Polymer / Nanocomposite Processing Pilot Plant
UDRI operates a 2600 sq. ft. pilot plant for a variety of polymer, elastomer, nanocomposite, and traditional composite processing operations. This facility is instrumental in R&D and commercialization efforts to scale up various lab-scale processes to a near-commercial scale, and it supports short-run polymer and composite fabrication services for customers. The facility also supports a number of funded research programs at UDRI requiring pilot plant space and equipment. The capabilities are summarized below.
Polymer Mixing
IKA 80 gallon mixing plant with recycle loop, progressive cavity pump, in-line 3-stage powder dispersing unit, heated jacket, and separate tube-in-shell condenser.
Ross mixer: double planetary mixer for viscous liquids, high speed powder
dispersing head, 2 gallon pot with heated jacket, vacuum port.
Readco Continuous Processor: configurable twin screw unit
capable of continuous mixing of high viscosity fluids, heated jacket.
Polymer Extrusion
Coperion SK-25 Devolatilizing Twin Screw Extruder, with two loss-in-mass pellet feeders,
7-zone resistively heated barrel with water cooling, 3 vacuum ports, vacuum manifold
connected to tube-in-shell condenser and large vacuum pump, pelletizing die,
downstream filament water batch and chopper.
Polymer Film Forming
Crompton Davis Standard 18-inch film line: interfaces with Coperion twin screw extruder
through melt pump and flex lip die for thermoplastic film extrusion, or can use separate
resin trough for thermoset film forming.
Composite Processing
Fabric Prepregger, 12-inch wide with dip tank, B-staging oven, and take-up rolls
Autoclave, 2 ft. x 4 ft. footprint, 800°F, 200 psi
Press: 14 in. x 14 in. platens, 10,000 lbs. force, 1292°F (700°C)
Fiber Spinning
Lab scale unit for production of rigid rod polymer fibers, includes water bath and heat treating furnace.
Convection Ovens: Blue M, up to 2 ft. x 3 ft. x 5 ft., up to 1292°F (700°C)
Diamond blade cutting saw and sample polishing unit
Lab scale unit for production of rigid rod polymer fibers, water bath, heat treating furnace