18.2 EXTRUSION
In extrusion, raw materials in the form of thermoplastic pellets, granules, or powder are placed into a hopper and fed into the extruder barrel (Fig. 18.2). The barrel is equipped with a screw that blends the pellets and conveys them down the barrel. The internal friction from the mechanical action of the screw, along with heaters around the extruder’s barrel, heats the pellets and liquefies them. The screw action also builds up pressure in the barrel.
Screws have three distinct sections:
1) A feed section that conveys the material from the hopper area into the central region of the barrel;
2) A melt, or transition, section where the heat generated by the shearing of the plastic and by the heaters causes melting to begin; and
3) A pumping section where additional shearing and melting occurs, with pressure buildup at the die.
The lengths of these sections can be changed to accommodate the melting characteristics of different plastics. The molten plastic or elastomer is forced through a die, in a process similar to that of extruding metals. The extruded product is then cooled, either by