Optimization of a profile extrusion die for flow balance

One of the problems encountered in the extrusion of plastic profiles is unbalanced flow at the die exit. It causes deformation of the extrudates at ambient and precludes the material transition through remaining stages of production process (calibration, cooling sections etc). In this paper, geometric parameters of a profile extrusion die are optimized using several objective function definitions by Simulated Annealing-Kriging Meta-Algorithm. Objective functions are defined based on the uniformity of velocity distribution at the die exit. For this, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations are performed for N=70 die geometries. Appropriate geometric parameters (t and L) of the die are variables for the optimization problem.     

Polyester fiber production using virgin and recycled PET

In this study, the design and construction of an extrusion equipment with spinning fiber devices has been developed to produce polyester fiber from virgin and recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Several operating parameters (i.e., pressure, temperature, feed flow rate, extrusion speed and extruder design) have been analyzed to identify the best process conditions. In particular, this study has focused on a detailed analysis for the processing of recycled raw material for polyester textile fiber applications considering the variability of the process and identifying alternatives to minimize the impact on the quality parameters such as the fiber diameter and mechanical specifications. The experimental results were compared with the values calculated using a theoretical model, which has been developed for these particular cases. The mathematical analysis of the mass flow showed a very good agreement with respect to the experimental data, where there was a percentage difference < 3 %. It was found that the fiber diameter is a function of intrinsic viscosity (VI) or melt flow index (MFI). Finally, the mechanical properties of the fibers were evaluated and results indicated that the fiber with higher average molecular weight showed higher tenacity and lower Young’s modulus values.     

Process,structure and texture of extruded whole wheat

Whole wheat is well known by consumers as a health-providing ingredient. Nevertheless, in extruded products it leads to textures that are less favorable to consumer preference compared to its refined flour. An understanding of the effect of extrusion on whole wheat properties is therefore necessary to improve its texture. Whole wheat flour was extruded under varying conditions of water content (18 or 22%), screw speed (400 or 800 rpm) and barrel temperature (140 or 180 °C) and its physicochemical properties were measured. Changing the extrusion conditions significantly modified the volumetric expansion index (between 9.1 and 20.6) and longitudinal expansion (between 0.93 and 2.98) of the samples. Interestingly, changing the extrusion conditions did not significantly modify the sectional expansion. Increasing barrel temperature, water content or screw speed decreased the shear viscosity of the melt. This can be explained by plasticizing effects and modification of starch properties. The change in shear viscosity at the die can mostly explain the effect of process conditions on volumetric expansion of the extruded whole wheat. The stress at rupture of the extruded samples was varied between 0.49 and 1.86 MPa depending on process conditions. It was the lowest at high water content and low screw speed.     

Three dimensional FEM simulation for spinning of non-circular fibers

A finite element method is employed for a flow analysis of the melt spinning process of a non-circular fiber, a PET(polyethylene terephthalate) filament. The flow field is divided into two regions of die channel and spin-line. A two dimensional analysis is used for the flow within the die channel and a three dimensional analysis for the flow along the spin-line. The Newtonian fluid is assumed for the PET melt and material properties are considered to be constant except for the viscosity. Effects of gravitation, air drag force, and surface tension are neglected. Although the spin-line length is 4.5 m, only five millimeters from the spinneret are evaluated as the domain of the analysis. Isothermal and non-isothermal cases are studied for the flow within the die channel. The relationship between the mass flow rate and the pressure gradient is presented for the two cases. Three dimensional flow along the spin-line is obtained by assuming isothermal conditions. It is shown that changes in velocity and cross-sectional shape occur mostly in the region of 1mm from the die exit.     

