermoset resin into the mixing chamber, mixing the first part and the second part to form the thermoset resin within the mixing chamber, and infusing the thermoset resin from the mixing chamber into the preform.

A method and a device for producing fibre-reinforced plastic mouldings, using coated fibre strands. For the coating of the fibre strands, an air flow of ionised air is produced and guided through a Venturi nozzle. Powder from a storage container is taken by means of a screw conveyor and supplied to the Venturi nozzle, a flow of a powder-air mixture being present or forming behind the Venturi nozzle in the direction of flow. This stream is introduced into a chamber and fibre strands that are earthed or ionised unlike the powder are passed through the chamber and through the powder-air mixture flowing through the chamber, powder particles being deposited on the fibre strands. The fibre strands guided out of the chamber therefore have a coating, and the fibre strands coated in this way are supplied to a plasticising device of an injection moulding machine or an extrusion machine.

A method and a device for introducing and/or adding non-dry-powder additive materials and/or coating materials with a liquid, solid, semi-solid, or paste-like consistency or in suspended or emulsified form, for example, peroxides, fats, waxes, IV improvers, polymers, or similar materials, to an existing lumpy or particulate material which is moved and mixed, and optionally warmed and reduced to small pieces in a receptacle and/or compressor, said material being in particular polymer particles and/or flakes, wood fibers, paper cuttings, or similar materials. According to the invention, the additive material is introduced below the level of the material and/or material particles already in the receptacle.

Even in a case of a waste plastic whose use history is unknown, blending of an additive for recycling into a recycled plastic having a desired physical property can be estimated with high accuracy. A plastic recycling supporting apparatus 100 that supports plastic recycling in which a plastic is blended with an additive and is recycled into a recycled plastic having a desired physical property includes: a physical property and deterioration estimator 140 configured to estimate, using a physical property and deterioration estimation model, a physical property and a deterioration degree of the plastic based on a texture structural feature extracted from surface analysis data of the plastic; and a blending estimator 150 configured to estimate a physical property of the recycled plastic based on the physical property and the deterioration degree of the plastic and a blending condition of the additive using a physical property recovery model.