The present invention relates to a process for devolatilising polymer-containing media such as, in particular, polymer melts, polymer solutions and dispersions and also devolatilisation apparatuses for carrying out the abovementioned process.

A kneading apparatus includes a processor, and a extruder. The extruder includes a screw. The screw includes a screw main body. A conveyance portion, a barrier portion, and a path are provided at places of the screw main body. In at least one of the places, the path is provided inside the screw main body, and includes an entrance and an exit. The raw materials, pressure on which is increased by the barrier portion, flow in from the entrance. The raw materials flowing in from the entrance flow through the path toward the exit. The exit is positioned to be remote from the entrance in an axial direction.

A conveyance portion, a barrier portion, and a path are provided at places of a portion of a screw main body in which a kneading portion is provided. In at least one of the places, an entrance is opened to cause raw materials, conveyance of which is limited by a barrier portion to increase pressure on the raw materials, to flow in. The raw materials flowing in from the entrance flow through the path in the opposite direction to a conveyance direction of the conveyance portion. An exit is opened in an outer circumferential surface of the screw main body at a position outside the conveyance portion in which the entrance is opened.

A biomass-derived thermosetting polymer material being a product of processing a biomass feed material via a twin screw extruder having a length extending between an inlet and an outlet. Hot water from a water heater is injected into at least one inlet along the length of the twin screw extruder, the at least one inlet generally corresponding with a pressure boundary within the twin screw extruder. A pressure-sustaining valve is connected between the length of the twin screw extruder and the outlet, with the valve being adjusted to produce the biomass-derived thermosetting polymer material.

Apparatus and methods for extruding plastic materials are disclosed. An exemplary apparatus comprises: a feeding portion; a melting portion in communication with the feeding portion and configured to transmit heat into material received from the feeding portion; and an output die in communication with the melting portion to permit extrusion of the material. The melting portion comprises: a melting barrel having an inner surface defining a melting chamber in communication with the feeding portion; and a melting insert inside the melting chamber. The melting insert comprises an outer surface in contact with the inner surface of the melting barrel where the outer surface comprises one or more open-ended channels formed therein. In some embodiments, the feeding portion and the melting portion may be thermally insulated from each other and a propeller of the feeding portion may be disposed entirely outside of the melting portion.

A polyamide resin is produced by polycondensing a polyamide oligomer having a relative viscosity of from 1.1 to 1.3 and a water content of 3% by weight or less by melt-kneading using an intermeshed co-rotation twin screw extruder having at least one or more open vents OV1 and OV2 and at least one or more vacuum vents VV1 and VV2. A pressure-decreasing element Y for increasing the resin filling rate is provided at a position nearer to the supply section side than positions at which the vacuum vents VV1 and VV2 are provided, and an area of 30% or less of the total screw length is a vacuum area having a pressure of 300 Torr or less.

A kneading apparatus includes a processor and an extruder. The extruder includes a screw. The screw includes a screw main body. A conveyance portion, a barrier portion, and a path are provided at places of the screw main body. In at least one of the places, the path is provided inside the screw main body and includes an entrance and an exit. The raw materials, pressure on which is increased by the barrier portion, flow in from the entrance. The raw materials flowing in from the entrance flow through the path toward the exit. The exit is positioned to be remote from the entrance in an axial direction. A method of using the kneading apparatus includes continuously melting and mixing materials in the processor, using the melted materials as the raw materials, and continuously discharging kneaded materials produced by kneading the raw materials with the screw in the extruder.

A kneading apparatus includes a processor and an extruder. The extruder includes a screw. The screw includes a screw main body. A conveyance portion, a barrier portion, and a path are provided at places of the screw main body. In at least one of the places, the path is provided inside the screw main body and includes an entrance and an exit. The raw materials, pressure on which is increased by the barrier portion, flow in from the entrance. The raw materials flowing in from the entrance flow through the path toward the exit. The exit is positioned to be remote from the entrance in an axial direction. A method of using the kneading apparatus includes continuously melting and mixing materials in the processor, using the melted materials as the raw materials, and continuously discharging kneaded materials produced by kneading the raw materials with the screw in the extruder.

An extruder includes a mixing device having a mixing chamber formed by a housing, a stator and a rotor. The stator and the rotor are arranged at least partially within the mixing chamber. The stator is connected to the housing and/or is formed by the housing. The rotor is rotatable about an axis of rotation (D). At least one free space, into which the stator projects at least partially in the direction of the axis of rotation (D), is formed by the rotor. The stator and/or the rotor have/has at least one temperature control channel, through which a temperature control fluid can be made to flow in order to control the temperature of the stator and/or of the rotor. The extruder further includes a screw housing, a screw drive, and an extruder screw, which is mounted to the screw housing and is coupled to the screw drive.

An extruder includes a mixing device having a mixing chamber formed by a housing, a stator and a rotor. The stator and the rotor are arranged at least partially within the mixing chamber. The stator is connected to the housing and/or is formed by the housing. The rotor is rotatable about an axis of rotation (D). At least one free space, into which the stator projects at least partially in the direction of the axis of rotation (D), is formed by the rotor. The stator and/or the rotor have/has at least one temperature control channel, through which a temperature control fluid can be made to flow in order to control the temperature of the stator and/or of the rotor. The extruder further includes a screw housing, a screw drive, and an extruder screw, which is mounted to the screw housing and is coupled to the screw drive.