Kneader

Abstract

To provide a kneader capable of uniformly kneading a large amount of a material to be kneaded at a time.SOLUTION: The kneader (10) has a cylindrical kneading chamber (11) and a cylindrical member arranged in the kneading chamber (11) having a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the kneading chamber (11) and having a central axis (121) parallel to the central axis (111) of the kneading chamber (11) at a distance from the central axis (111) of the kneading chamber. The eccentric rotor (12) rotates about the central axis (111) of the mixing chamber.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a kneader for kneading a plurality of fluid (liquid, gel, sol) materials, for example, polymer materials and additives. [Background technology]

[0002] Additives are added to plastics, rubber, etc. for the purpose of improving heat resistance, etc. For this reason, when producing these plastics, rubber, etc., an operation of kneading the additives with the flowable polymer material that is the material for these plastics, rubber, etc. is carried out.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a two-rotor type kneader. The kneading chamber of this kneader is generally cylindrical, and its cross-sectional shape is a cocoon shape formed by two circles partially overlapping each other. As a result, the kneading chamber is composed of two partial chambers, each of which is roughly cylindrical. A rotor that rotates around the central axis of the cylinder is disposed in each partial chamber, and each rotor has a cross-sectional shape that is an ellipse centered on the center of the circle and whose major axis is slightly smaller than the diameter of the circle (the inner diameter of each partial chamber). Both rotors rotate synchronously within each partial chamber so that their major axes form an angle of 90° with each other.

[0004] According to the kneader described in Patent Document 1, the material to be kneaded is placed in the kneading chamber and the two rotors are rotated, so that the material to be kneaded is kneaded while being subjected to a shearing action in the linear gap (tip clearance) between the tip of the rotor's long diameter and the inner wall surface of each partial chamber. In addition, the long diameter of the rotor repeatedly pushes the material to be kneaded from one partial chamber to the other, thereby promoting the mixing of multiple materials that make up the material to be kneaded. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-000916 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the kneader described in Patent Document 1, the material to be kneaded is subjected to a shearing action in a tip clearance extending in the direction of the central axis of the cylinder at the end of the long diameter of the rotor. If the width of this tip clearance is narrow, a sufficient shearing action cannot be applied, and kneading takes time, and some materials cannot be kneaded uniformly. On the other hand, if the ratio of the long diameter to the short diameter of the rotor is brought close to 1 (the cross-sectional shape of the rotor is brought close to a perfect circle), the curvature of the end of the long diameter of the rotor is close to the curvature of the inner wall surface of the partial chamber, and the width of the tip clearance where the shearing action is applied can be made wide, but the short diameter is brought close to the inner diameter of the partial chamber, and the space between the inner wall of the kneading chamber and the rotor (hereinafter referred to as "holding clearance") becomes small. As a result, the amount of material to be kneaded that can be accommodated and kneaded in the kneading chamber at one time is reduced.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a kneader capable of uniformly kneading a large amount of material at once. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The kneader according to the present invention, which has been made to solve the above problems, comprises: a) a cylindrical kneading chamber; b) an eccentric rotor, which is a cylindrical member arranged in the kneading chamber, has a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the kneading chamber, has a central axis parallel to the central axis of the kneading chamber at a position separated from the central axis of the kneading chamber, and rotates around the central axis of the kneading chamber; The present invention is characterized by comprising:

[0009] When using the kneader according to the present invention, the material to be kneaded is placed in the space (holding clearance) between the inner wall surface of the kneading chamber and the eccentric rotor, and the eccentric rotor is rotated around the central axis of the kneading chamber. Since the rotation axis of the eccentric rotor is located away from the central axis (eccentric), the side of the eccentric rotor is closest to the inner surface of the kneading chamber at the farthest position (farthest position) from the rotation axis (= the central axis of the kneading chamber). The material to be kneaded is kneaded while being subjected to a shearing action near this closest position.

