A shim stack foaming die for making foam slabs comprises a plurality of shims that are layered together under pressure to form a shim stack, wherein the shims combine to collectively define a plurality of die orifices in a working face, to define a main body of the shim stack foaming die, and also to define a plurality of die cavity that is fluidly connected to the plurality of die orifices. And articles foamed from the shim stack foaming die have found wide use in various applications, thermal or acoustic insulation, reinforcing layers and/or space-filling layers, and so on.

The present invention is directed to an apparatus for forming a multi-layer web formed from at least two polymeric film tubes in intimate contact with each other but not bonded to each other. The apparatus includes the use of a blown film extrusion die that extrudes two separate blown film polymeric tubes via two separate annular die lips. A fluid cooling system applies cooling fluid across a plurality of surfaces of the two blown film tubes. One of the die lips may be at a different height from the other die lip. The frost line of one blown film tube may be at a different height from the other blown film tube.

A method of manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament from recycled polymer. In various embodiments, the method includes: (1) reducing recycled polymer material into polymer flakes; (2) cleansing the polymer flakes; (3) melting the flakes into a polymer melt; (4) removing water and contaminants from the polymer melt by dividing the polymer melt into a plurality of polymer streams and exposing those streams to pressures below 5 millibars; (5) recombining the streams; and (6) using the resulting purified polymer to produce bulked continuous carpet filament.

A system for manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament that is adapted for providing a polymer melt and dividing the polymer melt into a plurality of streams (e.g., at least six or eight streams) to increase a surface area of the polymer melt. The plurality of streams is then exposed to a pressure that is below approximately 5 millibars. The streams are then recombined into a single polymer stream and formed into bulked continuous carpet filament. In various embodiments, an extruder, such as a multi-screw extruder, is used to divide the polymer melt into the plurality of streams.

A system for manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament that is adapted for providing a polymer melt and dividing the polymer melt into a plurality of streams (e.g., at least six or eight streams) to increase a surface area of the polymer melt. The plurality of streams is then exposed to a pressure that is below approximately 5 millibars. The streams are then recombined into a single polymer stream and formed into bulked continuous carpet filament. In various embodiments, an extruder, such as a multi-screw extruder, is used to divide the polymer melt into the plurality of streams.

A method for manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament, the method comprising: (1) reducing a chamber pressure within a chamber to below about 5 millibars; (2) after reducing the chamber pressure to below about 5 millibars, providing a polymer melt to the chamber; (3) separating the polymer melt into at least eight streams; (4) while the at least eight streams of the polymer melt are within the chamber, exposing the at least eight streams of the polymer melt to the chamber pressure of below about 5 millibars; (5) after exposing the at least eight streams of the polymer melt to the chamber pressure of below about 5 millibars, recombining the at least eight streams into a single polymer stream; and (6) forming polymer from the single polymer stream into bulked continuous carpet filament.

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 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.

The present invention is directed to an apparatus for forming a multi-layer web formed from at least two polymeric film tubes in intimate contact with each other but not bonded to each other. The apparatus and method includes the use of a blown film extrusion die that extrudes two separate blown film polymeric tubes via two separate annular die lips. A fluid cooling system applies cooling fluid across a plurality of surfaces of the two blown film tubes. One of the die lips may be at a different height from the other die lip. The frost line of one blown film tube may be at a different height from the other blown film tube.

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 5 millibars. The streams are recombined into a single polymer stream and formed into bulked continuous carpet filament.