Plastics Processing Techniques  

Processing Guidelines for Demanding Polymer Applications 

Material selection is only one part of a successful plastics application. Processing conditions, equipment setup, tooling design, and operator technique can all influence part quality, production efficiency, and long-term performance. Arkema High Performance Polymers provides technical resources to help processors better understand how advanced materials behave during conversion and how to approach common processing challenges with greater confidence. 

Arkema’s portfolio supports a wide range of processing methods used across industrial, transportation, electronics, healthcare, consumer goods, and energy applications. Our materials include: 

• Kynar^® PVDF fluoropolymers LEARN MORE
• Rilsan^® Polyamide 11 LEARN MORE
• Rilsamid^® Polyamide 12 LEARN MORE
• Orgasol^® Polyamide Powders LEARN MORE
• Kepstan^® PEKK LEARN MORE 
• Zenimid^® PI LEARN MORE 

Extrusion is a plastics processing method used to create continuous shapes with a consistent cross-section. In this process, plastic resin is fed into a heated barrel, where it is softened and moved forward by a rotating screw. The melted material is then pushed through a shaped opening, called a die, which forms the plastic into the desired profile. As the material exits the die, it is cooled, sized, and pulled forward to create a finished product. 

Extrusion is commonly used to manufacture items such as tubing, pipe, film, sheet, profiles, wire and cable jacketing, and other long or continuous plastic parts. Because the process runs continuously, it can be an efficient option for producing high volumes of material with repeatable dimensions and surface quality. 

For high-performance polymer materials, successful extrusion depends on controlling key processing factors such as material drying, melt temperature, screw speed, die design, cooling rate, and line speed. These conditions help influence melt stability, dimensional consistency, surface finish, and the final performance of the extruded product. 

Arkema's High Performance Polymers are used in extrusion applications that may require properties such as chemical resistance, toughness, flexibility, low permeation, weatherability, flame and smoke performance, or long-term durability in demanding environments.