Investigations of the mixing behaviour of pin-type rubber extruders

This paper deals with investigations of the mixing behaviour of rubber extruders. The requirement to obtain a high-quality elastomer product is a thermally and materially homogenous rubber mixture. Because of the highly viscous and multicomponent nature of rubber mixture, extruders require a thoroughly distributive and dispersive mixing behaviour. The current state of the art is the pin-type rubber extruder with cylindrical pins which extend radially into the screw channel, causing a constant deformation and reorientation of the rubber melt. As mixing is of crucial importance, the mixing behaviour of pin-type rubber extruders is analysed with the goal of optimising it. The starting point of the optimisation is the current cylindrical pins. Over the course of the investigation, new pin designs and geometrical arrangements are investigated.