English Abstract

Roles of Tip-Clearance Zone in Internal Mixers

Michiharu TOH
R D Department, Kurume Research Park Co., Ltd. Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan
Nippon Gomu Kyokaishi,(2011),84(11),342-349 General Review in Japanese

This paper describes the roles of tip-clearance zone between rotortip and chamber wall in internal mixers.
It would be considered that there will be the grinding and dispersion of filler agglomerate or polymer and the removing of heat from the mixers in the tip-clearance zone , the greatest shear zone, mainly.
Rubber mixing processes in the industry scale mixers will be extremely influenced by the heat generated in the tip-clearance zone. There will be the heat removal difficulties by decrease of cooling area with increase of mixer size.
The size of tip-clearance and the width of the rotortip of large mixers will be of great importance for these processes.

Keywords: Internal Mixers, Tip-clearance, Rotortip, Heat Removal, Industry Scale Mixer