Glass fiber-reinforced polyamide-6 (GFPA-6) was compounded using a HYPERKTX46 twin screw extruder with three different types of screw segments (rotor segments, kneading disc segments and turbine segments). Based on the ‘neural network’ regression analysis, we investigated the effects of compounding conditions, such as screw configurations, screw rotation speed, and production rate on mechanical properties, such as tensile, flexural and impact strength of GFPA-6. It was found that the mechanical properties of GFPA-6 changed in different ways with compounding conditions (screw rotation speed and production rate), depending on the type of screw segments. It was also found that the rotor segment exhibited good mechanical properties in wider ranges of compounding conditions than the kneading disc segment and the turbine segment, probably due to its mild and uniform mixing capability.

This study investigates effects of mixer type and operating conditions on the graft reaction of maleic anhydride (MAH) on polypropylene using a 2-stage type (NEX-T 50 ; combination of continuous mixer NCM 50 with single screw extruder, KE 65) and 1-stage type (corotating twin screw extruder KTX 44). The graft reaction by the NEX-T 50 achieved a higher reaction level than that achieved by the KTX 44. The high grafting efficiency of the NEX-T 50 is attributed to microscopic dispersive and distributive mixing of MAH and peroxide in polypropylene in the NCM at a relatively low resin temperature. The MAH grafted PP was then blended with PA 6, and the impact strength of the alloy was measured.The alloy of the PP grafted using the NEX-T 50 showed higher impact strength than that produced in the KTX 44.