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New polymeric materials, characterized by more and more new properties, including rheological ones,
in many cases are difficult to process and inefficient, which results in the application of proper
processing techniques and conditions. One of the ways to make their processing possible is to look
for new structural solutions of processing machines, especially plasticizing systems of extruders and
injection moulding machines that ensure their proper processing. This work presents various
constructional solutions of the plasticizing system of a single-screw extruder equipped with innovative,
original elements: an active grooved feed section (AGFS), a rotating barrel segment (RBS) and a special
screw (SS), structurally adjusted to a fundamentally changed barrel. The methodology of selecting the
best constructional solution of the mentioned vital elements of the plasticising system has been
demonstrated. Such an innovative extruder with an independent screw and rotating barrel segment
drive has been constructed and equipped with appropriate pressure and temperature sensors and an
automatic control system. Then, the process of extrusion of polymeric material with nanofiller in the
form of halloysite nanotubes HNT was carried out using a conventional extruder and an extruder with
the mentioned innovative elements. The extrusion was carried out for two different screw speeds: a
low speed of 50 rpm and a high speed of 150 rpm and using a smooth barrel and a barrel with four
longitudinal grooves with a maximum depth of 6 mm, width of 5 mm and length of 100 mm. Each
extruder used a screw dedicated to it. The efficiency of the extrusion process was checked by
determining the mass flow rate of the polymer, specific energy consumption supplied to the extruder,
efficiency of the extrusion process, energy supplied to the plasticating system and energy transferred
by the processed material. Appropriate relations were prepared and conclusions drawn.
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