Design and optimization of an extrusion die for the production of wood-plastic composite profiles

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2015

Authors

N. D. Gonçalves (Author) FEUP; P. Teixeira (Author) Other; L. L. Ferrás (Author) Other; A. M. Afonso (Author) FEUP; J. M. Nóbrega (Author) Other; O. S. Carneiro (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Polymer Engineering and Science

Vol. 55 No. 8

Pages: 1849-1855

ISSN: 0032-3888

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 2 Citations

ISI Web of Science

Scopus - 4 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Engineering and technology

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00G-EBD

DOI: 10.1002/pen.24024

Abstract (EN): In this work, the optimization of an extrusion die designed for the production of a wood-plastic composite (WPC) decking profile is investigated. The optimization was performed with the help of numerical tools, more precisely, by solving the continuity and momentum conservation equations that govern such flow, and aiming to balance properly the flow distribution at the extrusion die flow channel outlet. To capture the rheological behavior of the material, we used a Bird-Carreau model with parameters obtained from a fit to the (shear viscosity versus shear-rate) experimental data, collected from rheological tests. To yield a balanced output flow, several numerical runs were performed by adjusting the flow restriction at different regions of the flow-channel parallel zone cross-section. The simulations were compared with the experimental results and an excellent qualitative agreement was obtained, allowing, in this way, to attain a good balancing of the output flow and emphasizing the advantages of using numerical tools to aid the design of profile extrusion dies. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 55:1849?1855, 2015. (C) 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 7