Method for the forming of plastics

Claim 1

A method of forming thermoplastic and/or elastomeric materials utilizing a plastics processing machine of the type including a chamber having a predetermined diameter D, material supply means in communication with said chamber for supplying material to said chamber, means defining a material exit, and screw means operatively associated with said chamber for conveying said material from said material supply means to said exit means, said chamber defining a feed zone, a material heating zone downstream of said feed zone, and a homogenization zone downstream of said feed zone, wherein said screw means includes a melt torpedo disposed in said material heating zone having a plurality of alternating grooves and ridges thereby defining therebetween a plurality of alternating inlet and discharge channels for melting the material and discharging the melted material, respectively, said method comprising: (a) supplying solid material to the chamber; (b) melting the material in the material melting zone above its melting point to a predetermined peak temperature; and (c) allowing the material melted according to step (b) to cool in the homogenization zone to a substantially lower final melt temperature below the peak temperature prior to exiting the chamber via said material exit means so that at least comparable amounts of material can be processed per unit time at a lower final melt temperature than conventionally associated with the material.

Claim 2

A method of forming thermoplastic and/or elastomeric materials utilizing a plastics processing machine of the type including a chamber having a predetermined diameter D, material supply means in communication with said chamber for supplying material to said chamber, means defining a material exit, and screw means operatively associated with said chamber for conveying said material from said material supply means to said exit means, said chamber defining a feed zone, a material heating zone downstream of said feed zone, and a homogenization zone downstream of said feed zone, wherein said screw means includes a melt torpedo disposed in said material heating zone having a plurality of alternating grooves and ridges thereby defining therebetween a plurality of alternating inlet and discharge channels for melting the material and discharging the melted material, respectively, said method comprising: (a) supplying solid material to the chamber; (b) melting the material in the material melting zone above its melting point to a predetermined peak temperature; and (c) allowing the material melted according to step (b) to cool in the homogenization zone to a substantially lower final melt temperature below the peak temperature prior to exiting the chamber via said material exit means so that at least comparable amounts of material can be processed per unit time at a lower final melt temperature than conventionally associated with the material.