Flow analysis of profile extrusion by a modified cross-sectional numerical method

Flow analysis of profile extrusion is essential for design and production of a profile extrusion die. Velocity, pressure, and temperature distribution in an extrusion die are predicted and compared with the experimental results. A two dimensional numerical method is proposed for three dimensional analysis of the flow field within the profile extrusion die by applying a modified cross-sectional numerical method. Since the cross-sectional shape of the die is varied gradually, it is assumed that the pressure is constant within a cross-sectional plane that is perpendicular to the flow direction. With this assumption, the velocity component in the cross-sectional direction is neglected. The exact cross-sectional shape at any position is calculated based on the geometry of standard cross-sections. The momentum and energy equations are solved with proper boundary conditions at a cross-section and then the same calculation is carried out for the next cross-section using the current calculated values. An L-shaped profile extrusion die is produced and employed for experimental investigation using a commercially available polypropylene. Numerical prediction for the varying cross-sectional shape provides better results than the previous studies and is in good agreement with the experimental results.     

Optimal geometry design of double coat-hanger die for melt blowing process

Design of the wide coat-hanger die is of significant importance for melt blowing system because the die plays a key role in the uniformity wider nonwoven webs. In this article, a mathematical method combining finite element and numerical simulation is used to optimize double coat-hanger die with uniform outlet velocity. A numerical approach is developed for design of double coat-hanger die with quadratic geometry manifold. The results indicate that melt flow direction in the manifold is along its lengthwise direction and the CV value of outlet velocity is decreased obviously. In addition, a 40:3 elliptic rate of ellipse cavity is inserted in the double coat-hanger die slot. It shows that the ellipse cavity and slot act together to improve flow distribution and pressure drop. The result of outlet velocity CV value is under 1 % for 3.4 meter width of double coat-hanger die. The current study provides a simple method to obtain wider coat-hanger die suitable for melt blowing commercial production.     

Fiber spiral motion in a swirl die melt-blowing process

Melt blowing is a major process for producing nanofibrous nonwovens. Compared to another technology for producing nanofibrous nonwovens, electrospinning, melt blowing applies high-speed air flow field to attenuate the extruded polymer jet. It is known that the essential electrospinning mechanism is a rapidly whipping jet in an electric field. While there are few studies on the fiber whipping in the melt-blowing process. In this study, a high-speed camera was used to capture the fiber path below a single-orifice melt-blowing swirl die. The spiral path of the fiber was revealed. The characteristics of the whipping amplitude, whipping frequency, and the fiber velocity were obtained. Fiber diameter reduction ratio contributed by the spiral path was calculated by establishing a mathematical model. The study indicates that spiral path of the whipping plays an important role in fiber attenuation near the die.     

Rheological properties of starches with different amylose/amylopectin ratios

The rheological properties of corn starches with different amylose/amylopectin ratios (80/20, 50/50, 23/77, and 0/100) were systematically studied by Haake rheometry. The starches were initially pre-compounded with water to designated moisture content levels using a twin-screw extruder. A single-screw extruder with a slit capillary die was then used to characterize the shear stress and melt viscosity characteristics of sample pellets, as a function of both moisture content (19–27%) and extrusion temperature (110–140 °C). The melts exhibited shear thinning behavior under all conditions, with the power law index (0 < n < 1) increasing with increasing temperature and moisture content in the majority of cases. The higher the amylose content, the higher is the viscosity (for example, η increases from 277 Pa s to 1254 Pa s when amylose content increases from 0% to 80% under a certain condition), which is opposite to the sequence of molecular weight; amylopectin-rich starches exhibited increased Newtonian behavior. These rheological behaviors are attributed to the higher gelatinization temperature of amylose-rich starches, and in particular the multiphase transitions that occur in these starches at higher temperatures, and the gel-ball structure of gelatinized amylopectin.     

