A continuous flow dryer system according to various embodiments can include a source for supplying a material to be treated having a high moisture content, such as a distiller wet grain, a profile screw compression dryer, a profile screw, and a drive coupled to the profile screw for axially rotating the profile screw. The profile screw compression dryer includes an inlet for receiving the material for drying, which is fed therein in a controlled manner. The profile screw is provided within the housing of the dryer. The profile screw has a diameter that increases in dimension in a direction away from the inlet for increasing the compressive force applied to the material to assist with drying as the profile screw rotates and moves the material longitudinally along the profile screw to produce a final product, for example, a distiller dried grain for use as an animal feed.

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 method of extruding a material including a binder and one or more energetic fillers and using an installation including an extruder including a sheath having at least one extrusion screw present therein, the extruder having at least one acoustic sensor fastened on the sheath, and a monitor system suitable for detecting an anomaly as a function of the acoustic signal picked up by the acoustic sensor, the monitor system being configured to measure variations in the amplitude of the acoustic signal picked up by the acoustic sensor, the method including an extrusion step for extruding the material through the extruder during which the acoustic signal picked up by the sensor is analyzed by the monitor system, and a detection step for detecting variation in the composition of the extruded material from variation in the amplitude of the acoustic signal.

An extruder is provided with: a screw rotationally driven about the axis by a first motor; a barrel having a screw hole into which the screw is inserted and a de-airing port configured to discharge air inside the screw hole; a filter configured such that a part thereof faces the de-airing port of the barrel; and a filter-driving mechanism configured to move the filter to shift the part of the filter facing the de-airing port.

A dry granulation process using a twin-screw extruder for granulating a powder mixture which includes at least one active ingredient and at least one carrier. The process includes steps of kneading the powder mixture in the screw barrel of the twin-screw extruder at a barrel temperature below a melting point of the at least one active ingredient and a melting point or a glass transition temperature of the at least one carrier to provide a kneaded powder mixture, and extruding the kneaded powder mixture to form granules. Granules and tablets produced using the dry granulation process in the twin-screw extruder are also provided.

A method of forming foam includes providing a foam with at least one of chitosan, chitin, or chitosan oligosaccharide, where the foam has a density of 1 g/cm.sup.3 or less. The method further includes placing the foam between tooling, applying heat to the foam, and pressing the foam into a shape using the tooling.

A machine for mixing elastomeric materials with a drive and mixing unit where the mixing chamber is arranged downstream of the drive unit; and a discharge chamber is arranged downstream of the mixing chamber. They communicate towards upstream, and are provided with a discharge opening for discharging the mixture. They include a signal indicating the presence or absence of a mixture. The machine can cause during a mixing step, at least one reversal by the drive unit of a sense of rotation of the rotors and therefore of a sense of advancing movement in the axial direction of the mixture from/towards the mixing chamber and towards/from the discharge chamber, to keep mixing of the mixture active only inside the mixing chamber.

A Machine for mixing elastomeric materials with a mixing unit, and a drive unit; the mixing unit has a mixing chamber arranged downstream of the drive unit and closed by a rear wall, a discharge chamber arranged downstream of the mixing chamber, with which it communicates and provided with an opening for discharging the mixture; a pair of inter-penetrating and counter-rotating conical rotors connected with the drive unit and having their vertices situated at the mouth of the discharge chamber. The rotors are rotated by the drive unit in a first sense (RPM+) to cause the mixture to be pushed towards the rear wall of the mixing chamber so as to keep mixing active only inside the mixing chamber, and in second sense of rotation, opposite to the first sense, to cause the mixture to be pushed towards the chamber and the discharge opening for discharging thereof.

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 mixing element for an extruder screw having a width extending in an x-direction of an x-y-z coordinate system, a length extending in a y-direction, and a thickness extending in a z-direction. The mixing element includes a base defining a passage extending along an axis in the y-direction for receiving the extruder screw. Projections extend radially outward from the base and define channels therebetween. The width and the depth of each channel vary along the length of the channel.