Starve-fed Flow in Co-Rotating Twin Screw Extruders

Abstract

Abstract A visual study was performed to determine the mixing abilities in simple conveying sections of the partially-filled, corotating, twin screw extruders (PFCoTSE). The amount of mixing that occurs in the PFCoTSE is heavily dependent on the degree to which the channels are filled. A quasi-quantitative method of measuring the growth of an injected tracer is used in determining mixing. It was determined that the PFCoTSE's mixing sections are linear mixers as can be seen from the fact that an injection of tracer quickly transforms into a line and stays as a line throughout the machine and does not break apart while going through the nip (i.e., no reorientation).