Direct compounding technology for PC production Developed by partners EPC Engineering & Technologies GmbH, Arnstadt, Germany, and Coperion, this new process for PC involves transferring PC melt straight from the final polymerization reactor, together with other plastics like ABS and additives, into a special one-step direct compounding extruder. A Coperion ZSK twin-screw extruder mixes and homogenizes the ready-made PC compound melt before the final pelletizing step.
What’s new? The direct compounding process, which Coperion demonstrated alongside other extruder technologies at the K show. According to Coperion, the process uses existing technologies that have been combined and integrated in an innovative way.
Benefits Flexibility, streamlined operations, reduced complexity and cost-efficient production of high-quality PC products using non-phosgene polymerization. Directly compounding PC eliminates the need for storage and conveying of intermediate PC granules to additional compounding facilities, and simplifies the overall compounding process. It also eliminates the reheating and remelting of a second step, so less energy is used.
Coperion Corp., Wytheville, Va., 276-228-7717, https://coperion.com/en
About the Author
Karen Hanna
Senior Staff Reporter
Senior Staff Reporter Karen Hanna covers injection molding, molds and tooling, processors, workforce and other topics, and writes features including In Other Words and Problem Solved for Plastics Machinery & Manufacturing, Plastics Recycling and The Journal of Blow Molding. She has more than 15 years of experience in daily and magazine journalism.