Werner and Pfleiderer ZSK

All EXL 4000/polymer blends were prepared on a Werner and Pfleiderer ZSK-30 twin screw extruder with a L/D of 24 and at a screw speed of 200 rpm. The melt was degassed. Polymers, EXL 4000 systems and modifier were all added in the throat of the extruder. After compounding, the blends were dried and injection moulded into test specimen on an Arburg Allrounder injection moulding machine. Properties of the polyamide blends were measured either dry as moulded or after conditioning until eguilibrium at 23°C and 50% RH. 

Three different extruders were evaluated in this work. One of the extruders was the Haake twin screw (30.5 mm diameter and a length diameter ratio of 1 10) that was employed in much of the above nylon 6 organomontmorillonite exfoliation studies. The other two were a Werner and Pfleiderer ZSK twin-screw extruder with a diameter of 25 mm and a length diameter ratio of 48 1 and a microcompounder manufactured by DSM (this is a batch compounder (3 g sample sizes) with a vertical barrel that is fitted with two conical screws that vary in diameter from 0.43 to 1 cm and are 10.75 cm in length). 

---