ABSTRACT High‐performance screws, such as barrier and wave‐dispersion screws, are becoming increasingly popular in single‐screw extrusion due to their improved melting behavior, mixing action, and energy efficiency. In contrast to time‐consuming experimental trials and full‐scale numerical simulations, network theory offers a fast and user‐friendly alternative to analyze the melt conveying behavior of these screws. However, traditional models for flat channels introduce significant errors to this theory when applied to deep channel sections in high‐performance screws. To resolve this problem, an advanced calculation tool based on non‐isothermal network‐theory is proposed, which features novel regression models that fully capture the effects of shear‐thinning, channel curvature and undercut flights on the flow. The effectiveness of this approach is then tested by recalculating experiments on a high‐speed, small‐scale industrial extruder. In most cases, the computed pressure profiles closely match the experimental values, and the advanced models generally provide more accurate predictions compared to their most potent predecessors. The enhanced predictive power of the advanced network‐based calculations can aid in more efficient design and troubleshooting of high‐performance single‐screw extruders, thus contributing to more reliable and sustainable extrusion processes.
Herzog et al. (Wed,) studied this question.