CONTINUOUS KNEADING MACHINE AND KNEADING METHOD

[Problem] Provided are a continuous mixer and a mixing method capable of reliably and efficiently mixing a material having a large viscosity difference between a dispersed phase and a matrix phase therein. [Solution] A continuous mixer 1 of the present invention includes a barrel 3 with a hollow interior, and a pair of mixing rotors 2, 2 which are housed in the barrel 3 and rotate in mutually different directions, each of the mixing rotors 2 including a mixing portion 8 with a plurality of mixing flights 7 formed about an axial center of the mixing rotor and projecting radially outward. The mixing rotors 2, 2 are arranged so as to make a center distance therebetween smaller than a rotation outer diameter of each of the respective mixing flights 7. An inter-rotor clearance CR which is the smallest clearance between the mixing portions 8, 8 at each rotation phase of the mixing rotors 2, 2 in a cross section perpendicular to axial directions of the both mixing rotors 2, 2 has such a dimension as allows an extensional flow to be generated in a material passing through the inter-rotor clearance CR.