A method of recycling a PET-containing material comprises: (1) providing a polymer crystallizer comprising at least one heating element, and at least one blower; (2) providing an MRS extruder having an MRS section comprising a plurality of satellite screws; (3) providing a vacuum pump in fluid communication with the MRS section; (4) grinding and washing the PET-containing material; (5) heating the PET-containing material in the crystallizer to at least partially dry the PET-containing material; (6) shearing the PET-containing material in the MRS extruder to produce a PET-containing melt; (7) increasing a surface area of the PET-containing melt by distributing the PET-containing melt across a plurality of satellite screws in the MRS extruder; (8) drawing off vapors from the PET-containing melt by reducing the pressure in the MRS section with the vacuum pump; (9) collating the PET-containing melt in the MRS extruder; and (10) extruding a recycled PET-containing material.

A method of recycling a PET-containing material comprises: (1) providing a polymer crystallizer comprising at least one heating element, and at least one blower; (2) providing an MRS extruder having an MRS section comprising a plurality of satellite screws; (3) providing a vacuum pump in fluid communication with the MRS section; (4) grinding and washing the PET-containing material; (5) heating the PET-containing material in the crystallizer to at least partially dry the PET-containing material; (6) shearing the PET-containing material in the MRS extruder to produce a PET-containing melt; (7) increasing a surface area of the PET-containing melt by distributing the PET-containing melt across a plurality of satellite screws in the MRS extruder; (8) drawing off vapors from the PET-containing melt by reducing the pressure in the MRS section with the vacuum pump; (9) collating the PET-containing melt in the MRS extruder; and (10) extruding a recycled PET-containing material.

A method of recycling a PET-containing material comprises: (1) providing an MRS extruder having an MRS section comprising a plurality of satellite screws and an outlet; (2) providing a vacuum pump in communication with the MRS section; (3) providing a spinning machine comprising an inlet, wherein the inlet is directly coupled to the outlet of the MRS extruder; (4) heating a plurality of PET-containing flakes in the MRS extruder to form a PET-containing melt; (5) increasing a surface area of the PET-containing melt by distributing the PET-containing melt across the plurality of satellite screws in the MRS extruder; (6) drawing off vapors from the PET-containing melt by reducing the pressure in the MRS section with the vacuum pump; (7) collating the PET-containing melt in the MRS extruder; and (8) extruding the PET-containing melt through the outlet of the MRS extruder into the inlet of the spinning machine.

A method of manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament which, in various embodiments, comprises: (A) grinding recycled PET bottles into a group of flakes; (B) washing the flakes; (C) identifying and removing impurities, including impure flakes, from the group of flakes; (D) passing the flakes through a PET crystallizer; (E) passing the group of flakes through an MRS extruder while maintaining the pressure within the MRS portion of the MRS extruder below about 18 millibars; (F) passing the resulting polymer melt through at least one filter having a micron rating of less than about 50 microns; and (G) forming the recycled polymer into bulked continuous carpet filament that consists essentially of recycled PET.

A process and associated system for creating color effects using extrudable material, such as plastic and metal for example, are presented. Flows of first and second viscous materials of respective colors are provided and then combined in a predetermined pattern to form a stream of combined viscous material. A dynamic mixer is the then used to apply a predetermined dividing, overturning and combining motion to the stream of combined viscous material to partially mix the first viscous material and the second viscous material, such that upon exiting the dynamic mixer, the first material of the first color and the second material of the second color form a color pattern in the stream of combined viscous material. The dynamic mixer has elements configured for acquiring a specific radial orientation in a range of radial orientations that may be varied during the application of the dividing, overturning and combining motion to the stream of combined viscous material to cause variations in the color pattern in the stream of combined viscous material. Sheets of extruded material may be created using such process and system and used in the manufacturing of many different products including, but not limited to, kayaks, stand-up paddle boards, garden furniture and many others. In some embodiments, the sheets may be characterized by color bands extending diagonally with reference to a longitudinal extent of the sheet.

A method of manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament which, in various embodiments, comprises: (A) grinding recycled PET bottles into a group of flakes; (B) washing the flakes; (C) identifying and removing impurities, including impure flakes, from the group of flakes; (D) passing the flakes through a PET crystallizer; (E) passing the group of flakes through an MRS extruder while maintaining the pressure within the MRS portion of the MRS extruder below about 18 millibars; (F) passing the resulting polymer melt through at least one filter having a micron rating of less than about 50 microns; and (G) forming the recycled polymer into bulked continuous carpet filament that consists essentially of recycled PET.

A method of manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament which, in various embodiments, comprises: (A) grinding recycled PET bottles into a group of flakes; (B) washing the flakes; (C) identifying and removing impurities, including impure flakes, from the group of flakes; (D) passing the group of flakes through an MRS extruder while maintaining the pressure within the MRS portion of the MRS extruder below about 1.5 millibars; (E) passing the resulting polymer melt through at least one filter having a micron rating of less than about 50 microns; and (F) forming the recycled polymer into bulked continuous carpet filament that consists essentially of recycled PET.

In one embodiment, a method of forming an extruded board includes mixing a resin and a foaming agent, melting the mixed resin and foaming agent to form a uniformly colored extrudate, differentially expanding voids formed from the foaming agent within the uniformly colored extrudate by passing the uniformly colored extrudate through a breaker plate, forming a board with the differentially expanded voids and uniformly colored extrudate, and forming lightened portions on an outermost surface of the formed board.

A method of forming a conduit having at least one strip-shaped fabric substrate dividing the conduit into channels. The method contains obtaining an extrusion die configured to form the wall of the conduit and a slot configured for receipt of a strip-shaped fabric substrate and introducing a strip-shaped fabric substrate into the slot. The strip-shaped textile is air permeable and contains enlarged regions at the first and second longitudinal edges. Molten polymer is introduced at a first point in the extrusion die and at the first point the slot and the area configured to form the wall of the conduit are not in communication. The slot is exposed to the molten polymer at a point between the first point and the die exit forming the first polymeric layer of the conduit such that the first longitudinal and second longitudinal edges of the strip-shaped fabric substrate embed into the molten polymer.

A flow diverter for an extrusion die is disclosed. The flow diverter includes a body having an outer surface, an elongate opening that extends along a first axis, a set of input passages that extend from said outer surface through said body to said elongate opening, and a set of output passages that extend through said body from said elongate opening to said outer surface. The flow diverter also includes an adjustable valve positioned in said elongate opening. The adjustable valve also has a monolithic spool including a first recess and a second recess opposite to said first recess. The spool is rotatable with respect to said outer body between a first position in a first flow configuration, and a second position in a second, different flow configuration.