A NFM/WE extruder replaces a full array of equipment-typically, three large tanks for coagulation and washing, a mechanical dewatering stage, and an evaporative drying stage. In real dimensions that's 60 ft x 10 ft vs 200 ft x 50 ft for all the separate equipment.

Extruder screws transfer material from one process stage to another, thus eliminating slurry pumps and preventing fouling from non-wiped surfaces.

The complete line can be started up or shut down in one half hour. Product can be changed in one half hour compared to conventional systems that can require several hours.

All waste streams are fully contained. For thermoplastics such as ABS, the hot air dryer is eliminated.

A small amount of solid latex particles are removed in the effluent water. These particles can easily be screened out and recycled back to the extruder resulting in reduced solids loss.

The amount of water required to wash the polymer is significantly reduced due to the small wash stage volume of the extruder and high water flow rate. Reduced waste water volume lowers waste treatment requirements and fewer potential emissions.

The crumb or powder produced by conventional finishing processes for impact modifiers like ABS poses a serious risk of dust explosions and requires special packaging, equipment, and procedures. In our process a dust free and easy to handle pellet is formed.

The NFM/WE process converts polymers from emulsion to pellet in less than two minutes. Wash water temperature and flow rates are used to control temperature, this technique has proven to be extremely reliable.

Hot air drying stages that can degrade the product are eliminated. Sticky, low molecular weight materials that cause contamination and dryer fires are easily dried in this process.

Residual monomers are removed under vacuum. The monomers can then be recovered from the waste stream and recycled, rather than being lost to the atmosphere.

Coagulation tanks, wash tanks, transfer piping, and most hot air dryers tend to accumulate material which leads to product yield loss. The surface area of the extruder is frequently wiped by the screws, which allows rapid purge times and reduced chance of contamination.

5,000-5,000,000 centipoise @ 100 reciprocal seconds.

10% and higher.

Temperature of the material is controlled by steam and water injection rates to achieve desired devolatilization without degrading the polymer. Thermoplastic material temperature is typically between 200&degC and 260&degC.

For ABS materials, rubber content up to 55% can be processed.