Lesson 6 - Extrusion Operation & Control Study Guide

Notes Optimizing Extruder Controls, Part Two

Lesson 6

I. The Compression Zone

A. Most of the melting of raw material from solid plastic particles to molten plastic
melt occurs in the compression zone.

B. Goals of the compression zone:

1. Completely melt the solid bed of plastic.
2. Help mix the melt.
C. Goals are accomplished through:
1. Heat
2. Compression
3. Shear
NOTE: The plastic pressure is increased in the compression zone.

D. The melting process

The Melting Process

Die end of extruder

Heated barrel Layer of

molten plastic

Screw

In the compression zone, the plastic is in contact with the heated inner wall
of the extruder barrel. A thin layer of molten plastic adheres to the inner
barrel wall. The rotating screw shears the plastic at the barrel wall which
generates heat and accelerates the melting process.

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Notes The Melting Process

Die end of extruder

Heated barrel
Layer of
molten plastic
thickens

Screw

Further along the compression zone, the layer of molten plastic adhering
to the barrel wall thickens, until it exceeds the clearance between the
screw flight and the barrel wall.

The Melting Process

Die end of extruder

Heated barrel
Melt pool

Screw

The screw flight scrapes off some of the melt, which accumulates at the
front or pushing face of the flight. As more melt accumulates in front of
each screw flight, a melt pool begins to fill the screw channel, pushing
the solid or semi-solid bed of plastic granules forward. The unmelted
plastic continues to be forced into the region of high shear at the barrel
surface. The solid bed of plastic continues to melt and join the melt pool.

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 Lesson 6 - Extrusion Operation & Control Study Guide

Notes The Melting Process

Die end of extruder

Heated barrel
Completely
melted

Screw

To complete the melting process, all unmelted plastic in the solid bed
should be displaced by the molten pool and forced against the barrel
surface.

1. Unmelted plastic
a. Sometimes as the plastic melts, the solid bed may break up,
leaving unmelted plastic floating in melted plastic. This unmelted
plastic may not be forced against the hot barrel surface, so some
may remain unmelted.
b. Mixing section
1. If the screw has a mixing section at the end, this section
should complete the melting and mixing.
c. Screen pack
1. A screen pack will block unmelted plastic and force it to
melt. However, the trapped plastic particles could remain
trapped in the screens long enough to degrade.

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 Lesson 6 - Extrusion Operation & Control Study Guide

Notes 2. Barrier screw

Barrier Screw

Die end of extruder

Barrier Solid Melt
flight bed pool

The barrier screw segregates the solid bed in its own channel and allows
the melted plastic to flow over a barrier flight into a melt channel. The
solids channel gets smaller and the melt channel larger as the plastic
moves through the extruder. The flight clearance between the barrier
flight and the barrel is about 1 percent of the screw diameter.

II. Operating Variables in the Compression Zone

A. Barrel temperature
1. Raising barrel temperature in compression zone:
a. Causes earlier melting.
b. Raises temperature in melt film region.
1. Decreases plastic’s viscosity.
2. Reduces shear heating.
c. Can either increase or decrease the melting rate, depending on
how much the viscosity changes.

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 Lesson 6 - Extrusion Operation & Control Study Guide

Notes 1. A decrease in overall melting rate is more likely with

amorphous plastics because the viscosity of amorphous
plastics drops quickly when the temperature is raised.
• Shear heating is reduced.
2. The viscosity of semi-crystalline plastics is less affected by
an increase in compression zone barrel temperature.
• Shear heating continues at a high rate.
2. Cooling the barrel temperature in the compression zone.
a. Used to reduce melt temperature.
1. Shear heating is increased in the melt film region.
• The increased shear heating is usually not enough to
increase the overall melt temperature.

III. The Metering Zone

A. Plastic travel in the metering zone.

Plastic Travel in the Metering Zone

In the metering zone, the plastic melt moves in a spiraling motion down
the channel. The plastic near the surface of the barrel is turned
downward by the pushing edge of the screw flight. The plastic then
crosses the screw channel, where the trailing edge of the flight pushes
the plastic back up to the barrel surface. This constant motion of the
plastic as the screw rotates, shears and mixes the melt.

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