A no solid bed extruder screw for processing a material to a molten state has a body with a helical thread formed thereon, the thread having pushing and trailing surfaces. The body has an outer surface and extends longitudinally between feed and discharge ends. A channel for receiving the material to be processed is defined between the outer surface of the body and an outer diameter of the thread bounded by the pushing surface and the trailing surface of the thread. A volume of the channel decreases in a plurality of revolutions of the thread in a direction from the feed end to the discharge end. A channel depth between the pushing surface and the trailing surface decreases for a first portion of the channel toward the feed end and increases for a second portion of the channel toward the discharge end.

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.

A no solid bed extruder screw for processing a material to a molten state has a body with a helical thread formed thereon, the thread having pushing and trailing surfaces. The body has an outer surface and extends longitudinally between feed and discharge ends. A channel for receiving the material to be processed is defined between the outer surface of the body and an outer diameter of the thread bounded by the pushing surface and the trailing surface of the thread. A volume of the channel decreases in a plurality of revolutions of the thread in a direction from the feed end to the discharge end. A channel depth between the pushing surface and the trailing surface decreases for a first portion of the channel toward the feed end and increases for a second portion of the channel toward the discharge end.

A high altitude balloon. A plurality of layers of coextruded extrudate are formed in a seamless sheet in a shape that defines a balloon envelope. Delaminator layers may be interposed between two or more of the layers of extrudate.

High thermal transfer, hollow core extrusion screws (50, 52, 124, 126, 190) include elongated hollow core shafts (54, 128, 130, 192) equipped with helical fighting (56, 132, 134, 194) along the lengths thereof. The fighting (132, 134, 194) may also be of hollow construction which communicates with the hollow core shafts (54, 128, 130, 192). Structure (88, 90) is provided for delivery of heat exchange media (e.g., steam) into the hollow core shafts (54, 128, 130, 192) and the hollow fighting (132, 134, 194). The fighting (56, 132, 134, 194) also includes a forward, reverse pitch section (64, 162, 216). The extrusion screws (50, 52, 124, 126, 190) are designed to be used as complemental pairs as a part of twin screw processing devices (20), and are designed to impart high levels of thermal energy into materials being processed in the devices (20), without adding additional moisture.

A high-altitude balloon manufacturing apparatus. The apparatus includes one or more extruders and one or more extrusion dies in fluid communication with the extruders. Each extrusion die is shaped to define one or more connector channels and one or more layering channels. The connector channels define extrudate flow paths between the layering channels.

A method of fabricating a high-altitude balloon. The method includes coextruding at least two adjacent continuous layers of extrudate, extrusion-bonding the layers of extrudate to one another along an edge of the sheets of extrudate to form a seam, and cooling the extrudate.

A high altitude balloon. A plurality of layers of coextruded extrudate are formed in a seamless sheet in a shape that defines a balloon envelope. Delaminator layers may be interposed between two or more of the layers of extrudate.

Co-extruded and extruded high-altitude balloons and apparatus and methods for manufacture. A high-altitude balloon has a plurality of layers of coextruded balloon panel extrudate, a first one of the layers extrusion-bonded to a second one of the layers along a first edge, the second one of the layers extrusion-bonded to a third one of the layers along a strip spaced apart from the first edge, extrusion-bonding of successive layers alternating between the first edge and the strip, the first one of the layers and the last one of the layers extrusion-bonded together along a second edge.

Polymer-based sheet materials having a variegated appearance are provided. The polymer-based-sheet material may have a core with one or more caps. The cap(s) may be on a first primary surface, a second primary surface, and/or sides. The variegation may be within and/or on the cap and/or the core. Methods, systems, articles, and materials effective for a polymer-based sheet material having a variegated appearance are provided.