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All plastics are polymers, but not all polymers are plastics. Polymer production is a multi-step process that transforms raw materials into products that we use in our day-to-day life with the help of polymer process equipment such as extruders, calenders and injection molding machines.

Which polymers equipment do you need?

Polymer line granulator

When it comes to the low-dust and cost-effective comminution of mouldings, blow mouldings and sprues ...

Continuous high impact mixer

A high-impact mixer can help you to produce a homogeneous mixture when you are mixing powders a...

Laboratory scale active freeze dryer

The laboratory-scale active freeze-drying is used for dehydrating high-value products ...

High pressure air powered laboratory homogenizer

Offering lab-scale to small pharmaceutica...

Conical screw mixer

When you want to mix segregative, free-flowing powders and pastes that require perfect mixing quality and...

Conical screw vacuum dryer

The conical screw vacuum dryer is particularly suitable for the final drying of powders, granules...

In-process weighing system for mills

When you need a throughput weigher for modern flour/grain milling applications, the we...

Versatile open-mouth bagger

If you want highly precise bagger for bagging multiple bag materials, here you go. This versatil...

Robot palletizer

Palletize up to 1,800 large industrial bags per hour at a multi-pick-up configuration.

Wiped film evaporator

With wiped film distillation, a substantial decrease of boiling temperature is obtained by reducing the...

Short path evaporators

With short path distillation, a substantial decrease of boiling temperature is obtained by reducing th...

Laboratory wiped film distiller

Reach reliable conclusions testing the distillation of high-boiling or highly viscous materi...

Laboratory multi-stage distiller

A laboratory multi-stage distillers that combines the wiped film and short path distillatio...

Pilot multi-stage distiller

If generating an scalable data and bring in results with small sample quantities of high-boiling...

Deduster for plastic granules

Industries that use plastic granules see better product quality and decreased equipment wear a...

Deduster for injection moulding

High quality injection molded plastic parts require clean bulk resins free of dust and strea...

Small scale deduster for plastic granules

Industries that use bulk plastics see better product quality and decreased equip...

Laboratory granule dedusting analyzer

High quality clean bulk materials are used in many industries including plastics, foo...

Pipe bend to reduce fines

A specialized pipe elbow for pneumatic conveying systems that virtually eliminates the friction an...
Tumble dryer

Tumble dryer for granulated plastics

Vacuum drying at high temperatures is important in the production of granulated plasti...

Drum cooler for laboratory hot melt processes

Do you need to cool molten masses to solid, thin film or flakes in an R&...

Drum cooler for hot melt processes

Medium-scale production of extruded hot melt masses benefits from reliable, efficient co...

High capacity drum cooler for hot melt extrusion

Large scale cooling and extrusion of hot melt products on a continuous ba...

Steel belt cooler for hot melt extrusion

For producing high volumes of extruded hot melt product a flexible, high capacity ...

Laboratory GMP cooler for hot melt extrusion

Pharmaceutical R&D and laboratory extrusion of viscous hot melt masses re...

GMP cooler for hot melt extrusion

Pharmaceutical production of extruded hot melt masses requires a GMP designed, FDA approv...

High pressure pilot homogenizer

Biotech and pharmaceutical development programs often requir...

High pressure industrial homogenizer

For any industrial pharmaceutical process that relies ...

High pressure electric laboratory homogenizer

It’s vital that small units for experimenta...

Pilot high pressure homogenizer

For maximum value, a high-pressure homogenizer that’s suita...

Open mouth bagging machine

If you are a manufacturer of fertilizers, bulk chemicals, sugar, seeds, or any grains it is likel...

Open mouth bag filling machine for powders

The packaging of powdery products such as flour can be challenging as it is cru...

Form fill seal bagging machine

If you are in industries such as petrochemicals, fertilizers, animal feed, food, etc, you mus...

Vertical form fill seal machine

There is an increasing demand for a range of different package sizes of the same product. If...

Robot palletizing system

If you are a relatively large-scale producer, packing and transporting large quantities of products ...

Automatic palletizer machine for bags and boxes

The effective placement and positioning of bags and boxes can be a challen...

Thin film dryers

Dry dissolved or slurried crystallizing or amorphous products to a pourable powder.
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Tell us about your production challenge

When selecting production equipment for a production plant, it is important to talk to someone with experience in your field. Our industry experts have experience with various industrial applications. We’d love to help you!
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What are polymers?

