A method of manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament from recycled polymer. In various embodiments, the method includes: (1) reducing recycled polymer material into polymer flakes; (2) cleansing the polymer flakes; (3) melting the flakes into a polymer melt; (4) removing water and contaminants from the polymer melt by dividing the polymer melt into a plurality of polymer streams and exposing those streams to pressures below 25 millibars or another predetermined pressure; (5) recombining the streams; and (6) using the resulting purified polymer to produce bulked continuous carpet filament.

A method of manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament from recycled polymer. In various embodiments, the method includes: (1) reducing recycled polymer material into polymer flakes; (2) cleansing the polymer flakes; (3) melting the flakes into a polymer melt; (4) removing water and contaminants from the polymer melt by dividing the polymer melt into a plurality of polymer streams and exposing those streams to pressures below 25 millibars or another predetermined pressure; (5) recombining the streams; and (6) using the resulting purified polymer to produce bulked continuous carpet filament.

Disclosed herein is a tandem foaming extruder having an improved throughput rate. The tandem foaming extruder can reduce frictional force against the resin melt and control pressure drop in the cross pipe by forming the low friction coating layer with constant thickness on the inner surface of the cross pipe, which connects the first extruder and the second extruder with each other, thereby increasing the throughput rate per unit time by 10% to 40% compared with conventional tandem foaming extruders for thermosoftening plastics like polystyrene or Nylon resin.

The application relates to a plasticizing unit with a cylinder and a screw that is rotatably mounted in the cylinder and has a screw section which is designed as a shearing section and in which a blocking web encircling the screw core in a helical manner and a main screw thread enclosed by the blocking web are provided. A shearing web runs in the main screw thread parallel to the blocking web at a lower height than the blocking web. In this manner, two screw threads are produced which run parallel to each other and are separated by the shearing web. The threads are designed in the form of wave screw threads. Each wave screw thread is equipped with one or more wave peaks with a surface which is designed in the form of a plateau and forms a wave peak shearing surface, wherein the wave peak shearing surface is located at the same height as the surface of the shearing web in the region. The shearing web surface section which lies in the region of a wave peak shearing surface constitutes a shearing web sharing surface. A wave peak shearing surface and a shearing web shearing surface together form a total shearing surface. A specified total shearing surface together with the inner wall of the cylinder forms a shearing gap in accordance with a shearing gap size specified for the total shearing surface.

The application relates to a plasticizing unit with a cylinder and a screw that is rotatably mounted in the cylinder and has a screw section which is designed as a shearing section and in which a blocking web encircling the screw core in a helical manner and a main screw thread enclosed by the blocking web are provided. A shearing web runs in the main screw thread parallel to the blocking web at a lower height than the blocking web. In this manner, two screw threads are produced which run parallel to each other and are separated by the shearing web. The threads are designed in the form of wave screw threads. Each wave screw thread is equipped with one or more wave peaks with a surface which is designed in the form of a plateau and forms a wave peak shearing surface, wherein the wave peak shearing surface is located at the same height as the surface of the shearing web in the region. The shearing web surface section which lies in the region of a wave peak shearing surface constitutes a shearing web sharing surface. A wave peak shearing surface and a shearing web shearing surface together form a total shearing surface. A specified total shearing surface together with the inner wall of the cylinder forms a shearing gap in accordance with a shearing gap size specified for the total shearing surface.

A process for producing a polypropylene composition using a compounding extruder includes a) a melting section having a first elongated cylindrical tube with a first inlet port to receive a propylene-based polymer and additives containing an elastomer of ethylene and α-olefin comonomer having 4 to 8 carbon atoms and a first outlet port to discharge a first melt composition containing a melt of the propylene-based polymer and the additives and a first screw arranged in the first elongated cylindrical tube, convey the propylene-based polymer and the additives to the first outlet port, and a mixing section including a second elongated cylindrical tube having a second inlet port to receive the first melt composition, and a second outlet port to discharge a second melt composition containing the first melt composition and the optional further component and a second screw arranged in the second elongated cylindrical tube to convey the first melt composition to the second outlet, wherein the first screw and the second screw areoperable at different screw speeds. The process includes: A) feeding the propylene-based polymer and the additives to the first inlet and discharging the first melt composition from the first outlet, wherein the first screw is operated at a first screw speed and B) feeding the first melt composition from the first outlet to the second inlet, and discharging the second melt composition from the second outlet, wherein the second screw is operated at a second screw speed smaller than the first screw speed.

A process for producing a polypropylene composition using a compounding extruder includes a) a melting section having a first elongated cylindrical tube with a first inlet port to receive a propylene-based polymer and additives containing an elastomer of ethylene and α-olefin comonomer having 4 to 8 carbon atoms and a first outlet port to discharge a first melt composition containing a melt of the propylene-based polymer and the additives and a first screw arranged in the first elongated cylindrical tube, convey the propylene-based polymer and the additives to the first outlet port, and a mixing section including a second elongated cylindrical tube having a second inlet port to receive the first melt composition, and a second outlet port to discharge a second melt composition containing the first melt composition and the optional further component and a second screw arranged in the second elongated cylindrical tube to convey the first melt composition to the second outlet, wherein the first screw and the second screw areoperable at different screw speeds. The process includes: A) feeding the propylene-based polymer and the additives to the first inlet and discharging the first melt composition from the first outlet, wherein the first screw is operated at a first screw speed and B) feeding the first melt composition from the first outlet to the second inlet, and discharging the second melt composition from the second outlet, wherein the second screw is operated at a second screw speed smaller than the first screw speed.

A resin foam production apparatus is provided including: a metal mold including a foaming part and a discharge part; and an extruder configured to feed a resin foamable composition into the metal mold to cause the resin foamable composition to pass through the discharge part. The resin foamable composition comprises at least one type of resin. A ratio of resin pressure Cp2 at the foaming part of the metal mold relative to resin pressure Cp1 generated by the extruder is 0.3 or more.

A resin foam production apparatus is provided including: a metal mold including a foaming part and a discharge part; and an extruder configured to feed a resin foamable composition into the metal mold to cause the resin foamable composition to pass through the discharge part. The resin foamable composition comprises at least one type of resin. A ratio of resin pressure Cp2 at the foaming part of the metal mold relative to resin pressure Cp1 generated by the extruder is 0.3 or more.

A kneading method includes conveying a raw material along a conveyance path; and increasing the raw material in pressure by restricting a conveyer from conveying the raw material by a barrier, causing the raw material with an increased pressure to flow into a passage from an inlet located at the conveyer, circulating the raw material having flowed into the passage to an outlet in the same direction as the conveying direction of the conveyer, and causing the raw material having circulated in the passage to flow out from the outlet to the outer circumference of a screw body. The raw material includes a polypropylene-based resin composition containing polypropylene and olefin rubber.