Compositions and methods for making biodegradable plastic products are provided. The compositions include a destabilizing agent that makes the finished plastic biodegradable. The compositions also can include an oil-based carrier, such as cottonseed oil, that allows the biodegrading agent to be metered into a continuous plastic manufacturing process. The compositions further can include an additive that allows the biodegrading additive to combine with the carrier; an optical brightener to improve the appearance of the finished plastic product, and to indicate the presence of the composition in the finished product; and a pigment, so that the composition can act as a liquid coloring agent.

Compositions and methods for making biodegradable plastic products are provided. The compositions include a destabilizing agent that makes the finished plastic biodegradable. The compositions also can include an oil-based carrier, such as cottonseed oil, that allows the biodegrading agent to be metered into a continuous plastic manufacturing process. The compositions further can include an additive that allows the biodegrading additive to combine with the carrier; an optical brightener to improve the appearance of the finished plastic product, and to indicate the presence of the composition in the finished product; and a pigment, so that the composition can act as a liquid coloring agent.

A screw machine includes an inductive heating device for processing of material to be processed. The inductive heating device is used to heat the material in a heating zone. In the heating zone, at least one housing portion is made of an electromagnetically transparent material at least partly, the material being non-magnetic and electrically non-conductive, whereas at least one treatment element shaft is made of an electrically conductive material at least partly. The inductive heating device includes at least one coil formed integrally with a component of the at least one housing portion, in particular in such a way as to form a hybrid component. During the processing of the material, the inductive heating device generates an alternating magnetic field that produces eddy current losses in the at least one treatment element shaft, the eddy current losses leading to a temperature increase of the at least one treatment element shaft.

The extruder screw comprises a screw body (2) coated by an external functionalization coating (4), and also at least partially coated by a wear detection-quantification coating (5) arranged between the external surface (3) of the screw body (2) and the external functionalization coating (4), and detectable with respect to the external functionalization coating (4).

A method of preparing fiber includes blending bio-compatible ceramic powder and first polyester to form a ceramic powder composition, wherein the bio-compatible ceramic powder and the first polyester have a weight ratio of 10:90 to 60:40. The method further includes blending the ceramic powder composition and second polyester to form a composite material, wherein the ceramic powder composition and the second polyester have a weight ratio of 0.4:99.6 to 40:60. The method also spins the composite material to form a fiber. The first polyester has an intrinsic viscosity (IV) of 0.35 dL/g to 0.55 dL/g, and the second polyester has an intrinsic viscosity (IV) of 0.6 dL/g to 0.8 g/dL. The fiber can be woven to form an artificial ligament/tendon.

Described herein is a liquid injector for a barrel extruder as well as methods and processes of manufacturing irradiation crosslinked polypropylene foam. In some embodiments, this includes a liquid injection barrel element that is incorporated in an extruder barrel that includes at least one injection port, a temperature sensor well, and cooling channels.

Described herein is a liquid injector for a barrel extruder as well as methods and processes of manufacturing irradiation crosslinked polypropylene foam. In some embodiments, this includes a liquid injection barrel element that is incorporated in an extruder barrel that includes at least one injection port, a temperature sensor well, and cooling channels.

A system according to various embodiments can include a source for supplying a material to be treated, an extruder, at least two screws, and a drive coupled to the screws for axially rotating the screws. The extruder includes an inlet for receiving the material, which is fed therein in a controlled manner. The screws are provided within the housing of the extruder. The screws have a plurality of compression and release stages that create mechanical heat which is directly applied to the material to change the mechanical properties of the material thereby facilitating a conversion of a physical state of the material from a non-compactable state to a compactable state as the screws rotate and move the material longitudinally along the screws to produce a final product, for example, a feed tub for use as an animal feed.

A system according to various embodiments can include a source for supplying a material to be treated, an extruder, at least two screws, and a drive coupled to the screws for axially rotating the screws. The extruder includes an inlet for receiving the material, which is fed therein in a controlled manner. The screws are provided within the housing of the extruder. The screws have a plurality of compression and release stages that create mechanical heat which is directly applied to the material to change the mechanical properties of the material thereby facilitating a conversion of a physical state of the material from a non-compactable state to a compactable state as the screws rotate and move the material longitudinally along the screws to produce a final product, for example, a feed tub for use as an animal feed.

A multiple screw extruder (50) combines application of vacuum to a vacuum vent (62) positioned between material feed locations (70, 72) of the extruder and use of specially configured extruder screws (58) to extract gases, primarily air, out of the extruder to densify the materials introduced into it and to extract unwanted fluid from material introduced for mixture with molten polymeric material flowing through the extruder. The multiple screw extruder is operationally versatile in that it is capable of carrying out the material densification and fluid extraction processes either separately or simultaneously. Implementation of the disclosed vacuum feed technology provides an increase in rate of extrudate throughput as compared with that achievable by implementation of atmospheric venting (16) in a conventionally configured extruder (10a, 10b).