4. Technical polyamide production

4.1 Principle

In most cases, the polymers leaving the polymerization unit cannot be used directly to manufacture molded parts.

More often than not, they need to be dehydrated and various types of additives and fillers added.

This operation is carried out using an extruder, either discontinuously or continuously (figure 6 ). Extrusion takes place under partial vacuum, to eliminate residual water from the polymer and moisture from additives and fillers.

By incorporating specific additives, extrusion makes it possible to tailor polyamide behavior and properties more precisely, for easier processing and better performance...