[0010] According to the kneader of the present invention, by using a rotor (eccentric rotor) having a circular (perfectly circular) columnar shape, the curvature of the side surface of the rotor at the position closest to the inner surface of the kneading chamber (farthest position) can be made to be close to the curvature of the inner surface, thereby widening the width of the area (tip clearance) where a shearing action occurs. Therefore, a sufficient shearing action can be applied to the material to be kneaded, the time required for kneading can be shortened, and the material can be kneaded uniformly. In addition, since the eccentric rotor is eccentric, a wide space (holding clearance) for accommodating the material to be kneaded can be secured between the inner surface of the kneading chamber at the opposite position of the farthest position of the rotor (the position where the side surface of the eccentric rotor is closest to the rotation axis: nearest position), so that the amount of the material to be kneaded that can be accommodated and kneaded at one time can be increased.

[0011] In the kneader according to the present invention, it is preferable that the minimum gap between the eccentric rotor and the inner wall of the kneading chamber at the farthest position (tip clearance) is 100 μm or less. This ensures that a shearing action can be applied reliably when kneading typical materials to be kneaded, such as plastics and rubber, and that the materials to be kneaded can be kneaded uniformly in a short time. In addition, in such a gap, a flow such as an extensional flow or a Taylor vortex flow can be generated in the materials to be kneaded, and kneading of the materials to be kneaded can be promoted.

[0012] The diameter of the eccentric rotor is preferably larger than 1 / 2 the inner diameter of the kneading chamber in order to widen the tip clearance, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be 1 / 2 or smaller than the inner diameter of the kneading chamber.

[0013] The kneading machine according to the present invention may further include a heater for heating the inside of the kneading chamber. By heating with this heater, it becomes possible to knead materials including those that do not have fluidity at room temperature, such as plastic materials. The heater may be provided on the outer periphery of the cylinder of the kneading chamber.

[0014] On the other hand, the kneading machine according to the present invention may further include a cooler for cooling the inside of the kneading chamber. When a shearing action is applied to the material to be kneaded, heat is generated (shear heating), so by operating the cooler, it is possible to prevent the temperature of the material to be kneaded from rising excessively and prevent the material from deteriorating. The cooler may be one that is composed of a refrigerant flow path provided in the wall of the kneading chamber and a means for supplying the refrigerant to the flow path.

[0015] The kneading machine according to the present invention may further include a temperature sensor that measures the temperature inside the kneading chamber, and a temperature controller that controls the heater and the cooler based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor, thereby making it possible to control the temperature inside the kneading chamber.

[0016] The kneader according to the present invention may further include a sealing mechanism for sealing the inside of the kneading chamber and a vacuum mechanism for creating a vacuum in the kneading chamber. Alternatively, the kneader may include the sealing mechanism and an inert gas introduction mechanism for introducing an inert gas into the kneading chamber. With these configurations, the material to be kneaded can be kneaded without being exposed to air.

[0017] The kneader according to the present invention may further include a kneaded material discharge port consisting of a nozzle or a hole provided in the wall of the kneading chamber (not limited to the side wall, but may be the bottom wall, the top wall, or a lid attached to the kneading chamber). When a hole is provided in the side wall or the bottom wall, a removable plug is also provided in the hole. With such a kneaded material discharge port, the kneaded material that has been kneaded can be taken out from the kneaded material discharge port. Instead of providing such a kneaded material discharge port, a lid may be provided on the kneading chamber and the kneaded material may be taken out by opening the lid.

[0018] In the kneader according to the present invention, the eccentric rotor can be one comprising a central cylindrical portion on the central shaft side and a cylindrical sleeve portion fitted onto the outside of the central cylindrical portion.

[0019] In a kneader equipped with an eccentric rotor consisting of such a central cylindrical portion and a sleeve portion, as the eccentric rotor rotates, the sleeve portion rotates relative to the central cylindrical portion due to resistance from the material to be kneaded that is present in the tip clearance.

[0020] Some materials to be mixed may adhere to the eccentric rotor. In such a case, the material to be mixed cannot be sent to the tip clearance, and the entire material to be mixed may not be mixed uniformly. In contrast, in a mixer having an eccentric rotor consisting of a central cylindrical portion and a sleeve portion, even if the material to be mixed adheres to the side of the sleeve portion in an area other than the tip clearance, when the central cylindrical portion rotates about the rotation axis of the eccentric rotor (i.e., the central cylindrical portion rotates about the central axis of the kneading chamber = revolves), the sleeve portion is forced to rotate as if rolling on the inner surface of the kneading chamber due to friction between the central cylindrical portion and the inner surface of the sleeve portion. As a result, the material to be mixed that adheres to the surface of the sleeve portion is forcibly dragged into the tip clearance. In this way, the entire material to be mixed can be mixed uniformly.

