Abstract: An extrusion pelleting apparatus is disclosed wherein the outermost portion of an extrusion orifice is surrounded by a heat reservoir maintained at a temperature significantly higher than the softening temperature range of the polymer being extruded. The high temperature heat reservoir constitutes a heat source from which individual extrusion orifices may be heated above the polymer's softening range to assist in melting frozen plugs of polymer which may block the orifice from time to time.Also disclosed is a heat flow control mechanism, in effect, for slowing the heat release from the reservoir to the individual extrusion orifices for economy of operation while still making available such high temperature source for unfreezing such plugs.

Abstract: An extrusion pelleting process and apparatus is disclosed wherein the outermost portion of an extrusion orifice is surrounded by a heat reservoir maintained at a temperature significantly higher than the softening temperature range of the polymer being extruded. The high temperature heat reservoir constitutes a heat source from which individual extrusion orifices may be heated above the polymer's softening range to assist in melting frozen plugs of polymer which may block the orifice from time to time.Also disclosed is a heat flow control mechanism, in effect, for slowing the heat release from the reservoir to the individual extrusion orifices for economy of operation while still making available such high temperature source for unfreezing such plugs.