Multi-screw kneader and method for producing nano-composite using said multi-screw kneader, and disk-shaped segment used for said kneader and said method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11938657-B2
Application number	US-201916548132-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 22, 2019
Priority date	Feb 22, 2017
Publication date	Mar 26, 2024
Grant date	Mar 26, 2024

Abstract

A multi-screw kneader is configured to exhibit an extensional flow function before and behind holes of a disk-shaped segment and a method for producing a nano-composite uses the multi-screw kneader. The multi-screw kneader includes a plurality of kneading screws and the disk-shaped segment in a barrel. The disk-shaped segment partitions the inside of the barrel downstream of a part for supplying a kneading material and includes shaft receiving parts through which rotating shafts of the kneading screws are to rotatably pass and the holes are defined in a periphery of the shaft penetrating parts and are configured to serve as flow channels of the kneading material. The method for producing the nano-composite includes charging nanoparticles as a resin additive using the multi-screw kneader.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A multi-screw kneader comprising:
a barrel;
an input port for supplying a kneading material into the barrel;
a plurality of full-flight screws for transferring the kneading material; and
a disk-shaped segment for promoting extensional flow of the kneading material in the barrel,
wherein:
helical threads of the plurality of full-flight screws extend from a first position at or adjacent to a first terminal end of the barrel to a second position at or adjacent to a second terminal end of the barrel;
the disk-shaped segment is fixed in the barrel so as to partition an inside of the barrel;
the disk-shaped segment is at an intermediate position of the plurality of full-flight screws and on a downstream side of the input port;
the disk-shaped segment has: (i) a disk body with holes configured to serve as flow channels of the kneading material; (ii) a plurality of rolling bearings mounted on the disk body; and (iii) a plurality of rings fitted to the plurality of rolling bearings, respectively, such that mating structures on respective shafts of the plurality of full-flight screws are fitted to mating structures of the plurality of rings, respectively, whereby the disk-shaped segment is configured to suppress leakage of the kneading material between the plurality of rolling bearings;
the mating structures of the plurality of rings are holes with cross sections matching the mating structures on the respective shafts of the plurality of full-flight screws, respectively;
an upstream shape, an upstream diameter, and an upstream size of each of the plurality of full-flight screws on an upstream side of the disk-shaped segment are the same as a downstream shape, a downstream diameter, and a downstream size of each of the plurality of full-flight screws on a downstream side of the disk-shaped segment, respectively;
the disk-shaped segment is adjacent to the helical thread of each of the plurality of full-flight screws on both the upstream side of the disk-shaped segment and the downstream side of the disk-shaped segment; and
the holes of the disk body are constantly in communication with both the upstream side of the disk-shaped segment and the downstream side of the disk-shaped segment.

2. The multi-screw kneader according to claim 1 , wherein each of the holes has a diameter of 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm, and the number of the holes is 2 to 64.

3. The multi-screw kneader according to claim 1 , wherein a total area of openings of the holes on a kneading material flow inlet side is 20% or less of an inner cross-sectional area of the barrel.

4. The multi-screw kneader according to claim 1 , wherein the kneading material contains a resin and a resin additive.

5. A method for producing a nano-composite, the method using the multi-screw kneader according to claim 4 and comprising supplying nanoparticles as the resin additive.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the nanoparticles are selected from the group consisting of carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, cellulose nanofibers, graphenes, nanoclays, and carbon blacks.

7. The multi-screw kneader according to claim 1 , wherein the kneading material contains two or more different resins.

8. The multi-screw kneader according to claim 1 , wherein the disk-shaped segment consists of the disk body configured to be fixed in the barrel, the plurality of rolling bearings mounted on the disk body, and the plurality of rings fitted to the plurality of rolling bearings, respectively.

9. The method according to claim 5 , wherein a diameter of each of the holes is within a range of 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm, a depth of each of the holes in an axial direction is within a range such that a ratio of the depth (L) to a diameter (D) of each of the plurality of full-flight screws, L/D, is 1/12 to 1/4, and the number of the holes is within a range of 2 to 64.

10. The multi-screw kneader according to claim 1 , wherein the mating structures of the plurality of rings and the mating structures on the respective shafts of the plurality of full-flight screws are splined structures.

11. The multi-screw kneader according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of full-flight screws are juxtaposed such that the helical thread of a first of the plurality of full-flight screws is intermeshed with the helical thread of a second of the plurality of full-flight screws.

12. The multi-screw kneader according to claim 1 , wherein the disk-shaped segment has a cross-sectional shape of two circles partially overlapped such that a medial portion of the disk-shaped segment extends fully across an area between the plurality of rolling bearings.

13. A disk-shaped segment for use in a multi-screw kneader including a plurality of full-flight screws for transferring a kneading material in a barrel, helical threads of the plurality of full-flight screws extending from a first position at or adjacent to a first terminal end of the barrel to a second position at or adjacent to a second terminal end of the barrel, the disk-shaped segment being configured to be fixed in the barrel so as to partition an inside of the barrel, the disk-shaped segment being configured to be at an intermediate position of the plurality of full-flight screws and on a downstream side of an input port of the multi-screw kneader for supplying the kneading material into the barrel, an upstream shape, an upstream diameter, and an upstream size of each of the plurality of full-flight screws on an upstream side of the disk-shaped segment being the same as a downstream shape, a downstream diameter, and a downstream size of each of the plurality of full-flight screws on a downstream side of the disk-shaped segment, respectively, and the disk-shaped segment comprising:
a disk body with holes configured to serve as flow channels of the kneading material and material;
a plurality of rolling bearings mounted on the disk body;
a plurality of rings fitted to the plurality of rolling bearings, respectively, such that mating structures on respective shafts of the plurality of full-flight screws are configured to be fitted to mating structures of the plurality of rings, respectively, whereby the disk-shaped segment is configured to suppress leakage of the kneading material between the plurality of rolling bearings,
wherein:
the mating structures of the plurality of rings are holes with cross sections configured to match the mating structures on the respective shafts of the plurality of full-flight screws, respectively;
the disk-shaped segment is configured to be adjacent to the helical thread of each of the plurality of full-flight screws on both the upstream side of the disk-shaped segment and the downstream side of the disk-shaped segment; and
the holes of the disk body are constantly in communication with both the upstream side of the disk-shaped segment and the downstream side of the disk-shaped segment.

14. The disk-shaped segment according to claim 13 , wherein the mating structures of the plurality of rings are splined structures.

15. The disk-shaped segment according to claim 13 , wherein the disk-shaped segment has a cross-sectional shape of two circles partially overlapped such that a medial portion of the disk-shaped segment extends fully across an area between the plurality of rolling bearings.

Assignees

• The Doshisha

Inventors

• Tanaka Tatsuya
• Matsumoto Koki

Classifications

• B29B7/482 Primary

  provided with screw parts in addition to other mixing parts, e.g. paddles, gears, discs · CPC title

• B29B7/488

  Parts, e.g. casings, sealings; Accessories, e.g. flow controlling or throttling devices (discharging B29B7/582; feeding B29B7/60) · CPC title

• B29C48/505

  Screws · CPC title

• B29B7/483 Primary

  the other mixing parts being discs perpendicular to the screw axis · CPC title

• B29B7/489

  Screws (B29B7/482 takes precedence) · CPC title