Polymer processing
Polymer processing refers to the technical treatment of polymers designed to specifically adjust their physical, chemical and processing properties. The process encompasses all stages between polymer production and further processing into semi-finished or finished products.
In the plastics industry, polymers are available in a wide variety of forms. These include powders, granules, flakes, agglomerates and paste-like systems. The aim of polymer processing is to adapt these initial forms to the requirements of subsequent processes. Key parameters include particle size and structure, moisture content, homogeneity, flowability and bulk density.
A key area of application is the processing of polymer powders. These include, for example, superabsorbents, functional additives or compounds. Such materials are often mixed with additives, coated or agglomerated. Alternatively, they are dried before further processing. Powder processing can be particularly complex, especially with high-purity or hygroscopic polymers.
Polymer processing typically involves large quantities of material. These must be as homogeneous as possible, for which amixon® offers solutions for large-batch homogenisation. Gyraton silo mixers can reliably mix container volumes of up to 100 m³. Furthermore, they can also be used for continuous mixing. The Gyraton® mixing system operates with very small drive motors and a particularly gentle mixing principle. Despite the low specific power requirement, ideal mixing qualities are achieved. In practice, these are considered to be as good as it gets. The mechanical stresses acting on the polymer material during mixing are very low. Thermal process steps can be integrated as an option.