Resin distribution in axial and circumferential directions of self-wiping co-rotating parallel twin-screw extruder 11Part of this paper was presented at the Annual Technical meeting (ANTEC) 2017 of the Society of Plastics Engineers, and at the ANTEC 2018. All contents have been revised to meet the requirements for publication.
Kentaro Taki*, Shin-ichiro Tanifuji, Masatoshi Ohara, Takemasa Sugiyama, Sho Umemoto, Yuya Obata, Jun-ichi Murata, Isao Tsujimura, Shin-ichi Kihara
Abstract
A self-wiping co-rotating twin-screw extruder (TSE) is operated in a starved state where the screws are partially filled with resin. Understanding resin distribution on the screw surface is essential for the design, operation, and maintenance of the twin-screw extrusion process. In this study, the circumferential and axial distribution of pressure, temperature, and resin in a TSE are calculated using a novel method combining the mathematical formulation of Hele–Shaw flow, the finite element method, and a newly developed down-wind pressure update scheme. The experimental results were in good agreement with the measured results. This calculation method enables us to visualize, in detail, the resin distribution, pressure, and temperature for the entire axial and circumferential direction over the TSE.
Topical Heading: Resin distribution in a twin-screw extruder
Keywords: Twin-screw extruder, Axial direction, Circumferential direction, Finite element method, Resin