Methods have been discovered that make it possible to continuously extrude tubes of P4HB and copolymers thereof. These methods allow tubes of P4HB and copolymers thereof to be produced without radial deformation of the tubes despite the slow crystallization of the polymer and copolymers. The methods can produce tubes of P4HB and copolymers thereof with tightly defined outside and inside diameters which are required for medical application. These tubes are produced by radial expansion at temperatures above the melting temperature of P4HB and copolymers thereof, and using low tube cooling temperatures and prolonged cooling times. The tubes made from P4HB and copolymers thereof are flexible, and can be prepared with high elongation to break values.

A plasticizing device includes a drive motor, a rotor that is rotated by the drive motor and has a groove formed face with a groove formed therein, a barrel that is opposed to the groove formed face and has a communication hole, a heating portion that heats a material in a pellet form supplied between the groove and the barrel, and a control unit that controls the drive motor and the heating portion so as to plasticize the material supplied between the groove and the barrel and cause the material to flow out from the communication hole. The heating portion has a first heating portion and a second heating portion disposed closer to the communication hole than the first heating portion, and the barrel has a first region and a second region that is closer to the communication hole than the first region. The control unit individually controls the first heating portion and the second heating portion so that a temperature of the second region is higher than a temperature of the first region.

The invention relates to a process for removal of volatile components from an olefin polymer, the process carried out in an extruder comprising at least one vacuum degassing zone, said process comprising the steps of: (a) introducing a stream of an olefin polymer into the extruder; (b) extruding the olefin polymer in the extruder at a temperature which is higher than the melting temperature of the olefin polymer but lower than the decomposition temperature of the olefin polymer, thereby producing an olefin polymer melt having reduced amount of volatile components, wherein the process in the extruder has a residence time distribution broadness (σ2) in the range of 800 to 4000 as define by equation (1) wherein: σ2 is the residence time distribution broadness, T is the mean residence time, t is the interval of residence time a fluid element of the olefin polymer spends in the extruder, E(t) is the residence time distribution function, and wherein the process optionally comprises a step (c) where the melt of the olefin polymer is passed through a die zone to a pelletizer for pelletizing the obtained olefin polymer.

σ.sup.2=∫.sub.0.sup.∞(t−τ).sup.2E(t)dt   equation (1)

Liquid mixing processes are provided for producing an elastomeric composition as a function of a selected elastomeric composition recipe. A system (10) is also provided for the production of an elastomeric composition according to the disclosed liquid mixing processes.

Disclosed are embodiments of a three-dimensional (3D) printer for building 3D objects with layer based, additive manufacturing techniques. The hot end can be moved in a horizontal plane parallel a planar printing surface of the printing bed while the printing bed can be moved perpendicular to the planar printing surface to print a 3D object. The hot end can be part of an extrusion guide assembly. The 3D printer can auto-level the printing bed.

A hopper charged with a powder material, a screw arranged below the hopper and exposed at a supply port formed at the bottom of the hopper, and a rolling element in contact with the screw at the supply port are provided. The rolling element is larger than a space between end portions of the supply port and a screw groove of the screw.

The present invention provides a foam diffuser plate, including a foam core layer, the upper surface and the lower surface of the foam core layer are covered with a protective layer, and the thickness ratio of the foam core layer to the upper and lower surfaces of the protective layer is 1:7-9:1. The mass percentage of each raw material of the protective layer is PS raw material 90-99%, stabilizer 0.01-1%, organosilicon 0.1-3%, inorganic diffusing agent 0.1-3%, diffusing oil 0.1-3%, styrene-butadiene copolymer 0.1-2%, and magnesium silicate mineral 0.1-6%. The mass percentage of each raw material of the foam core layer is GPPS raw material 95-99%, antioxidant 0.3-0.6%, silicone diffusing agent 0.6-1%, foaming agent 0.5-2%, anti-UV agent 0.3-0.6%, toughening agent 0.5-2%, stabilizer 0.3-0.6%, and nucleating agent 1-5%. A manufacturing method of the foam diffuser plate is provided in the present invention as well.

A process for producing a substantially dry product, according to various embodiments, may include receiving wet grain at a first screw The process includes receiving the wet grain at a second screw from the first screw. The process includes compressing the wet grain between the first screw and the second screw and dehydrating the wet grain when the wet grain is located within at least one zone of the first screw and the second screw to cause a physical property change to the wet grain.

A method of extruding filament comprises the steps of cutting a bulk source material into pieces having size S.sub.1, performing a first extrusion pass comprising the steps of melting the pieces in an extruding device at a temperature T.sub.1 and extruding a first filament at an extrusion speed V.sub.1, and performing at least one additional extrusion pass k comprising the steps of cutting the first filament into pieces having size S.sub.k, melting the pieces in an extruding device at temperature T.sub.k, and extruding a final filament at an extrusion speed V.sub.k. A system for extruding filament is also described.

A consolidation system configured to consolidate a bulk molding compound, the apparatus comprises a barrel, a low compression first stage within the barrel, a high compression second stage within the barrel coupled with the low compression first stage, a die breaker coupled to the high compression second stage, and an extrusion die coupled to the die breaker. The low compression first stage includes a low compression screw for mixing and compressing a bulk molding compound comprising a resin and fillers. The high compression second stage includes a high compression screw for compressing the bulk molding compound into a compressed material. The die breaker comprises at least one of a plurality of holes or a plurality of slots.