Compounding internal mixers

Ghoreishy, M. H. R. and Nassehi, V., 1997. Modelling the transient flow of rubber compounds in the dispersive section of an internal mixer with slip-stick boundary conditions. Adv. Poly. Tech. 16, 45-68. 

SBR mbber compounds are prepared in two stages the nonproductive and the productive phases. In the nonproductive phase the compound ingredients are mixed, usually in internal mixers (Banbury). The mixing time is usually short and the compound temperature is in the 160—195°C range. 

Mixing. Ethylene—acrylic elastomers are processed in the same manner as other elastomers. An internal mixer is used for large-scale production and a mbber mill for smaller scales. In either case, it is important to keep the compound as cool as possible and to avoid overmixing. Ethylene—acryflc elastomers require no breakdown period prior to addition of ingredients. Mixing cycles for a one-pass mix are short, typically 2.5—3.5 min. When compounds are mixed on a mbber mill, care should be taken to add the processing aids as soon as possible, after the polymer has been banded on the mill. Normal mill mixing procedures are followed otherwise. 

Internal mixing is widely used with fluorocarbon elastomers. Gumstocks and compounds that are particularly successful fall in the viscosity ranges discussed earlier, and use both incorporated bisphenol-type and peroxide cure systems. A typical internal mix cycle mns 6—8 min with a drop temperature of 90—120°C. The typical formulations in Tables 4 and 7 are readily mixed in an internal mixer. 

More specific recipes appear in Table 3. The ingredients are added to the elastomers on standard two-roU mills or in internal mixers. Finished compounds are readily extmded, calendered, or molded in standard equipment. Vulcanisation of extmdates is accompHshed in Hve steam autoclaves, Hquid salt baths, fluidized beds, and microwave equipment. 

Polyethylene can be compounded on any of the standard types of mixing equipment used for visco-elastic materials. For laboratory purposes a two-roll mill is suitable operating temperatures varying from about 90°C to about 140°C according to the type of polymer. On the industrial scale, compounding is undertaken either in internal mixers, or more particularly, extrusion compounders. 

In most of these routes, premixing is carried out in a trough mixer at room temperature to give a damp powdery mass or mush . This may then be fluxed on a two-roll mill, in an internal mixer, or in a continuous compounder such as the Werner and Pfleiderer Plastificator. For many operations the compounded mass... 

Dry processes which obviate solvent difficulties are now preferred and are similar to those employed with the major thermoplastics. They include the use of two-roll mills, internal mixers, extruders and extrusion compounders. The use of dry blend techniques similar to that used more recently with PVC have also been used. ... 

Before fabrication it is necessary to compound the gum with fillers, vulcruiising agent and other special additives on a two-roll mill or in an internal mixer. 

Most of the compounds were extrusion compounded in a conical, partially intermeshing, counter rotating twin screw extruder (Haake Reomix TW-lOO). The extruder speed was set at 50 rpm and the barrel temperature profile was set to produce a melt temperature of 260°C at the die. Samples were injection molded in a 31.8 MT Battenfeld press with a 59 cc shot size. Where noted, samples were compounded in a 60 cc Brabender internal mixer and compression molded. 

In order to test this concept a series of compounds was prepared in a 5 L Shaw Intermix (rubber internal mixer, Mark IV, Kl) with EPDM (Keltan 720 ex-DSM elastomers an amorphous EPDM containing 4.5 wt% of dicyclopentadiene and having a Mooney viscosity ML(1 +4) 125°C of 64 MU 100 phr), N550 carbon black (50 phr), diisododecyl phthalate (10 phr), stearic acid (2 phr), and l,3-bis(tert-butylperoxy-isopropyl)benzene (Perkadox 14/40 MB ex Akzo Nobel 40% active material 6 or 10 phr). A polar co-agent (15 phr) was admixed to the masterbatch on an open mill and compounds were cured for 20 min at 180°C in a rheometer (MDR2000, Alpha Technologies). The maximum torque difference obtained in the rheometer experiments was used as a measure of... 

The compounds were mixed in three steps The first two steps were done in an internal mixer with a mixing chamber volume of 390 mL. The mixing procedures employed in the first two steps are indicated in Table 29.2. The starting temperamre was 50°C and the cooling water was kept at a constant temperature of 50°C. The rotor speed was 100 rpm and the fill factor 66%. After every mixing step the compound was sheeted out on a 100-mL two-roll mill. The third mixing step was done on the same two-roll mill. The accelerators and sulfur were added during this step. 

Silica compounds are generally processed in conventional internal mixers, preferably with intermeshing rotors. These mixers are designed and optimized for carbon black-fiUed compounds in which mixing is based only on physical processes. When a silica-silane reinforcing system is used, additionally a chemical reaction, the sUanization, occurs. One of the main influencing factors of the silanization reaction is the concentration of ethanol in the compound as well as in the mixer [25,26]. As the silanization finally reaches an equilibrium, low concentrations of ethanol in the compound are expected to enhance the reaction rate. 

The concept of the internal mixer is well accepted in the rubber industry, especially for the production of masterbatch compounds. Within a variety of materials the deformation of rubber compounds is relatively difficult due to the very high viscosity. Mixing devices have to be strongly powered and have to be designed in a very robust way in order to withstand the very high forces and momentum acting on the device. The most important benefits of an internal mixer are... 

It is well known that the cycle time of the mixing process in an industrial-sized internal mixer is limited by the increase of the compound temperamre. For example, typical mixing times on a 400 L tangential mixer with four wing rotors is of the order 200 s as can be derived from Figure 35.2. Especially during the last mixing phase the temperature increase of the compound is approximately l°C/s. 

FI CU RE 35.12 Typical fingerprint of a masterbatch mixing process on an intermeshing internal mixer (GK 320E (Harburg Freudenberger) with PES5 rotors styrene-butadiene rubber/carbon black [SBR/CB] tread compound). 

The softening of rubber by milling to enable the addition of compounding ingredients to be made. Mastication may be done on an open mill, an internal mixer or in a plasticator. See Cold Mastication and Hot Mastication. 

Any apparatus for making homogeneous mixtures of materials used in rubber manufacture, e.g., blends of dry powders, rubber cements of solutions and rubber compounds themselves. See Internal Mixer, Open Mill. 

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