Polymer Science & Engineering
Polymer R&D
Screen formulations, characterize blends, and validate compounding parameters with milligram-to-gram quantities before committing to production-scale equipment.
01 / 05 — OVERVIEW
Polymer researchers work with expensive or synthesis-limited materials where every gram matters. The Three-Tec micro-extrusion platform compounds as little as 1 g on the ZE5, scaling through 9 mm and 12 mm barrels on the same Hybrid frame without changing the control system. Independent temperature zoning across L/D ratios from 15:1 to 40:1 enables systematic studies of melt behavior, dispersion quality, and degradation thresholds. The strand pelletizer and hot die pelletizer produce test specimens for rheology, DSC, TGA, and mechanical testing. Researchers keep full process logs — torque, pressure, temperature profiles — for publication-grade data.
02 / 05 — CHALLENGES
03 / 05 — WORKFLOW
How it comes together.
Select barrel diameter (5, 9, or 12 mm) based on available material quantity
Configure screw elements and L/D ratio for the target shear profile
Feed via volumetric ZD 5 FB or gravimetric ZD 5 FB i6000 feeder
Compound on ZE-series extruder with full temperature and torque logging
Pelletize for downstream characterization (DSC, TGA, rheology, SEM)
04 / 05 — TEST LAB
Run it in our lab first.
Our Piscataway, NJ facility is equipped to run feasibility studies for this application. Ship your material and we’ll process it on validated equipment — onsite observation or video-call available.
Explore the Lab05 / 05 — RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
