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Enhancement of melting through corotating disk processors
Author(s) -
Mekkaoui Abdallah M.,
Valsamis Lefteris N.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
polymer engineering and science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.503
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1548-2634
pISSN - 0032-3888
DOI - 10.1002/pen.760241609
Subject(s) - materials science , polymer , drag , composite material , dissipative system , mechanism (biology) , mechanics , melting point , thermodynamics , physics , quantum mechanics
Melting mechanisms in the corotating disk processor (DISK‐PACK) Farrel Company trademark. are presented and discussed. This polymer processor consists of disk elements attached to a shaft with the entire assembly fitted into a housing. All polymer processes are induced by the drag action of the jointly moving disks, compared to only one moving surface characteristic of single screw extruders. Experiments carried out in a 150 and 7‐1/2″ diameter corotating disk polymer processors indicate that polymers can be melted by either of two mechanisms: The drag melt removal mechanism and the dissipative mix‐melting mechanism. The former mechanism occurs when a molten film is constantly removed from both sides of the solid bed, while the latter takes place throughout a system of molten and solid particulate mixture occupying the space between the disks. A theoretical model is presented for the drag melt removal (DMR) mechanism in such corotating disk polymer processors. The additional capability to induce a dissipative mix‐melting (DMM) mechanism can increase the melting rate obtained from conventional mechanism by 300 percent and lower the exit melt temperature substantially. Melting rates over a broad range of conditions are presented for a variety of polymers.