Research area »Material development and compounding technology«

The group Material Development and Compounding Technology is working on the development of formulations for thermoplastic compounds and the material-specific adaptation and development of their manufacturing processes.

The material properties and functionalities are designed to the requirements of the final products and adapted to the various forming and finishing processes. Compounding and reactive extrusion is carried out in our co-rotating twin-screw extruders.

The properties of plastic compounds can be specifically influenced by adding functional fillers and additives. Stabilizers, for example, often make it possible to produce and process compounds in the extrusion step without harming the material. Reinforcing fibers provide the required mechanical properties of the component. Depending on the desired property profile, powders, granulates, fibres and low to high viscosity liquids or gases can be incorporated, even in supercritical condition.

The process development comprises all tasks from the optimization of the screw configuration to the development of material-specific extruder configurations including the necessary dosing and pelletizing strategies. Far beyond classical compounding tasks, we develop processes up to the realization of completely new extruder concepts. Thereby new material modification concepts will be transferred to continuous twin screw extruders, which were not previously carried out with this continuous plant technology.

Design freedom, flexibility, and opportunities for product customization are just a few of the advantages of additive manufacturing. We develop polymer materials and processes for efficient large-scale additive manufacturing, validate material combinations, test printing strategies, and streamline processes.

We produce, modify, and optimize bio-based and biodegradable polymers. High-performance thermoplastics reinforced with short glass or carbon fibers are suitable for demanding applications. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) enable electrically conductive composites with very low filler concentrations.

Combining unreinforced or short-fiber-reinforced polymers with continuous-fiber reinforcements made of glass or carbon fibers can significantly improve the mechanical properties of additively manufactured parts. On our filament production and additive manufacturing systems, we tailor materials and processes to the specific requirements of our customers.

• General compounding tasks
• Biopolymers and natural fibre reinforced polymers
• Reprocessing / Re-formulation of recyclates
• Purification / odour reduction / emission reduction
• Functional Compounds
• New materials for additive manufacturing methods
• Polymerization and polymer modification by reactive extrusion
• Online process control

Fraunhofer ICT has a comprehensive range of technical equipment available for carrying out development work. The individual equipment and components can be assembled modularly according to the needs and requirements. Complex process chains can be developed or simulated hand in hand with adapted material recipes on a pilot plant scale.

Please find detailed information about our plant engineering in our brochure »Production technology - Compounding and extrusion«.