Study on viscosity changes with talc in microcellular foaming process

In the processing of microcellular foamed polymer products, one of the most important factors is the dependence of rheology on the mixture ratio of the polymer and the gas used as the blowing agent. The formation of a cell by employing the thermodynamic instability of the gas in a one-phase condition is the principle behind microcellular foaming. The viscosity change of the polymer and gas mixture is important in designing dies and molds and affects the quality of the microcellular foaming product. In this experiment, the extruder was modified to mix polymer with gas under a one-phase melted condition. The mixed polymer with gas was run through various capillary die shapes to measure the change in polymer viscosity against the gas supply rate. This paper describes the effect of talc and the blowing agent on the viscosity in continuous microcellular processes, revealing major factors in determining the viscosity of a polymer and gas mixture.     

Melt blowing of ionic liquid-based cellulose solutions

The melt-blowing technique is usually used for thermoplastic resins, not for non-thermoplastic materials. In this study, nonwoven fabric was successfully obtained by a cellulose solution through melt-blowing technique. The solution was prepared by a twin-screw extruder after mixing cellulose pulp with 1-Allyl-3-methylimidazolium Chloride ([AMIM]Cl). Nonwoven fabric exhibited typical characteristics of those from melt-blown thermoplastic resins. Some aspects of meltblowing process are discussed, such as cellulose concentration, temperature of extrusion die and hot air pressure. In experimental range, to obtain nonwoven web, cellulose concentration was below 15 wt%. Temperature of extrusion die and hot air pressure had great influence on the fabric. With the increasing of temperature of extrusion die and hot air pressure, the fiber changed thin and the fiber web became better, while the fiber diameter became thicker after increasing the cellulose concentration. Elevating the temperature of extrusion die, the degree of polymerization decreased, and the quality of the fiber webs declined.     

Characteristics of destarched corn fiber extrudates for ethanol production

The effect of extrusion on characteristics of destarched corn fiber was investigated. Extrusion was conducted at a screw speed of 300 rpm, feed rate of 100 g/min, feed moisture content of 30%, melt temperature of 140 °C and die diameter of 3 mm. After extrusion, characteristics of raw and extruded destarched corn fiber were compared. Raw and extruded destarched corn fibers were enzymatically saccharified and fermented using Saccharomyces cerevisiae (ATCC 24858). Extrusion pretreatment resulted in low crystallinity index, significant decrease in degree of polymerization and microstructure disruption of destarched corn fiber for enzymatic saccharification. This provides a significant increase in xylose yield for fermentation. Significant increase in protein digestibility and free amino nitrogen were additional benefits of extrusion for yeast nutrient in fermentation. Therefore, extruded destarched corn fiber significantly increased (p < 0.05) ethanol yield (29.08 g/L) and higher conversion (88.79%) by improving the physiochemical and functional properties for saccharification and fermentation.     

Physicochemical and antioxidant properties of extruded corn grits with corn fiber by CO2 injection extrusion process

Corn grits and corn fiber mixed at different mass ratios (0/100, 15/85 and 30/70) were extruded at different melt temperature (90, 105 and 120 °C) using extrusion with and without CO₂ injection. The L value, reducing sugar content and antioxidant properties decreased after extrusion with or without CO₂ injection. The color and antioxidant properties were relatively stable in the extrusion with CO₂ injection at higher melt temperature (120 °C) in comparison with the extrusion without CO₂ injection. Higher corn fiber content resulted in less loss of total phenolic content. The b, ΔE values and water absorption index increased after extrusion. The increase of the water absorption index was higher after the extrusion process with the CO₂ injection especially at the lower melt temperature. The addition of corn fiber decreased L, b, and ΔE values, but significantly increased antioxidant properties under the same extrusion conditions.     