Polymers are natural or synthetic substances composed of macromolecules that are multiples of simpler chemical units called monomers. Natural polymers are found in living organisms, including proteins, cellulose, nucleic acids and starches. On the other hand, synthetic polymers are derived from petroleum oil, with examples of nylon, polyester, and Teflon.

Addition polymerization vs condensation polymerization

There are two types of polymerization: addition and condensation polymerization. In the former, a polymer is formed simply by linking monomers together without co-generating by-products. The addition polymerization has three steps: initiation, chain propagation and termination of the chain. During addition polymerization, the monomers rearrange and form a new structure without losing atoms or molecules. It results in homo-chain polymers such as polyethylene, polystyrene and methacrylates.

During the condensation polymerization, monomers are joined by releasing other small molecules as a byproduct, for example, water or methanol, resulting in hetero-chain polymers. For instance, cellulose, starch, nylon and polyester are the results of this process. These polymers tend to be more biodegradable due to weaker bonds.

 

Manufacturing processes and polymer process equipment

Extrusion, calendaring…

Transforming polymers into practical products starts by adding additives according to the desired specifications. Polymeric materials in the form of powder, granules or melts are transformed into end products by extrusion. It is a process in which plasticized material is forced through an orifice and cooled once it achieves the favored shape.

Polymer process equipment includes a variety of extruders, such as ram extruders for short product lengths, gear pump extruders for pre-plasticized and low-viscosity materials and a single screw extruder which produces the majority of extruded products, especially those with a constant profile such as window frames.

Another widely used method is calendaring – processing molten polymers, mostly rubber and thermoplastic, by squeezing them between a pair of heated counter-rotating rolls in a machine called calendar, which can easily be set up to produce preferred thickness and size. This process is used to manufacture floor tiles, shower curtains, signs, and displays.

 

…and injection molding

Injection molding is the leading process for producing complex shapes, for example, toys, some musical instruments, or automotive parts. The process in the injection molding machine consists of four phases: plasticization, which transforms thermoplastic powder or granules into a homogeneous melt state, injection of melt from the plasticization unit to all parts of the mold cavity, setting of the melt in the mold cavity and ejection of the finished product from the mold.

Technological Innovations: the versatility and future of polymers

Polymers can be used for various and unique products, some of them seemingly aiming to change our lives in the future. For instance, scientists from Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency developed a polymer foam that can be injected into an abdominal cavity and later easily removed to stop bleeding. Harvard University scientists found a way to inject polymers through needles, heal damaged tissue, and use polymers in robotics to add flexibility. Polymers can further be used to create artificial skin, ideal for prosthetics. Moreover, polymers might be an answer to cancer, as Duke University scientists tested a thermally responsive radioactive peptide polymer that is effective at controlling tumors. Other innovative applications are scratch repair, lotions against intense heat, and creating transparent soil.

Sustainable polymers as a solution

Sustainable polymers are materials that cater to consumers’ needs without damaging the environment. Namely, renewable sources, such as carbon dioxide, terpenes, vegetable oils and carbohydrates can be used to produce a variety of polymer end-products. Sustainable polymers can be made by fermenting the plant material to produce monomers, such as plant-derived sugar to lactic acid.

Another alternative is extracting chemicals from the plant like soybean oil or natural rubber. Finally, bioengineering and microbial pathways can convert plant molecules into monomers. Renewable polymers found their use in packaging, automotive parts and 3D printing. Sthereochemists strive to find a way to manufacture sustainable polymers while they keep the mechanical and physical properties of traditional plastics.

Economic and renewable – using CO2 to make polymers

The ability to use, and therefore reduce, CO2 emissions and convert them into usable products is the perfect example of renewability. Having significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions, CO2-based polymers are a striking sustainable alternative due to the source material being abundant, renewable, and inexpensive. As a very thermodynamically stable molecule, CO2 requires a significant amount of energy to be activated which is achieved with a specially-designed catalyst that reduces the energy barrier.

So far, there are two different approaches to introducing CO2 onto polymers. One is having CO2 participating directly in the polymerization process as a comonomer. The second approach uses CO2 for building blocks that are yet to undergo the polymerization process. This method could almost replace fossil raw materials as nearly all chemical products that use them can be produced from CO2.

Processing steps involved in polymers making

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