Abstract: In order to prevent solidification of melt in the openings in an orifice plate of an underwater granulator during start-up, the water discharged from the housing of the granulator is diverted to a low pressure outlet so that during start-up a ring of water is formed on the inner surface of the housing. Thereby, melt strands from the orifice plate are cut in air and after the throughout of the melt becomes sufficiently high, the water discharged from the granulator is no longer diverted but is supplied to a post-treatment station and the housing becomes filled with water due to higher back pressure whereupon underwater granulation takes place.

Abstract: A compact plant for the post-treatment of wet plastic granules in which a rotatable or longitudinally displaceable conveyor-separator is movable between positions in which the wet granules are selectively dewatered or diverted from flowing to a dryer. A water tank is located below the conveyor-separator for receiving water or wet granules therefrom. Water separated in the dryer is also supplied to the water tank. A replaceable screen cassette is supported in the water tank.

Abstract: A screw-type extruder has a housing and at least one screw which is rotatably arranged in a bore in the housing and which conveys material while melting or plasticizing in a conveying direction to a discharge channel, a starting valve and a throttle for generating a back pressure on the molten or plasticized material being arranged in the area of the discharge channel. In order to avoid long flow paths of the molten or plasticized material via the throttle and starting valve, there is provided a starting valve/throttle unit having a starting valve and throttle body which is displaceable at right angles to the conveying direction out of a starting position into a throttling position.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for feeding carbonaceous materials into pressurized reaction spaces where partial oxidation or hydrogenation occurs. The feed is compressed into a strand material in a rotable screw conveyor which strand is disintegrated by fluid media.

Abstract: An apparatus for the extraction of melt samples, particularly from continuously operating plastics processing plants, has a test sample mould which is connected to a melt channel via a transfer channel. There are provided a shutoff device and a device for transferring the melt into the mould. In the transfer channel there is arranged a suction piston which sucks the melt out of the melt channel into the transfer channel which in this case is opened simultaneously. In addition, there is provided a pressure piston for injecting this melt into the moulding chamber. An apparatus of particularly simple construction is created in this way and permits extraction of melt samples without the melt coming into contact with the atmosphere, no dead spaces at all being created at the same time in the melt channel during the time when no melt samples are extracted.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for removing samples from a plastic melt for measuring the rheological properties of the plastic melt in which melt samples are removed from melt in a melt channel through a hollow probe arranged transversely of the direction of flow of the melt, the probe having an opening for the inlet of the melt samples. The probe is elongated and is displaceable along its axis in a direction transverse of the melt channel while being rotatable around its axis so that the inlet in the probe can be placed in various positions in the melt cross section. The opening of the probe is disposed at the periphery of a circle lying in a radial plane around the longitudinal axis whereby samples can be obtained in a three-dimensionally extending region.

Abstract: An extruder for the extrusion of a material composed of a mixture of substances in which an extruder screw is rotatably mounted in a feed channel of a housing for advancing the material to an outlet, of the channel whereat a screw tip is coaxially mounted on the extruder screw and is disposed with clearance in a distributor channel extending in prolongation of the feed channel to receive the material from the extruder screw and feed the material to a discharge outlet of the distributor channel. The screw tip has a discharge surface at an end thereof remote from the extruder screw, which includes a plurality of surface portions ascending generally helically in the direction of flow of the material. The surface portions can be flat or form a continuous discharge surface.

Abstract: In an extruder with a wide extrusion head and an associated calender, the wide extrusion head defining a sheet extrusion die 16 has an upper extrusion head, part 12 and a lower extrusion head part, which parts can be moved away from one another. At least one clamping device is provided which releasably presses the upper extrusion head part and the lower extrusion head part together and which is mounted in an associated side wall of the calender and is provided with a hydraulically operable piston cylinder drive. In order to achieve optimum clamping of the upper extrusion head part 12 and the lower extrusion head part, each clamping device has a tie rod which, on its one side bears against the lower extrusion head part or the upper extrusion part by means of a fixed abutment, e.g. a nut, or by means of an axially variable abutment e.g. a thrust box 51, which can be driven by a drive nut, the clamping device being mounted on the side wall to be freely movable in the upward and horizontal directions.

Abstract: Apparatus for charging solids into a pressurized container having a tubular lock chamber thereon. The apparatus comprises a feed device for supplying solids to the inlet of the lock chamber and a housing mounted adjacent the lock chamber for movement towards and away therefrom; a displacer member is slidably mounted in the housing in axial alignment with the inlet of the lock chamber; a first seal is provided in the housing for sealingly engaging the displacer member, and a second seal is provided on one of the opposed surfaces of the lock chamber and housing. The first seal is axially located along the displacer member at a distance from the end of the housing which exceeds the stroke of the displacer member in its travel between its extended and retracted positions whereby the portion of the displacer member which penetrates into the lock chamber will not come into contact with the first seal.

Abstract: Apparatus for introducing solid fuels into a pressure gasification reactor comprising at least one conveyor worm turnable in a housing for conveying finely divided fuel, optionally mixed with a binder, and compacting the fuel into a gas-tight plug which is discharged through a discharge opening leading to the pressure gasification reactor. The discharge opening is provided with a closure member and the housing has an outlet opening also provided with a closure member near the discharge opening. The outlet opening is open to the ambient atmosphere. The closure members of the discharge opening and the outlet opening are alternatively actuatable such that when one is open the other is closed.

Abstract: In order to improve the wear-resistance of highly stressed surfaces of a kneading disc in a helical extruding machine, the exposed tips of the kneading disc are provided with inserts of an extremely wear-resistant, hard material. In a variety of embodiments, the tips of the lenticular kneading disc are provided with bores and recesses for receiving the hard inserts. Advantageously, the recesses are cylindrical wells in which cylindrical inserts are soldered or cemented. The inserts may be made from hard metals or ceramics, for example tool steel or tungsten carbide or the like.