Methods for granulating powder in a single piece of equipment include at least the following: (a) continuously introducing the powder and a granulating fluid to the single piece of equipment; (b) passing the powder and the granulating fluid through a granulating zone of the single piece of equipment to form wet granules; (c) passing the wet granules through a drying zone of the single piece of equipment; (d) optionally passing granules through a discharge zone of the single piece of equipment; and (e) continuously discharging the granules from the single piece of equipment where the single piece of equipment is not a fluid bed processor.

Methods for granulating powder in a single piece of equipment include at least the following: (a) continuously introducing the powder and a granulating fluid to the single piece of equipment; (b) passing the powder and the granulating fluid through a granulating zone of the single piece of equipment to form wet granules; (c) passing the wet granules through a drying zone of the single piece of equipment; (d) optionally passing granules through a discharge zone of the single piece of equipment; and (e) continuously discharging the granules from the single piece of equipment where the single piece of equipment is not a fluid bed processor.

A screw for a plasticating apparatus has one or more helical flights. A portion of the screw has a plurality of advancing grooves arranged in a noncontinuous helix cut in the screw. The advancing grooves are dimensioned to receive material therein as the material is conveyed through the barrel. The screw has a plurality of noncontinuous cross-cut grooves traversing one or more of the advancing grooves. The cross-cut grooves have a second helix angle greater than the first helix angle and less than ninety degrees; and/or one or more of the cross-cut grooves have a third helix angle of about ninety degrees.

A screw for a plasticating apparatus has one or more helical flights. A portion of the screw has a plurality of advancing grooves arranged in a noncontinuous helix cut in the screw. The advancing grooves are dimensioned to receive material therein as the material is conveyed through the barrel. The screw has a plurality of noncontinuous cross-cut grooves traversing one or more of the advancing grooves. The cross-cut grooves have a second helix angle greater than the first helix angle and less than ninety degrees; and/or one or more of the cross-cut grooves have a third helix angle of about ninety degrees.

A twin-screw extruder is provided in which screws have different rotational speeds depending on the process of treating the raw material and in which degradation of the raw material is less likely to occur.

Twin-screw extruder 1 has two screws 3, 5 that extend in parallel to each other. Each screw 3, 5 has cylindrical upstream screw 31 and downstream screw 35, wherein upstream screw 31 has shaft hole 315 that extends in longitudinal direction X and screw flight 316 on an outer circumferential surface thereof, and downstream screw 35 includes large diameter portion 353 having screw flight 357 on an outer circumferential surface thereof and small diameter shaft portion 351 that has a smaller diameter than large diameter portion 353, wherein small diameter shaft portion 351 of downstream screw 35 is inserted into shaft hole 315 of upstream screw 31. Upstream screw 31 and downstream screw 35 can be independently rotated. Twin-screw extruder 1 further includes upstream rotating mechanism 84 that rotates upstream screws 31 of two screws 3, 5, and downstream rotating mechanism 83 that rotates downstream screws 35 of two screws 3, 5.

A twin-screw extruder is provided in which screws have different rotational speeds depending on the process of treating the raw material and in which degradation of the raw material is less likely to occur.

Twin-screw extruder 1 has two screws 3, 5 that extend in parallel to each other. Each screw 3, 5 has cylindrical upstream screw 31 and downstream screw 35, wherein upstream screw 31 has shaft hole 315 that extends in longitudinal direction X and screw flight 316 on an outer circumferential surface thereof, and downstream screw 35 includes large diameter portion 353 having screw flight 357 on an outer circumferential surface thereof and small diameter shaft portion 351 that has a smaller diameter than large diameter portion 353, wherein small diameter shaft portion 351 of downstream screw 35 is inserted into shaft hole 315 of upstream screw 31. Upstream screw 31 and downstream screw 35 can be independently rotated. Twin-screw extruder 1 further includes upstream rotating mechanism 84 that rotates upstream screws 31 of two screws 3, 5, and downstream rotating mechanism 83 that rotates downstream screws 35 of two screws 3, 5.

An extruder screw for the plasticizing of at least one plastic material or a plastic material mixture, with a melting zone, a wave zone and a mixing zone arranged between the melting zone and the wave zone, wherein a conveying web extending in a helix-like manner along a screw longitudinal axis is formed in the melting zone and in the wave zone, wherein a conveying web of the melting zone terminates at an end of the melting zone facing the mixing zone, and a conveying web of the wave zone begins at an end facing the mixing zone. The application also relates to an extrusion device with this extruder screw, and a method for plasticizing at least one plastic material or a plastic material mixture.

An extruder screw for the plasticizing of at least one plastic material or a plastic material mixture, with a melting zone, a wave zone and a mixing zone arranged between the melting zone and the wave zone, wherein a conveying web extending in a helix-like manner along a screw longitudinal axis is formed in the melting zone and in the wave zone, wherein a conveying web of the melting zone terminates at an end of the melting zone facing the mixing zone, and a conveying web of the wave zone begins at an end facing the mixing zone. The application also relates to an extrusion device with this extruder screw, and a method for plasticizing at least one plastic material or a plastic material mixture.

A screw for a plasticating apparatus has one or more helical flights. A portion of the screw has a plurality of advancing grooves arranged in a noncontinuous helix cut in the screw. The advancing grooves are dimensioned to receive material therein as the material is conveyed through the barrel. The screw has a plurality of noncontinuous cross-cut grooves traversing one or more of the advancing grooves. The cross-cut grooves have a second helix angle greater than the first helix angle and less than ninety degrees; and/or one or more of the cross-cut grooves have a third helix angle of about ninety degrees.

A screw for a plasticating apparatus has one or more helical flights. A portion of the screw has a plurality of advancing grooves arranged in a noncontinuous helix cut in the screw. The advancing grooves are dimensioned to receive material therein as the material is conveyed through the barrel. The screw has a plurality of noncontinuous cross-cut grooves traversing one or more of the advancing grooves. The cross-cut grooves have a second helix angle greater than the first helix angle and less than ninety degrees; and/or one or more of the cross-cut grooves have a third helix angle of about ninety degrees.