A method and an extrusion device for producing a foamed body. A plastics melt is produced inside the casing of a first extruder. The plastics melt is conveyed to an outlet die of a second extruder. The conveyed plastics melt has a foaming agent and expands after being fed through the outlet die. Before the plastics melt is fed through the outlet die, variations in temperature between different radial positions over the cross-section of the plastics melt are reduced by an extruder screw device which has a number of screw spindles distributed around the periphery. The plastics melt which is thus thermally homogeneous is fed through the outlet die.

Improvements in the extrusion of thermohardenable materials are achieved by cooling the material in the initial zone of the extruder and reducing residence time by use of a prescribed length to diameter ratio and screw speed, particularly useful for intermittent application during robotically controlled mass production.

A heat-insulating shroud for facilitating temperature control of a heated article includes a flexible cover, made from a heat-insulating material, for covering a surface of the heated article, at least one air inlet defined in a first section of the flexible cover, and at least one air outlet defined in a second section of the flexible cover. In a cooling mode of operation, the flexible cover defines an air channel over the surface of the heated article for channeling an air stream from the air inlet(s) over the surface of the heated article towards the air outlet(s). The channeling of the air stream facilitates cooling the heated article. In a heat-conservation mode of operation, the flexible cover of heat-insulating material insulates the heated article from heat loss. Each air outlet may have a closure that opens during the cooling mode of operation and closes during the heat-conservation mode of operation.

Systems for producing superabsorbent polymer particles for use in agricultural applications are disclosed. A monomer is graft polymerized onto a starch to form a starch graft copolymer. The moisture content of the starch graft copolymer is reduced through use of an extruder.

A method for producing a thermoplastic moulding compound by means of an extruder (10), which comprises at least one feed zone (20), at least one mixing section (30), at least one venting section (40) and at least one discharge zone (50), wherein in the at least one feed zone (20) a water-containing first component and a second component are supplied, in the at least one mixing section (30) the thermoplastic moulding compound is mixed and contained water is evaporated, in the at least one venting section (40) water vapour is removed from the moulding compound and in the at least one discharge zone (50) the moulding compound is discharged. At least one of the mixing housings (31, 32) is kept at a temperature that is equal to or lower than the temperature of the moulding compound within the mixing section (30).

A process for the production of a particle composition containing, at least one resin and at least one pigment is described, said process comprising the following steps: *extrusion of a mixture containing said at least one resin and said at least one pigment without induced heating; *subsequent extrusion, with induced heating, of the mixture obtained from the preceding extrusion; *granulation of the mixture thus obtained. With the abovementioned process it is possible to obtain a composition having granules with an average diameter less than 2 microns and a greater homogeneity than the known processes.

A method of making polymeric composite particles from polymeric scrap material, virgin polymeric material, or mixtures thereof and glass particles by subjecting a mixture of the polymeric particles and glass particles to a solid state shear pulverization and in-situ polymer compatibilization.

An improved a device and method for dispersion and simultaneous orientation of nanoparticles within a matrix is provided. A mixer having a shaft and a stator is provided. The shaft may have a rupture region and erosion region. Further, an orienter having an angled stationary plate and a moving plate are provided. The nanoparticles and the matrix are fed into the mixer. A rotational force is applied to the shaft to produce shearing forces. The shearing forces disperse and exfoliate the nanoparticles within the matrix. The dispersed mixture is outputted onto the moving plate. The moving plate is forced across the angled stationary plate to produce fully developed laminar shear flow. The fully developed laminar shear flow or the two-dimensional extensional drag flow orients the dispersed nanoparticles-matrix mixture.

A screw-driven extrusion system includes a novel screw-drive extruder. The extruder includes a motor-driven screw. The screw moves solid pellets from a feed hopper into a section that is actively heated. The solid pellets fully liquefy as they pass through the heated section. A control system controls screw, heating, and optionally cooling, operations to selectively control flow of liquefied material from the extruder's tip. The dynamically-controlled can continuously adjust its feed speed and temperature to keep up with continuously changing demands of a larger control system involved in monitoring and running a corresponding 3-D printer in an additive manufacturing process. In contrast to wirefeed extrusion systems that rely on the rigidity of the material in wire-formed feedstock, this screw-driven extrusion system is well-suited to use of less-rigid thermoplastic elastomers for the manufacture of objects for use in soft robotics, medical and mold-making applications.

A planetary roller extruder includes a housing with an internal housing toothing. A central spindle is disposed in the housing and has an external central spindle toothing. A plurality of planetary spindles are disposed about the central spindle and in the housing. Each of the planetary spindles has an external planetary spindle toothing configured to mesh with the internal housing toothing and the external central spindle toothing. A drive is configured to rotate the central spindle. The drive includes a drive journal connected to the central spindle to permit transmission of a driving force from the drive to the central spindle. The drive journal includes a bore. The bore has internal projections configured to engage with the external central spindle toothing to secure the central spindle to the drive journal by a screw-type connection.