Abstract
Polymer extrusion is one of the most widely used polymer processing methods and the sole option for many standard products. The modern extrusion machine has a very sophisticated design; for example, the extrusion screw has different zones and complex geometry. Determining the proper processing settings is always a challenge for engineers. Additionally, complex rheological properties of the polymers in extrusion sometimes yield challenging and unpredictable problems to troubleshoot. For convenience, a small-scale extrusion machine can be used to troubleshoot and analyze the polymers rather than the large manufacturing machines that are hard to work with. This study has produced a small-scale extrusion machine that is easy to manufacture without deviating from the extrusion process's nature. The extruder, whose production details are given, was tested with two different polymers: HDPE and PMMA. The correct temperature and screw rotation speed were determined with the extruder for the proper process parameters. In addition, the temperature-viscosity relationship of the polymers' flow nature was also determined.
Publisher
Duzce Universitesi Bilim ve Teknoloji Dergisi