Relationship between the glass transition temperature and the melt flow behavior for gluten, casein and soya

The effects of moisture content (25–45% wwb) and temperature (75–120 °C) on the viscosity of gluten, soya and rennet casein systems was studied using a capillary rheometer. An attempt was made to relate the viscosities to the glass transition temperature measured by differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis and the phase transition analyzer. The temperature where the material flowed was also determined by the latter technique. All three-protein systems showed shear and extension thinning. Over the shear rate range investigated (1–10³ s⁻¹), gluten had a substantially lower viscosity than the other two proteins, although the difference was less pronounced at the highest temperature studied. This low viscosity is reflected by lower values of the glass transition temperature, the melt flow temperature and the dynamic moduli E′ and E″ in the rubbery state. The results are discussed in terms of the structure and heat induced changes for the three proteins and their relevance to food processing considered.     

Effect of extrusion process variables on physical and chemical properties of extruded oat products

The purpose of this research was tostudy the effects of initial moisture levels andextrusion temperatures on bulk density, waterabsorption and water solubility indexes, viscosity,and color of extruded oat products. The dehulledgrains were ground in a Brabender Quadrumat Seniormill and the coarse fraction, with higher amounts ofcrude protein, lipids, and dietary fiber content, wereconditioned to moisture levels of 15.5–25.5% andextruded in a Brabender single-screw laboratoryextruder. The water absorption index of extrudateswere relatively low (4.16–6.35 g gel/g sample) butincreased as the initial moisture of the raw materialas well as the extrusion temperature was elevated.The water solubility index was inversely proportionalto the extrusion temperature. Initial viscosity of thepaste increased with the increase of raw materialmoisture and extrusion temperature, while the maximumviscosity (at a constant temperature) diminished withthe increase of temperature. Products with lowervalues of L* (luminosity) and greater values ofa* (red) and b* (yellow) were obtained athigh moisture rates and at a 120 ^°C extrusiontemperature.     

Fabrication and characterization of oat flour processed by different methods

The properties of oat flour can be manipulated by processing to suit various consumption and product development needs. In this work, three different processes typically used on oat flour, namely the extrusion, drum drying and enzyme-treatment spray drying process were evaluated with respect to how each process changes the quality of the oat flour. Results showed that the extrusion process produced oat flour with the best flow ability while the enzyme-treated spray drying process led to the lowest flowability. The color of enzyme-treated spray-drying oat flour was the brightest while the oat flours turned darker after extrusion and drum drying. In addition, drum dried oat flour had the highest capability to hold water. In terms of particle size distribution, the extruded and drum dried oat flour showed smaller particle size and the particle had less complete and irregular surfaces. On the other hand, the enzyme-treated spray-drying samples showed the best particle uniformity and sphericity. The viscosity of all the treated oat flour decreased with increasing shear rate, indicating the shear thinning behavior, and a weak gel-like behavior with very high viscosity was obtained via drum drying. The results reported here can be useful and provide a baseline to fully understand how the oat flour properties changes with different processing methods to offer a wider opportunity in using oat flour for food product fortification and design.     

Prediction and measurement of residual stresses in injection molded parts

Residual stresses were predicted by a flow analysis in the mold cavity and residual stress distribution in the injection molded product was measured. Flow field was analyzed by the hybrid FEM/FDM method, using the Hele Shaw approximation. The Modified Cross model was used to determine the dependence of the viscosity on the temperature and the shear rate. The specific volume of the polymer melt which varies with the pressure and temperature fields was calculated by the Tait’s state equation. Flow analysis results such as pressure, temperature, and the location of the liquid-solid interface were used as the input of the stress analysis. In order to calculate more accurate gap-wise temperature field, a coordinate transformation technique was used. The residual stress distribution in the gap-wise direction was predicted in two cases, the free quenching and the constrained quenching, under the assumption that the shrinkage of the injection molded product occurs within the mold cavity and that the solid polymer is elastic. Effects of the initial flow rate, packing pressure, and mold temperature on the residual stress distribution was discussed. Experimental results were also obtained by the layer removal method for molded polypropylene.     

