The effects of kneading block design and operating conditions on distributive mixing in twin screw extruders

A mixing limited interfacial reaction between polymer tracers was used to directly measure the distributive mixing performance of a co-rotating twin screw extruder during melt-melt blending of polypropylene. The reaction between the polymer tracers, which are low molecular weight succinic anhydride and primary amine terminally functionalized polymer chains, was followed using Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR). Experiments were completed to determine the effects of flow rate, screw speed, and kneading block design on the distributive mixing performance and the residence time distribution (RTD). The only RTD variable that was significantly affected by the experimental factors was the average residence time. Distributive mixing with neutral and reverse kneading blocks was controlled by the average residence time, the fully filled volume, and the shear rate. Conversely, the mixing performance of a forward kneading block did not follow the same trends.