Disclosed is a process for preparation of a propylene-based polymer composition involving the steps of: (a) mixing a propylene-based polymer and a peroxydicarbonate in a mixing device, wherein the mixing takes place at a temperature of 30 C., wherein the peroxydicarbonate is introduced into the mixing process in a dry form; (b) keeping the mixed composition at a temperature of 30 C.; (c) feeding the mixed composition into a melt extruder; (d) homogenizing the mixed composition at a temperature where the propylene-based polymer is in solid state during an average residence time of 6.0 and 30.0 seconds; (e) further homogenizing the mixed composition at a temperature at which the propylene-based polymer is in the molten state; and (f) extruding the homogenized material from a die outlet of the melt extruder followed by cooling and solidification; wherein the steps (a) through (f) are conducted in that order.

The present invention relates to an extruded expanded thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer bead and a preparation method therefor. The bead consists of components of the following parts by weight: 100 parts by weight of a thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer, 0.01-0.5 parts of a foaming nucleating agent, and 0.01-0.2 parts by weight of an antioxidant. The preparation method comprises: mixing materials, then putting the mixture into an extruder for granulation to produce a particle raw material suitable for foaming, finally, putting the particle into a foam extruder, and die foaming then underwater pelletizing, thus obtaining a product bead. The present invention utilizes an extrusion method to prepare expanded thermoplastic polyurethane beads. Control of the working conditions of the foaming process could lead to acquiring an expanded=bead of a controllable density, the cell density evenly distribute. The overall production process is easy to operate. Without any special limit or requirement placed on the equipment, this method is suitable for industrial continuous production.

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. In a first aspect, the flow rate of the first viscous material is caused to vary over time in order to vary an amount of the first viscous material in the stream. In a second aspect, which may be used alone or in combination with the first aspect, the first and second viscous materials have distinct viscosities to reduce an amount of color blending between the first color and the second color in the stream of combined viscous material. A static mixer may then be 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 static 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. Sheets of extrudable material may be created using such process and used in the manufacturing of many different products including for example kayaks and stand-up paddle boards.

A screw machine includes an inductive heating device for processing of material to be processed. The inductive heating device is used to heat the material in a heating zone. In the heating zone, at least one housing portion is made of an electromagnetically transparent material at least partly, the material being non-magnetic and electrically non-conductive, whereas at least one treatment element shaft is made of an electrically conductive material at least partly. The inductive heating device includes at least one coil formed integrally with a component of the at least one housing portion, in particular in such a way as to form a hybrid component. During the processing of the material, the inductive heating device generates an alternating magnetic field that produces eddy current losses in the at least one treatment element shaft, the eddy current losses leading to a temperature increase of the at least one treatment element shaft.

Embodiments of films, for example, infrared absorbing, heat retaining films, comprise at least one polymer selected from: a low density polyethylene (LDPE) having a density range of 0.900 g/cc to 0.930 g/cc and a melt index (I.sub.2) of 0.3 g/10 min to 2.0 g/10 min as measured in accordance with ASTM D1238; a linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) having a density range of 0.900 g/cc to 0.930 g/cc and a melt index I.sub.2 of 0.3 g/10 min to 2.0 g/10 min; and a ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer having a vinyl acetate content ranging from 3 wt. % to 27 wt. % and a melt index I.sub.2 of 0.2 g/10 min to 10 g/10 min. The films also comprise a hybrid filler comprising (i) a layered double hydroxide, and (ii) an inorganic powder complex having a particle size distribution defined by a median diameter (D50) of 1.5 to 20 m.

An extruder has a barrel extending from a feed inlet end to an extruder outlet end. The barrel has an inner surface, an outer surface, and a wall thickness between the inner and outer surfaces. The extruder also has at least one heating member positioned provided on the barrel; a screw drive motor drivingly connected to a rotatably mounted screw positioned within the barrel, whereby the screw is rotatable at various revolutions per minute (RPM); and a controller is operably connected to the screw drive motor to adjust the RPM of the screw based upon a temperature of material passing through and/or being extruded from the barrel. Methods for operating an extruder filling a mold are also provided.

A method for forming a cylindrical rubber member includes bringing a die 11 close to a forming drum 2, forming a winding start portion S1 by extruding a rubber S and simultaneously starting to rotate the forming drum 2 to gradually increase an extruding amount to an amount Q1 and gradually increase a distance between the die 11 and the forming drum 2 to a distance D2 corresponding to a desired thickness of the cylindrical rubber member, winding the rubber S by maintaining the extruding amount at the amount Q1, and maintaining the distance between the die 11 and the forming drum 2 at the distance D2, and forming a winding end portion S2 on the winding start portion S1 by maintaining the distance between the die 11 and the forming drum 2 at the distance D2 and gradually reducing the extruding amount from the amount Q1.

An interchangeable unit adapted to couple to a computer numerical control (CNC) machine is disclosed comprising a holder that couples to a spindle of the CNC machine, a controller, wherein said controller is configured to receive the rotational speed of the spindle as an input, and a material processing unit, wherein said material processing unit executes a first function in response to a first rotational speed range of the spindle and executes a second function in response to a second rotational speed range of the spindle.

An additive manufacturing system includes a slip clutch coupled to an actuator of a mechanical driver that feeds solid extrusion material into a heater for supplying thermoplastic material to a manifold in an extruder head. A speed of the actuator can be set to enable the actuator to operate at a rotational speed that is slightly greater than the rotational speed of the mechanical mover. This configuration enables the pressure of the thermoplastic material in the manifold of the extruder head to be in a predetermined range no matter how many nozzles are opened in the extruder head.

An interchangeable unit adapted to couple to a computer numerical control (CNC) machine is disclosed comprising a holder that couples to a spindle of the CNC machine, a controller, wherein said controller is configured to receive the rotational speed of the spindle as an input, and a material processing unit, wherein said material processing unit executes a first function in response to a first rotational speed range of the spindle and executes a second function in response to a second rotational speed range of the spindle.