HSM machines

A new class of polymer machine has been developed to apply the stresses required to rupture the crosslink bonds.

The machine geometry moves the material through a series of high-stress and relaxation zones whilst the integrated cooling system ensures that the material remains at controlled temperatures during the mixing cycle.

The machine is operated as an internal mixer. Weighed materials are fed into the mixing chamber which is closed as the machine is started. Typical processing cycles are optimised around a 10 minute batch time, after which the materials are discharged from the machine, typically to a dump mill or dump extruder from which they can be batched as strip, sheet, chord or pellets.  

Some materials, particularly those that have been highly filled and highly crosslinked, are better processed as a fine particle which can then be easily dispersed in fresh compounds. These particles are typically agglomerates and they will often combine to form a rolling bank on a mill. 

The process is operated at laboratory and production sizes. The operating principles of these processes are identical and the process results are scalable between the machines. this means that the process can be trialed on a new material at the laboratory scale and then transferred to the production scale with a minimum of delay.