ComEX - Computer simulation in extrusion technology for customised bioplastics and biocomposites
The main market barriers to the industrial introduction of bioplastics and biocomposites are: firstly, the assumption of large variations in material and processing parameters, secondly, insufficient simulability of the processing procedure due to a too weak data basis and the lack of model validation, as well as thirdly, insufficient experience with the need for adaptation in process control and process stability.
By simulating selected processing steps with co-rotating twin-screw extruders, it should be possible not only to replace the material of individual products with bioplastics or recycled plastics, but also to transfer and expand this process to entire assemblies or series. The material data basis to be developed in the project is to be made available at the end in order to transfer important characteristic data for increasing the usability and marketability of bioplastics and biocomposites.
This research project is based on the following objectives:
- creation of a material database (material parameters) for simulation purposes for bio-based plastics
- simulation of the extrusion process in the twin-screw extruder and
- validation of the data basis and the simulation of the extrusion process to demonstrate the practical suitability.
In conjunction with this, the following three core topics, which are highly relevant to industry, will be specifically addressed:
- Determination of the conveying characteristics of screw elements and optimisation of the preparation of biopolymer melts,
- Analysis of the dispersion quality of extrusion screws and optimisation of process parameters and extruder configuration, and
- Design of extrusion tools for compounding purposes.
Project summary
- Project title: Computer simulation in extrusion technology for customised bioplastics and biocomposites (ComEX)
- Funding: Project management Jülich (PTJ)
- Sponsorship: Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
- Project partner: IANUS Simulation GmbH
- Project management: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Andrea Siebert-Raths
- Duration: 01.07.2021 - 31.12.2023
Contact
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Andrea Siebert-Raths, andrea.siebert-raths@hs-hannover.de