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Twin Screw Visualisation Will Support Material Development and Significant Cost Savings
25/06/2009
Smithers Rapra the independent Rubber and Plastic Research and development organisation has announced that PEPTFlow the €3.35m European project has met one of its key aims of monitoring polymer flow in real time and under realistic processing conditions. The results generated will support further developments of twin screw extrusion, screw design and optimisation software. The benefits to the polymer industry are likely to be immense with improved mixing and energy saving opportunities.
The PEPT or positron emission particle tracking was developed from the medical technique of positron emission tomography and uses modified equipment from obsolete hospital scanners. A “PEPT” window was developed using an Aluminium barrel which allowed the gamma photons greater penetration of an area approx 100mm in length. The visualisation is a big step forward from Acrylic barrels, small windows and stop start techniques by allowing in-depth analysis.
Work continues on the results obtained so far whilst some of the findings are being used to validate new mixing software produced by the Technical University of Eindhoven.
A number of training events are being planned for 2009 to disseminate the major findings of the project, details will be on the project website www.peptflow.com
Please email Andrew James for further information on PEPTFlow.