| Acknowledgements | 6 |
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| Contents | 7 |
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| 1 How to Use This Booklet | 12 |
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| 1.1 For Whom This Booklet Is Written | 12 |
| 1.2 Some Suggestions for the Use | 13 |
| 1.3 Conclusions | 14 |
| Bibliography | 15 |
| 2 What Do We Understand by Extrusion in Ceramics? | 16 |
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| 2.1 Shaping Methods in the Ceramics Industry | 16 |
| 2.2 What Is Extrusion? | 18 |
| 2.3 Criteria for Extrusion | 19 |
| 2.4 Feeding Systems | 22 |
| 2.5 Auger and Barrel | 23 |
| 2.5.1 Auger | 23 |
| 2.5.2 Barrel | 24 |
| 2.6 De-airing | 24 |
| 2.7 Extruded Ceramic Products | 25 |
| 2.8 Conclusions | 25 |
| Bibliography | 26 |
| 3 Ceramic Materials—The Malice of the Object | 27 |
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| 3.1 Definition of Ceramics | 27 |
| 3.2 Classification of Ceramic Materials | 27 |
| 3.3 Classification of Ceramics According to Applications | 28 |
| 3.4 The Main Properties of Ceramic Bodies for Extrusion | 28 |
| 3.4.1 Plasticity | 30 |
| 3.4.2 Yield Point, Viscosity and What Mr. Bingham Has to Say | 30 |
| 3.4.3 Homogeneity | 32 |
| 3.4.4 Grain Size Distribution | 32 |
| 3.4.5 Wall Friction | 33 |
| 3.5 Conclusions | 33 |
| Bibliography | 34 |
| 4 A Little Bit of Theory | 35 |
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| 4.1 What This Chapter Is About | 35 |
| 4.2 Basic Terminology | 35 |
| 4.3 Scenarios of Pressure Build-up in the Extruder | 37 |
| 4.3.1 Scenario 1: The Notorious “Backflow” | 38 |
| 4.3.2 Scenarios 2 and 3—“Backflow” Again, but for Other Reasons | 39 |
| 4.4 The Benbow–Bridgwater Equation | 40 |
| 4.5 How to Calculate the Output of an Extruder | 41 |
| 4.6 Conclusions | 43 |
| Bibliography | 43 |
| 5 How to Determine an Extruder and Which Data Do We Need? | 44 |
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| 5.1 The Decision Procedure and the Database | 44 |
| 5.2 The Decision Model | 45 |
| 5.3 About the Sense and Nonsense of Questionnaires | 46 |
| 5.4 Conclusions | 48 |
| Bibliography | 49 |
| 6 Plasticity or the Great Unknown | 50 |
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| 6.1 What Does Plasticity Mean in Ceramics? | 50 |
| 6.2 The Two Plasticities | 50 |
| 6.3 How Do We Measure the Two Plasticities? | 51 |
| 6.4 Factors Determining Plasticity of a Ceramic Body | 53 |
| 6.5 Two Methods to Measure the Development of Plasticity | 53 |
| 6.5.1 Good-Natured and Nasty Ceramic Bodies-the Consistency Curve | 54 |
| 6.5.2 Kneading Curve | 55 |
| 6.6 Plasticity or Consistency or Extrudability? | 56 |
| 6.7 Conclusions | 57 |
| Bibliography | 57 |
| 7 Mixing and Kneading | 58 |
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| 7.1 Short Introduction | 58 |
| 7.2 Mixing | 58 |
| 7.3 Kneading | 59 |
| 7.4 Macro-mixing and Micro-mixing | 61 |
| 7.5 Buffer Systems or Dosing Strainers? | 61 |
| 7.6 The Ceramic Body as Dispersed Material System | 62 |
| 7.7 Conclusions | 63 |
| Bibliography | 64 |
| 8 Extrusion as a System | 65 |
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| 8.1 What Do We Understand by a System? | 65 |
| 8.2 Components of a System | 66 |
| 8.3 Consequences | 67 |
| 8.4 Conclusions | 69 |
| Bibliography | 70 |
| 9 Laminations and Chaos | 71 |
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| 9.1 What Do We Understand by Laminations? | 71 |
| 9.2 Formation of Laminations | 72 |
| 9.2.1 The Pioneering Studies by BCRA | 72 |
| 9.2.2 Where Are Laminations Generated in Extrusion? | 73 |
| 9.3 Types of Laminations | 74 |
| 9.3.1 Flow Laminations | 74 |
| 9.3.2 Cutting Laminations | 76 |
| 9.3.3 Rotational Laminations | 77 |
| 9.3.4 Hub Laminations | 77 |
| 9.3.5 Laminations Caused by Insufficient De-airing | 78 |
| 9.3.6 Combined Laminations | 78 |
| 9.4 What Can Be Done? | 79 |
| 9.5 Conclusions | 79 |
| Bibliography | 79 |
| 10 About the Brave New World of Sensors and Control | 80 |
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| 10.1 Introduction | 80 |
| 10.2 The Mechatronic Model | 80 |
| 10.3 Why There Is a Compelling Necessity for Better Measuring Systems for Ceramic Extrusion? | 82 |
| 10.4 What Are the Most Important Operating Data for Extrusion? | 82 |
| 10.5 Aggregated Measured Values/Operating Data | 84 |
| 10.6 Conclusions | 85 |
| Bibliography | 85 |
| 11 Ancillary Equipment and Accessories | 86 |
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| 11.1 The Most Important Accessories for the Extrusion Unit | 86 |
| 11.2 Foundation, Base Frame and Supporting Structure | 86 |
| 11.3 Control | 87 |
| 11.4 Cooling/Chilling of Augers and Barrels | 88 |
| 11.4.1 Why and When Must an Extruder Be Cooled? | 88 |
| 11.4.2 Selection of the Cooling Unit | 88 |
| 11.4.3 The Major Operating Data for the Cooling System | 89 |
| 11.4.4 Also to Be Noted | 90 |
| 11.5 Vacuum Pump and Vacuum Monitoring | 90 |
| 11.5.1 Definition of the Vacuum Pump | 90 |
| 11.5.2 How to Measure the Level of Vacuum Correctly | 91 |
| 11.5.3 Types of Vacuum Pumps | 91 |
| 11.5.4 Regulation and Measurement of the Vacuum | 93 |
| 11.5.5 Checking and Testing the Vacuum | 93 |
| 11.6 Hydraulic and Pneumatic Equipment | 94 |
| 11.7 Screen and Die Changers | 94 |
| 11.8 Infrastructure
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