One of the oldest applications of extrusion is the processing of rubber. And after the real breakthrough in rubber extrusion (the pin barrel extruder in the early 1970s), virtually nothing has changed in rubber extrusion. Because the rubber extrusion process is essentially non-isothermal, a lot of energy is cooled away. Moreover, every size change leads to remarkable startup scrap. It means there is a huge impact on the carbon footprint. This presentation will detail methods and concepts by which the rubber extrusion process can be made more sustainable, especially if the user is ready for a paradigm change.

• Rubber extrusion is essentially non-isothermal and rubber rheology plays a dominating role
• WIthout a true understanding of rubber rheology it is impossible to optimize the extrusion process
• A deep analysis of the complete set of parameters from the complete extrusion process is mandatory to optimize the extrusion process
• Without this knowledge it is virtually impossible to create a more sustainable rubber extrusion process
• Viscosity of rubber is of paramount importance to saving the energy which is fed into the rubber extrusion process