Twin screw extrusion is often used for specialty polymer operations such as compounding, devolatilization, reactive extrusion, etc. The AAPPI conducts plastics formulation research with a 52:1 L/D Leistritz Micro 27 twin screw extruder (TSE) with an output up to 70 pounds per hour in compounding mode. With a switchable gearbox, the Leistritz Micro 27 TSE can be operated in either co-rotating or counter-rotating mode.
In addition to powder stuffing capability, high-pressure liquid or supercritical CO2 injection makes the AAPPI version of the Leistritz Micro 27 TSE a multifunctional platform for research and development of a diversity of polymer blends and alloys for subsequent processing and evaluation in injection molding, multilayer coextrusion, wetlay composites, etc.
