An extruder screw for a multi-screw extruder for plastics extrusion includes: a feeding and metering zone for melting and homogenizing the plastic and an evacuating zone for carrying away gaseous constituents and a compressing and/or discharging zone; a multi-screw section, which has a plurality of planetary screws, which lie open on the outer circumference of the extruder screw, at least over part of their length; and a driving zone, in which the planetary screws engage by way of a toothing in an external toothing on a central shaft or in an internal toothing in a stator ring or in the inner wall of an extruder bore of the multi-screw extruder. The feeding and metering zone extends into the multi-screw section, wherein the respective part of the planetary screws that is lying in the metering zone is at least partially enclosed.

An extruder screw for a multi-screw extruder for plastics extrusion includes: a feeding and metering zone for melting and homogenizing the plastic and an evacuating zone for carrying away gaseous constituents and a compressing and/or discharging zone; a multi-screw section, which has a plurality of planetary screws, which lie open on the outer circumference of the extruder screw, at least over part of their length; and a driving zone, in which the planetary screws engage by way of a toothing in an external toothing on a central shaft or in an internal toothing in a stator ring or in the inner wall of an extruder bore of the multi-screw extruder. The feeding and metering zone extends into the multi-screw section, wherein the respective part of the planetary screws that is lying in the metering zone is at least partially enclosed.

Systems for manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament from polymer, where the systems are configured for: (1) melting polymer (e.g., derived from post-consumer PET bottles) to create a first single stream of polymer melt; (2) separating the first single stream of polymer melt into multiple streams of polymer melt; (3) exposing the multiple streams of polymer melt to a pressure of between about 0 millibars and about 5 millibars; (4) allowing the multiple streams of polymer melt to fall into a receiving section of a melt processing unit; (5) recombining the multiple streams of polymer melt into a second single stream of polymer melt; and (6) providing the second single stream of polymer melt to one or more spinning machines that are configured to form the second single stream of polymer melt into bulked continuous carpet filament.

A degassing extruder having a multi-screw unit, which degassing extruder comprises a housing having a feed region having a feed opening, an inner housing recess having an extraction opening extending as far as the outside and an outlet region having an outlet opening. The multi-screw unit rotatably arranged in the housing recess comprises: a rotor element having a main screw web extending over the outer circumference of a rotor shaft core, and a rotationally driven satellite screw, which is mounted in a receiving groove on the rotor element, which receiving groove extends at least along part of the length of the multi-screw unit. At least in the region of the extraction opening, the main screw web above the receiving groove has an respective opening recess for leading the satellite screw through.

A method of manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament that includes providing a polymer melt and separating the polymer melt from the extruder into at least eight streams. The multiple streams are exposed to a chamber pressure within a chamber that is below approximately 25 millibars, or another predetermined pressure. The streams are recombined into a single polymer stream. Polymer from the polymer stream is then formed into bulked continuous carpet filament.

A system comprising: (1) a grinding unit configured to receive and grind recycled PET bottles into a group of polymer flakes comprising up to about ten percent colored polymer flakes and balance substantially clear polymer flakes; (2) a washing unit configured to wash the group of polymer flakes; and (3) an extruder configured to extrude material in a plurality of different extrusion streams. The extruder may be further configured to: (1) receive a concentrate-polymer mixture comprising a mixture of the polymer flakes and a color concentrate; (2) melt the concentrate-polymer mixture to produce a polymer melt; (3) reduce a pressure within the extruder; and (4) pass the polymer melt through the extruder so that the polymer melt is divided into the plurality of extrusion streams. The system may then filter the polymer melt through at least one filter and form the polymer melt into bulked continuous carpet filament.

A system comprising: (1) a grinding unit configured to receive and grind recycled PET bottles into a group of polymer flakes comprising up to about ten percent colored polymer flakes and balance substantially clear polymer flakes; (2) a washing unit configured to wash the group of polymer flakes; and (3) an extruder configured to extrude material in a plurality of different extrusion streams. The extruder may be further configured to: (1) receive a concentrate-polymer mixture comprising a mixture of the polymer flakes and a color concentrate; (2) melt the concentrate-polymer mixture to produce a polymer melt; (3) reduce a pressure within the extruder; and (4) pass the polymer melt through the extruder so that the polymer melt is divided into the plurality of extrusion streams. The system may then filter the polymer melt through at least one filter and form the polymer melt into bulked continuous carpet filament.

Device and method for dispersing solids, liquids and gases in an extruder, having at least one shaft (1) and one housing (2), wherein at least one disk (4) with recesses is attached to the shaft, which at least one disk co-rotates with the shaft, and a non-co-rotating disk (3) is arranged immediately adjacent to the disk either in a product flow direction or counter to the product flow direction, which non-co-rotating disk likewise has recesses, and wherein the co-rotating disk is connected to the rotating shaft and has a gap (14) with respect to the housing, and the non-co-rotating disk is connected to the housing and has a gap (15) with respect to the rotating core shaft.

A method of manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament that includes providing a polymer melt and separating the polymer melt from the extruder into at least eight streams. The multiple streams are exposed to a chamber pressure within a chamber that is below approximately 25 millibars, or another predetermined pressure. The streams are recombined into a single polymer stream. Polymer from the polymer stream is then formed into bulked continuous carpet filament.

Method and system for manufacturing bulked continuous filament having tonal coloring from PET comprising: an extruder (202); a static mixing assembly (208) coupled to the extruder and comprising a housing and one or more individual static mixing elements disposed within the housing; the method and system further comprising a plurality of colorant ports along a length of the static mixing assembly such that each of the plurality of colorant ports is configured to provide colorant (204) to a polymer stream at a different location along the length of the static mixing assembly, and one or more spinning machines (212) positioned downstream of the static mixing assembly and coupled to the static mixing assembly to receive the colored polymer stream. The spinning machine(s) may be configured to form the colored polymer stream into bulked continuous carpet filament having a tonal color effect.