Miscibility of flame retardant epoxy resin with poly(ethylene terephthalate) and the characterizations of the blends

Epoxy resin containing bromine compound was melt blended with PET to obtain flame retardant polymer. The blend product was characterized by DSC, SEM, intrinsic viscosity and melt index measurements. The reaction between the epoxy group of DGEBBA (diglycidyl ether of brominated bisphenol A) and the carboxyl (or hydroxyl) end group of PET led to cross-linking of PET chains, and the intrinsic viscosity and melt index (MI) were increased in the range of equivalent amount of epoxy resin (within 1 %). DSC data revealed that the epoxy resin was not located in the crystalline region but was appeared in the amorphous region of PET matrix. Good miscibility of epoxy resin resulted in the decrease of crystallization temperature and glass transition temperature of PET. The blend was spun into fiber without any problems such as swelling or draw resonance, however, the mechanical properties were decreased as the amount of the DGEBBA was increased.     

Preliminary Evaluation of 3D Printed Chitosan/Pectin Constructs for Biomedical Applications

In the present study, chitosan (CS) and pectin (PEC) were utilized for the preparation of 3D printable inks through pneumatic extrusion for biomedical applications. CS is a polysaccharide with beneficial properties; however, its printing behavior is not satisfying, rendering the addition of a thickening agent necessary, i.e., PEC. The influence of PEC in the prepared inks was assessed through rheological measurements, altering the viscosity of the inks to be suitable for 3D printing. 3D printing conditions were optimized and the effect of different drying procedures, along with the presence or absence of a gelating agent on the CS-PEC printed scaffolds were assessed. The mean pore size along with the average filament diameter were measured through SEM micrographs. Interactions among the characteristic groups of the two polymers were evident through FTIR spectra. Swelling and hydrolysis measurements confirmed the influence of gelation and drying procedure on the subsequent behavior of the scaffolds. Ascribed to the beneficial pore size and swelling behavior, fibroblasts were able to survive upon exposure to the ungelated scaffolds.     

Extrusion process improves the functionality of soluble dietary fiber in oat bran

Extrusion processing is a thermal process applied to food preparation. However, its effects on food ingredients are ambiguous. The aim of this study was to elucidate the effects of extrusion processing on soluble dietary fiber (SDF) in oat bran. The yield, composition, thermal properties, rheological behavior and functionality of SDF in extruded oat bran were compared with those of SDF in untreated oat bran. The results showed that SDF in extrude oat bran had higher yields (14.2%), mean particle diameter (1718.1 nm), peak temperature (T_p = 69.0 °C), solubility, swelling capacity, solvent retention capacity, foam ability, apparent viscosity and consistency coefficient, and lower flow behavior index than those of SDF in untreated oat bran. The extrusion process improves some properties of SDF from oat bran.     

Effect of the Extrusion on Functional Properties and Mineral Dialyzability from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phaseolus Vulgaris</Emphasis> Bean Flour

The effects of extrusion conditions on cooking degree, flour dispersion viscosity and mineral potential availability of extruded bean flour were studied. Phaseolus vulgaris beans of the agronomic cultivar “Flor de mayo” were ground and dehulled to obtain grits and then extruded at different temperatures (140, 160 and 180 °C) and moisture contents (17, 20 and 23%), according to a bifactorial experimental design. Degree of cooking was estimated by water solubility (WS) and specific mechanical energy (SME). The effect of variables on WS and SME were analysed by surface response methodology. Flour dispersion viscosity and mineral availability (estimated by in vitro dialyzability), were also evaluated on selected samples. Results showed that, within the ranges of the variables used for this study, only the effect of temperature was significant on the degree of cooking. No direct correlation was observed between water solubility and SME, although a maximum value of WS corresponded to a range of SME values of 400–500 J/g was observed. Dispersion viscosity decreases as WS increases, so if high calorie density is desired, for instance in order to produce a cream soup formula, bean grits should be extruded at high temperature and as low moisture as possible, in our case 180 °C and 17% moisture. On the other hand, the effects of extrusion variables on iron and zinc dialyzability were not much affected.