Transient dynamics of polymer emulsification inside a twin-screw extruder: effect on process stability and particle size distribution

Solvent-free extrusion emulsification (SFEE) is a recently developed process for producing submicron particles of high viscosity polymers using a twin-screw extruder without hazardous solvents. Its rate dependency on mixing for catastrophic phase inversion makes the process knowingly sensitive to a variety of variables, included the manner by which it is started up. This study examined how transient dynamics at the beginning affects …