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Plastic pilot plant

CETEC has a complete plastic processing pilot plant focused on thermoplastics and elastomers formulations, compounding and transformation.

Formulation & Compounding | Plastic transformation at pilot scale

Formulation and compounding of plastics materials

CETEC develops ad-hoc formulations and compounds to achieve high-performance plastics and elastomeric materials. We develop masterbatches and compounds by extrusion at our pilot plant, validating their adequate processability and technical performance.

CETEC can provide an optimal selection of additives and an adequate combination of them, key to achieving the target properties, and developing masterbatches based on the selected additives.

We develop compatibility studies of different plastics blends, and effective dispersion studies of additives and combinations of them, including nanoparticles, into the polymer matrix.

We carry out processability studies of polymers including biopolymers such as PHA, PLA, TPS, PBAT, PBS.

CETEC provide technical assistance in the development of specific formulations and compounds to achieve target properties:

  • Improvement of specific properties: thermal, mechanical, barrier.
  • Formulation with natural additives.
  • Provide thermal and UV stability.
  • Provide active properties as antimicrobial and antioxidant.
  • Formulation and compounding upscale at our pilot plant facilities.
  • Technical advice during industrial compounding scale-up.
Bambury 1

We develop the different thermoplastics formulations and compounds by twin screw extrusion. We dispose of a Leistritz extruder, model ZSE 18HP, twin-screw co-rotating extruder. The screw elements are interchangeable providing different conveying, shearing, or mixing configurations. The material is cooled in a water bath and cut into granules in a granulator. The extruder feed is gravimetric with side feed for powder additives.

We develop the elastomeric formulations and blend them in our Banbury mixing machine.

Plastics transformation at pilot scale

At CETEC pilot plant we can carry out all steps to obtain your target product: Development of new formulations and transformation process optimisation to develop specific products at our pilot plant.  Technical advice during the industrial scale-up at your company.

CETEC works on optimising the plastics transformation processes, designing specific processing protocols adapted to the different plastics compounds. We can develop specific prototypes: films by blown extrusion and cast extrusion, multilayer films by lamination, and injection pieces. 

We can provide technical assistance:

  • Manufacturing of pre-series for product validation.
  • Study of transformation processes by different plastic materials.
  • Study of the application of alternative sustainable materials: natural fibres and additives, biodegradable materials.
  • Study of processing parameters to achieve the required technical specifications.

Blown Film Extrusion Machine

The blown film line has a monolayer die width of 60 mm diameter and 0.8 mm of die gap. Depending on the materials, a bubble diameter of 25 cm is achieved.

A three layers concentric die with the same dimensions that the one named above is avalaible. It enables us to produces combinations ABA, AAB or even ABC-

Layers are fed with three extruders. One is type E30Px25 L/D, with 8,8 KW power and compression ratio of 1:1.83. This extruder feed the inner layer or the monolayer film. The other two extruders are type E 20 TH 25 L/D with a compression ratio of 1:3.8

Injection Moulding Machine

Our pilot plant has an Engel injection moulding machine “Victory 200/50 Spex” with a maximum clamping force of 5000 KN (50 tons). It has no columns, which allows the moulding of larger parts due to a larger interior space.

It is equipped with a mould for moulding test specimens, which will allow the study of the properties of new materials through tests in our laboratory.

Calendered Or Cast Film Extrusion Machine

Slit width of 120 mm, gap adjustment via tractive pressure screws from 0.2 a 2.0 mm. The flat film is feeded by an extruder Type TH E 20 25 L/D, and a screw compression ratio of 1:3,8., then film is stretched in a polished cold roller.

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Improve your advanced materials research.
Alejandro Arribas: [email protected]

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