A rubber extrusion device includes a sensor which detects a deviation from a preset reference position of a rubber extrudate extruded from an extrusion port. Based on this detection data, a control unit provides control for correction of the deviation by adjusting a position of a die relative to a head along a leading end surface of the head or a rotational speed of a screw. A rubber material is mixed and kneaded while being extruded forward by a screw installed inside a cylinder. Resultant unvulcanized rubber is fed into an extrusion flow path and extruded from the extrusion port formed in the die.

A powdery-material mixing degree measurement device includes a supplier configured to be fed with a mixed-powdery materials, a discharger configured to discharge to feed, with the mixed-powdery materials, a filling device configured to fill a die bore of the compression-molding machine with a powdery material, a rotator including a plurality of movable portions and configured to capture the mixed-powdery materials fed through the supplier and to transfer the mixed-powdery materials to the discharger a first sensor configured to measure a mixing degree of the mixed-powdery materials captured by the movable portions of the rotator, a second sensor configured to detect whether or not the mixed-powdery materials in the supplier have an upper surface level kept within a constant target range, and a controller configured to adjust rotational speed of the rotator such that the upper surface level of the mixed-powdery materials in the supplier is kept within the constant target range.

The present disclosure provides poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) microparticles with a Dv50 of about 20 μm to about 30 mm and a specific surface area (SSA) of at least about 3.0 m.sup.2/g when measured by a multipoint BET method of ISO 9277. Such PTFE microparticles can be obtained via a method including thermomechanically degrading scrap PTFE in the presence of air and/or oxygen and reducing the particle size of the resultant degraded PTFE.

A mixing and cooling system (1) includes a mixing and screw-extrusion machine (10) with a mixer (12) having a converging conical twin screw; a ram (30) that moves along the inside of an introduction hopper (24) of the machine; a roller nose system disposed just downstream of an outlet (25) of the mixer to form a sheet (112) of the mixture exiting the mixer; and a mobile sleeve or sleeves (34) that move in a linear movement relative to the outlet. The system also includes a cooling system with a spray installation(s) (102, 104) that delivers water at a predetermined rate to the sheet exiting the machine; a suction installation(s) proportionate to each spray installation; and at least one transport means (114, 116) that transports the sheet in a predetermined direction.

A molded article of a composite resin containing fibers includes a base resin 1 and a fibrous filler 2 having fibrillated ends in a fiber length direction. An expression Ho × 0.4 ≤ H ≤ Ho is satisfied where H is a maximum height for an unbroken first plate-like test piece having a thickness of 1 to 2 mm after the test piece is kept at -10° C. for three hours and then is hit by a dropped weight of 250 g; and Ho is as same maximum height for the unbroken second plate-like test piece only made of the base resin with a thickness of 1 to 2 mm as for the first plate-like test piece. An expression So × 0.4 ≤ s ≤ So is satisfied where S is a Charpy impact strength (JIS K 7111) of the molded article, and So is a Charpy impact strength of the molded article only made of the base resin.

A mixing and extrusion machine (10) has a converging conical twin-screw mixer (12) with a fixed frame (14) that supports sleeves (16) in which two screws (18) are mounted at an angle between an opening (22) arranged upstream of the sleeves, where an introduction hopper (24) of the machine (10) feeds the screws, and an outlet (25) arranged downstream of the sleeves, where the mixer discharges the mixture at the end of a mixing cycle. At least one mobile sleeve (34) is disposed towards the outlet, each mobile sleeve with a support surface (34a) of a predetermined surface area (34a) according to an elasticity of the mixture, and each mobile sleeve having one or more mobile elements that move by a linear movement with respect to the outlet in order to adjust a predetermined space between the sleeves and the screws.

A process and associated system for creating color effects using 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. A dynamic mixer is the then 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 dynamic 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. The dynamic mixer has elements configured for acquiring a specific radial orientation in a range of radial orientations that may be varied during the application of the dividing, overturning and combining motion to the stream of combined viscous material to cause variations in the color pattern in the stream of combined viscous material. Sheets of extruded material may be created using such process and system and used in the manufacturing of many different products including, but not limited to, kayaks, stand-up paddle boards, garden furniture and many others. In some embodiments, the sheets may be characterized by color bands extending diagonally with reference to a longitudinal extent of the sheet.

In one aspect, the invention provides a substantially exfoliated nanocomposite material including starch and hydrophobically modified layered silicate clay. In another aspect, the invention provides packaging made from material including the substantially exfoliated nanocomposite material described above. The nanocomposite material has improved mechanical and rheological properties and reduced sensitivity to moisture in that the rates of moisture update and/or loss are reduced. In another aspect, the invention provides a process for preparing the substantially exfoliated nanocomposite material described above, including a step of mixing the starch in the form of an aqueous gel with the hydrophobic clay in a melt mixing device. In a further aspect, the invention provides a process for preparing the substantially exfoliated nanocomposite material, including the steps of mixing the starch with the hydrophobic clay to form a masterbatch (hereinafter “the masterbatch process”) and mixing the masterbatch with further starch.

A positive displacement pump for an additive manufacture application includes a motor having a rotatable output shaft, at least one rotatable gear or rotatable screw that is attached to the output shaft of the motor, and a passage defined downstream of said at least one rotatable gear or rotatable screw. The gear or screw is configured to receive material, and expel the material out of the pump at a flow rate proportional to a rotation rate of the output shaft of the motor and at a constant flow rate for a fixed rotation rate of the output shaft regardless of changes in system pressure.

A composite and method for producing the composite by incorporating wood or wood pulp fibres with a suitable thermoplastic polymer and coupling agent are described. Homogeneous, void-free transparent/translucent thermoplastic materials in the form of pellets, films or three-dimensional moldable products are produced. The wood pulp fibres can be discrete natural fibres, and flexible assemblies of nano to micro elements, e.g., assemblies of aggregated carbon nanotubes. It is also possible to use our vacuum-assisted co-extrusion process to produce hybrid composites comprising the wood pulp fibre and a further rigid fibre, like glass or carbon fibres, and a flexible fibre or fibrillar network, like cellulose fibres or cellulose filaments. The thermoplastic resin can be, but not limited to, polyolefins, like polypropylene or polyethylene, or polyesters, like polylactic acid, or co-polymers, like acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene terpolymer.