Abstract: A rotatable screw for moving material in a plasticating process along an axis through a conduit from an inlet to an outlet. The screw having a feed section, barrier melting section, reorientation section and metering section disposed sequentially downstream. The screw includes an axial core, and a helical main flight that extends radially from the core and is formed with recesses located at the first periphery and extending through the thickness of the main flight and radially toward the core. A helical secondary flight extends radially from the core between successive helical passes of the main flight, and is formed with recesses extending through the secondary flight and toward the core. Materials conveyed along the metering section can cross through the main flight at the recesses and recirculate, in addition to passing over the periphery of the secondary flight, for still further enhanced and homogenous mixing, before reaching the outlet.

Abstract: A plasticating screw having a feed section, barrier melting section, reorientation section and metering section disposed sequentially downstream wherein solid material is moved from a trail side of a main flight to a push side of the main flight in the reorientation section. The reorientation of solids is accomplished by discontinuing a barrier flight at a terminal end of said barrier melting section. The main flight decreases its pitch and continues into the reorientation section, which has a longitudinal length at least 360° about the screw axis. A melt channel and solids channel in said barrier melting section merge into a substantially uniform reorientation channel in the reorientation section so that solid plastic material conveyed along the reorientation section moves toward the push side of the main flight.