An experimental study of distributive mixing in fully intermeshing, co‐rotating twin screw extruders

Co‐rotating twin screw extruders are widely used for various mixing and reactive extrusion tasks in polymer processing operations. In this study, the prevailing mixing mechanisms of various screw elements employed in co‐rotating twin screw extrusion process, including regular flighted, and reverse and forward kneading disc elements, were experimentally investigated. A direct goodness of mixing technique based on pigmented thermoplastic elastomers and computerized image analysis was used. The results were elucidated in conjunction with mixing indices suitable for image analysis and the continuous mixing process. Significant differences in the distributive mixing characteristics of various screw elements were revealed.