Modelling of the residence time distribution in a twin screw extruder

A continuous mashing system controlled by mean residence time

Continuous processes offer more environmentally friendlier beer production compared to the batch production. However, the continuous production of mashing has not become state-of-the-art in the brewing industry. The controllability and flexibility of this process still has hurdles for practical implementation, but which are necessary to react to changing raw materials. Once overcome, a continuous mashing can be efficiently adapted to the raw materials. Both mean residence time and temperature were investigated as key parameters to influence the extract and fermentable sugar content of the wort. The continuous mashing process was implemented as continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) cascade consisting of mashing in (20°C), protein rest (50°C), β-amylase rest (62-64°C), saccharification rest (72°C) and mashing out (78°C). Two different temperature settings for the β-amylase rest were investigated with particular emphasis on fermentable sugars. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and a post-hoc analysis showed that the mean residence time and temperature settings were suitable control parameters for the fermentable sugars. In the experimental conditions, the most pronounced effect was with the β-amylase rest. These results broaden the understanding of heterogenous CSTR mashing systems about assembly and selection of process parameters

Recent Developments in Mechanochemical Materials Synthesis by Extrusion

Mechanochemical synthesis, i.e., reactions conducted by grinding solid reactants together with no or minimal solvent, has been demonstrated as an excellent technique for the formation of both organic and inorganic compounds. Mechanochemistry is viewed as an alternative approach to chemical synthesis and is not always considered when developing manufacturing processes of fine chemicals. Here, recent advances are highlighted regarding mechanochemical synthesis, by utilizing a well-developed continuous technique - extrusion, and the advantages it offers to further support its use in the manufacturing of these chemicals. To put this work into context, it is shown how extrusion plays a vital role for manufacturing in the food, polymer, and pharmaceutical industries, and how the research carried out by these respective industrialists provides great insight and understanding of the technique, with the results being applicable in the chemical industry. The synthesis of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) is highlighted herein as an excellent example showcasing the advantages that extrusion provides to the manufacture of these materials, one advantage being the exceptional space time yields (STYs) reported for these processes, at three orders of magnitude greater than conventional (solvothermal) synthesis.

Mechanistic modeling of modular co-rotating twin-screw extruders

In this study, we present a one-dimensional (1D) model of the metering zone of a modular, co-rotating twin-screw extruder for pharmaceutical hot melt extrusion (HME). The model accounts for filling ratio, pressure, melt temperature in screw channels and gaps, driving power, torque and the residence time distribution (RTD). It requires two empirical parameters for each screw element to be determined experimentally or numerically using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The required Nusselt correlation for the heat transfer to the barrel was determined from experimental data. We present results for a fluid with a constant viscosity in comparison to literature data obtained from CFD simulations. Moreover, we show how to incorporate the rheology of a typical, non-Newtonian polymer melt, and present results in comparison to measurements. For both cases, we achieved excellent agreement. Furthermore, we present results for the RTD, based on experimental data from the literature, and found good agreement with simulations, in which the entire HME process was approximated with the metering model, assuming a constant viscosity for the polymer melt.

Influence of the process parameters on the characteristics of starch based hot stage extrudates

The influence of the process parameters on the characteristics of matrix formulations produced by means of hot stage extrusion was investigated using three experimental designs. The first one was designed to evaluate the importance of the screw speed (150-450 rpm) and the feed rate (2-12 kg/h), while the second and the third were designed to study the importance of the temperature profile (60-120 degrees C). The extrudates were produced with a laboratory twin screw extruder equipped with a 3-mm cylindrical die. The formulations consisted of 53% corn starch, 15% sorbitol, 2% glyceryl monostearate and 30% theophylline monohydrate as the model drug. The extrudates were characterized by Karl-Fischer titration, Hg-porosimetry, four-point bending and dissolution testing. From the first design it was concluded that the screw speed and feed rate hardly affected the water content of the extrudates, but that there was a clear influence on the extrudate radius, porosity, mechanical strength and dissolution behaviour. High screw speed-high feed rate processes in comparison with low screw speed-low feed rate processes caused an increase in extrudate radius and porosity and a decrease in mechanical strength and drug release rate from the matrix. It was clear that the contribution of the feed rate was higher than that of the screw speed. Expansion, promoted under certain extrusion conditions, could explain the obtained results. The second and third design revealed that only the maximum barrel temperature and not the whole temperature profile was responsible for the temperature effects on the extrudate characteristics. It was concluded that the maximum barrel temperature was the most critical parameter of the hot stage extrusion process.