A novel melting model for polymer extrusion: Mechanically induced transition layer removal

Abstract

AbstractA novel polymer melting mechanism and model named mechanically induced transition layer removal is introduced as the most probable hypothesis to explain the enhanced behavior in terms of melting capacity, output, and energy efficiency of single screw Grooved Plasticating Extruders (GPE). This model considers a domain conformed by three phases: solid, molten or plasticized, and transition layers; the latter has never been considered in the state of the art before. To validate this hypothesis as the first approach, we present a simplified thermodynamic polymer melting model in drag and pressure‐induced flow between parallel plates. The model is solved using the Finite Difference Method (FDM). The results obtained show that the proposed model enables a considerable improvement in the plasticizing speed. In addition, this mechanism describes the phenomenology of the plasticization process in the GPE presented in the state of the art. In future works, the mechanically induced transition layer removal, extended to the geometry and operating conditions in GPE, has the potential to accurately describe how this type of technology operates and help the improvement and design of new plasticizing units.