Determination of Correlations between Melt Quality and the Screw Performance Index in the Extrusion Process

Area of Science:

• Polymer processing
• Materials science
• Mechanical engineering

Background:

• Analytical models aid polymer extruder screw design, reducing costs.
• Current simulations lack accuracy in predicting melt quality at the screw tip.
• Melt quality has multiple definitions in existing literature.

Purpose of the Study:

• Review existing definitions of melt quality.
• Establish a method for assessing melt quality.
• Investigate correlations between melt quality and screw performance.

Main Methods:

• Examined thermal homogeneity of the melt.
• Assessed material homogeneity of the melt.
• Correlated homogeneity metrics with screw performance index (SPI).

Main Results:

• Identified correlations between thermal and material homogeneity and SPI.
• Established a basis for using SPI as a target for predictive models.

Conclusions:

• Screw performance index can be linked to melt quality metrics.
• Correlations provide targets for developing improved melt quality prediction models.
• Further work will focus on predictive model development based on these findings.