Plastic extrusion is one of the main technologies used to produce plastic products. As a result of this process, so-called continuous products in the form of profiles, plates, or pipes are obtained. This technology is also used to manufacture composite products such as reinforced hoses for transporting liquids or gases and electric wires. This process also produces packaging [ 1 6 ].
7,8,9,This process is quite well known and described, but research is still being carried out on modeling this process, both for the plastics themselves and those filled with organic fillers (wood flour, cellulose fibers) and mineral fillers (calcium carbonate, glass fibers) [ 6 10 ], among other substances. To sum up, this process consists of plasticizing the material in the plasticizing system of the extruder, and then shaping it by passing it through a properly shaped head, which is an open tool [ 11 12 ].
14,15,16,17,18,19,Plastics in the form of granules, powders, flakes, or chips are used as the starting material. Due to the technological process itself, the plasticizing mechanism and its rheological properties, various screw designs as well as boring heads are used, in which appropriate changes in geometry are introduced [ 13 20 ].
22,25,26,27,Polylactide (PLA) was used in the study of the extrusion process. It is classified as biodegradable plastic and is a promising polymer for this type of application. It can be produced annually with a capacity of more than 140,000 tons. Low greenhouse gas emissions and low energy consumption are also notable factors [ 21 23 ]. Substances of mineral origin, such as calcium carbonate and others, can be successfully added to PLA as fillers [ 24 28 ].
23,24,3 to about 1.35 g/cm3 depending on the type. Typical plastics (PP, PE, PS, ABS, and others) have a density of 0.9 g/cm3 to 1.05 g/cm3. This parameter is not without influence on the processing and production of products, both in the technology of injection, extrusion, or at least the increasingly popular 3D printing. In this case, this material is one of the most popular raw materials [30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,Products made from this material can be produced using the technology of injection, extrusion, and 3D printing [ 22 25 ]. Compared to typical polymers intended for these production technologies, it is characterized by a higher density, ranging from 1.20 g/cmto about 1.35 g/cmdepending on the type. Typical plastics (PP, PE, PS, ABS, and others) have a density of 0.9 g/cmto 1.05 g/cm. This parameter is not without influence on the processing and production of products, both in the technology of injection, extrusion, or at least the increasingly popular 3D printing. In this case, this material is one of the most popular raw materials [ 29 44 ].
This paper attempts to assess the PLA extrusion process depending on the process conditions, such as screw rotational speed and temperature. Studying the impact of these parameters on the extrusion process is important, both from the point of view of optimization of the production process, and the future development of computer models for designing and simulating this process. The study of the impact of screw rotational speed and temperature on the PLA extrusion process aims to understand how these variables affect the quality and properties of the final product. For example, temperature has a key influence on a plastic’s viscosity, flowability, and other rheological properties that affect the process.
Literature analysis in this area provides important information on the optimal ranges of temperatures and rotational speeds for traditional polymers (PE, PP), which lead to the best results in the extrusion process. The results obtained in this work can be used to develop a computer model that will predict the behavior of PLA under various conditions of this technological process. Such a model can be extremely valuable when designing new production processes, optimizing existing ones and anticipating potential problems.
The undoubted novelty of this development is the comprehensive approach that takes into account both the extruder system and the head tool.
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