After the prohibition of CFC, IKV intensifies it‘s research on foam extrusion with alternative blowing agents for now more than 10 years using mainly carbon dioxide (CO₂). As materials, polystyrene (PS), polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) are preferentially used for investigation.

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For many years, the IKV is active in the field of thermoforming. Besides the analysis and the further development of existing processes, additional fields of applications with new variations of the process are developed.

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A major research focus of the IKV is the integrative approach, observing the entire process chain from the raw material, to compounding and processing within extrusion or injection molding processes up to the final product. Seen from this perspective the design of single and twin screw extruders becomes an essential part. This includes practical analysis and model description of processes occurring inside an extruder.

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A particular quality of the Institute of Plastics Processing (IKV) is the integrative examination of the whole process chain. Starting with the focus on polymeric raw material, these chains are studied, considering compounding and manufacturing of semi-finished products with respect to the influences of the extrusion process, to the point of investigating the further processing to the final part. The group “laboratory scaled extrusion” excels at developing flexible and individual approaches to solve problems of the film extrusion process. For research, films are produced in small batch sizes using small amounts of material. (Read more in the PDF)

Due to its widespread application, film extrusion is one of the most important plastic manufacturing processes. At IKV the film extrusion groups are responsible for any issue concerning the film extrusion process (blown and flat film) using thermoplastic resins.

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A particular strength of the Institute of Plastics Processing (IKV) in extrusion is the integrative examination of the whole process chain. The process chain starts with the raw polymeric material, considers the compounding and the production of semi-finished parts and goes to the point of further processing of the final part. Our group “die design“, in close cooperation with the Center of Plastic Analysis and Testing (KAP) that is providing distinctive material parameters of polymer melts, focuses on an optimized design of extrusion dies taking material and operational point specific requirements into account. (Read more in the PDF.)

For more than 20 years, the workgroup “compounding and reactive extrusion” has been doing research in the synthesis, processing and recycling of thermoplastics with corotating twin screw extruders.

In close collaboration with three industrial partners, the IKV developed a process for extracting diesel residues from postconsumer fuel tank material with super critical CO₂. The recycled material was successfully processed by blow moulding. (Read more in the PDF)

Quality documentation has become more and more important for the plastics processing industry. For this reason, the research group “Digital image processing / Quality assurance” at the Institute of Plastics Processing (IKV) develops novel strategies for measurement, inspection and quality control. Two-dimensional (2d) optical imaging techniques as well as the novel three-dimensional (3d) x-ray microtomography (micro-ct) imaging technique are applied. (Read more in the PDF)

In extrusion blow moulding, hollow plastic articles are produced. At the IKV, the research activities focus on process analysis and the development of alternative processes for decreasing material costs and cooling time. (Read more in the PDF)

The research activities of IKV include the complete width of rubber technology. In the field of rubber processing, the department of extrusion and further processing is working on projects concerning rubber compounding and extrusion. In rubber compounding, the main focus of the research activities is on development and optimisation of mixing processes for the production of elastomers with well-defined properties. In rubber extrusion, production and characterisation of cellular rubber profiles with chemical and physical blowing agents is one of the main research topics. (Read more in the PDF)

The two-stage stretch blow moulding process has established itself for the production of high quality PET containers with excellent mechanical and optical properties. The IKV is engaged with the complete scope of this production technology.

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