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Three-dimensional Numerical Study of the Mixing Behaviour of Twin-screw Elements

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Published/Copyright: April 6, 2013
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International Polymer Processing
From the journal International Polymer Processing Volume 27 Issue 1

Abstract

In this work the numerical modeling of the flow inside co-rotating twin-screw extruders is performed and solutions are analyzed to determine the mixing behavior of two screw elements: conveying and mixing elements. The flow around intermeshing screws is computed using an immersed boundary finite element method capable of dealing with complex moving solid boundaries. The flow is considered isothermal and the material behaves as a generalized non-Newtonian fluid. Because the viscosity depends on the shear rate, solutions will be shown for various rotation velocities of the screw. The 3D solutions are then analyzed in order to determine various parameters characterizing the flow mixing such as the residence time and the linear stretch. Residence time distribution inside the twin-screw extruder is first computed by using a particle tracking algorithm based on a fourth order Runge-Kutta method. A large number of particles are tracked inside the extruder and the resulting particle data is used to determine the distribution of the residence time and of the linear stretch. The spatial distribution of the residence time is also computed by solving a transport equation tracking the injection time of the polymer melt. The methodology shows important differences in the mixing behavior of the screw elements considered.

∗ Mail address: Florin Ilinca, Industrial Materials Institute, National Research Council, 75, de Mortagne, Boucherville, Québec, Canada, J4B 6Y4. E-mail:

References

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Received: 2010-11-19
Accepted: 2011-08-04
Published Online: 2013-04-06
Published in Print: 2012-03-01

© 2012, Carl Hanser Verlag, Munich

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Contents
  2. Contents
  3. Foreword
  4. IPP Special Issue on “Advanced Molding and Materials Processing Technology”
  5. Invited Papers from SAMT Conference
  6. Solving Injection Molded Part Warpage under Asymmetric Mold Cooling Conditions by Corrugated Variations in Part Thickness
  7. Injection Molding of Water Containing Thermoplastic Polyolefin
  8. Effects of Pressure and Supercritical Fluid on Melt Viscosity of LDPE in Conventional and Microcellular Injection Molding
  9. Influence of Scale Effect on Filling Behavior of Injection Molding by Visualization Method
  10. Determination of Thermal Response on Mold Surface and Recommendation of Feasible Heating Time and Gas Flow Rate for a Circular Cavity by Gas Preheating
  11. Overall Control System for Injection Molding Process
  12. Structure, Injection Molding Process and Fracture Behavior of Composite Plastics
  13. Review Papers
  14. A Structured Review and Classification of Demolding Issues and Proven Solutions
  15. Regular Contributed Articles
  16. Quantifying Extrusion Modification of LDPE with a Microcompounder
  17. Measurement Modification of Barrier Properties against UV Irradiation of PP Composite Fibres
  18. Application of Dry Nano Powder Inverse Imprint Technology in Transferring and Replication of Micro Patterns
  19. Three-dimensional Numerical Study of the Mixing Behaviour of Twin-screw Elements
  20. The Rheological and Mechanical Properties of PVC-Lignin Blends
  21. Three-Dimensional Observation on the Liquid Emptying Process from a Scaled-up Gravure Cell
  22. Radio-Frequency Compression Molding of Recycled Commingled Polymers
  23. PPS-News
  24. PPS News
  25. Seikei Kakou Abstracts
  26. Seikei-Kakou Abstracts
  27. Polímeros: Ciência e Tecnologia – Abstracts
  28. Polímeros: Ciência e Tecnologia – Abstracts
https://doi.org/10.3139/217.2450

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Contents
  2. Contents
  3. Foreword
  4. IPP Special Issue on “Advanced Molding and Materials Processing Technology”
  5. Invited Papers from SAMT Conference
  6. Solving Injection Molded Part Warpage under Asymmetric Mold Cooling Conditions by Corrugated Variations in Part Thickness
  7. Injection Molding of Water Containing Thermoplastic Polyolefin
  8. Effects of Pressure and Supercritical Fluid on Melt Viscosity of LDPE in Conventional and Microcellular Injection Molding
  9. Influence of Scale Effect on Filling Behavior of Injection Molding by Visualization Method
  10. Determination of Thermal Response on Mold Surface and Recommendation of Feasible Heating Time and Gas Flow Rate for a Circular Cavity by Gas Preheating
  11. Overall Control System for Injection Molding Process
  12. Structure, Injection Molding Process and Fracture Behavior of Composite Plastics
  13. Review Papers
  14. A Structured Review and Classification of Demolding Issues and Proven Solutions
  15. Regular Contributed Articles
  16. Quantifying Extrusion Modification of LDPE with a Microcompounder
  17. Measurement Modification of Barrier Properties against UV Irradiation of PP Composite Fibres
  18. Application of Dry Nano Powder Inverse Imprint Technology in Transferring and Replication of Micro Patterns
  19. Three-dimensional Numerical Study of the Mixing Behaviour of Twin-screw Elements
  20. The Rheological and Mechanical Properties of PVC-Lignin Blends
  21. Three-Dimensional Observation on the Liquid Emptying Process from a Scaled-up Gravure Cell
  22. Radio-Frequency Compression Molding of Recycled Commingled Polymers
  23. PPS-News
  24. PPS News
  25. Seikei Kakou Abstracts
  26. Seikei-Kakou Abstracts
  27. Polímeros: Ciência e Tecnologia – Abstracts
  28. Polímeros: Ciência e Tecnologia – Abstracts
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