| Intermeshing counter-rotating twin screw extruders are widely applied in polymer processing industry, especially in compounding and PVC profile processing. However, the design of this type of machines is generally based on experiences and error-and-try. In addition, most of the investigations on intermeshing counter-rotating twin screw extruders were made on the melt conveying region. There is a lack of adequate study on a complete extrusion process to this type of machines. In this study, models were developed to simulate the extrusion processes, including solid conveying, melting and metering, evaluate the performance of intermeshing counter-rotating twin screw extruders, and optimize the design of machines and operating conditions.;Experiments were carried out on a laboratory modular intermeshing counter-rotating twin screw extruder to observe solid conveying, the melting process and the global behavior of this type of machine. The solid bed is formed in the solid conveying region. The inter-screw region plays a dominant role in the melting process. Based on our observations, models were developed to describe both the solid conveying and the melting process. Based on hydrodynamic lubrication theory, a melt conveying model was developed to characterize the pumping capacity of screw elements in intermeshing counter-rotating twin screw extruders. The effect of screw channel aspect ratio (screw channel depth/width) was incorporated into the melt conveying model to improve the prediction of screw pumping capacity. Calculations were made to investigate the effect of geometrical parameter on screw pumping capacity.;Models of solid conveying, the melting process and melt conveying were integrated together and a global composite model was developed to characterize the whole intermeshing counter-rotating twin screw extrusion process. The global model is intended for both flood fed and metered starved fed conditions. This is the first composite model designed for this type of machines. Simulations and experiment results were compared and it was found that they match very well. This global model was further successfully developed into user-friendly software, which is used to design, test and optimize intermeshing counter-rotating twin screw extruders. |