[0021] The inner surfaces of the central cylindrical part and the sleeve part may be in surface contact with each other, but a small gap may be provided between them so that the sleeve part can rotate smoothly. The height (length) of the central cylindrical part and the height (length) of the sleeve part may be the same, or one of them may be higher (longer) than the other. The height of the sleeve part may be determined according to the expected amount of the material to be kneaded so that it is higher than the height of the material to be kneaded to be accommodated in the holding clearance. Effect of the Invention

[0022] According to the kneader of the present invention, a large amount of materials to be kneaded can be uniformly kneaded at one time. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of a kneader according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the kneader of the present embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the kneading machine of the present embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a modified example of a kneader according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 5] 2A and 2B are plan views and partially enlarged views for explaining the operation of the kneader of the present embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a modified example in which a temperature controller is provided in the kneader of the present embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a modified example in which a vacuum pump and / or an inert gas source is provided in the kneader of the present embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a modified example of the kneader of the present embodiment, which has an eccentric rotor composed of a central cylindrical portion and a sleeve portion. [Figure 9] 13A and 13B are plan views showing the operation of an example having a unitary eccentric rotor. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing the operation of a modified example having an eccentric rotor consisting of a central cylindrical portion and a sleeve portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] An embodiment of a kneader according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 10.

[0025] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the kneading machine 10 of this embodiment has a kneading chamber (kneading container) 11, an eccentric rotor 12, a cooler 13, a heater 14, a kneaded material discharge nozzle (kneaded material discharge port) 15, a motor 16 (not shown in Figures 1 and 2), and a handle 17.

[0026] The kneading chamber 11 has a cylindrical shape with one end closed. A cooler 13 is provided within the wall of the kneading chamber 11 as described below.

[0027] The eccentric rotor 12 is a cylindrical member arranged in the kneading chamber 11. The diameter r2 of the eccentric rotor 12 is smaller than the inner diameter r1 of the kneading chamber 11. The (cylindrical) central axis 121 of the eccentric rotor 12 is parallel to the central axis 111 of the kneading chamber 11 and is located away from the central axis 111. The eccentric rotor 12 rotates not around its own central axis 121 but around a rotation axis 122 that coincides with the central axis 111 of the kneading chamber 11. In other words, the rotation axis 122 of the eccentric rotor 12 is offset from the central axis 121 of its own.

[0028] Since the rotating shaft 122 of the eccentric rotor 12 is eccentric in this manner, the side surface 125 of the eccentric rotor 12 is closest to the inner surface 115 of the kneading chamber 11 at the furthest position 126, which is the position farthest from the rotating shaft 122. At this furthest position 126, a small gap (tip clearance 116) is formed between the side surface 125 of the eccentric rotor 12 and the inner surface 115 of the kneading chamber 11. The size L of the tip clearance 116 (the shortest distance between the side surface 125 of the eccentric rotor 12 and the inner surface 115 of the kneading chamber 11) is preferably 100 μm or less so that a shearing action can be reliably applied when kneading a material to be kneaded, which is made of molten polymer such as plastic or rubber.

[0029] The size of the tip clearance 116 is not limited to the above-mentioned 100 μm or less. For example, when the material to be kneaded is made of a material that has a lower viscosity than a general molten polymer and can be kneaded more easily, the size of the tip clearance 116 may exceed 100 μm (for example, within the range of 100 to 200 μm). On the other hand, in order to apply a larger shear force, it is more desirable to set the size of the tip clearance 116 to 50 μm or less. However, if the tip clearance 116 is too small, the amount of the material to be kneaded to which a shear force can be applied at one time becomes too small, and the time required for kneading is rather extended. Therefore, the size of the tip clearance 116 is preferably 10 μm or more, more preferably 40 μm or more, and even more preferably 50 μm or more. In addition, it is preferable to adjust the size of the tip clearance 116 so that an appropriate shear force can be applied according to the viscosity of the material to be kneaded, the properties (solid, liquid) of the material to be kneaded, and the like.

[0030] On the other hand, on the opposite side to the farthest position 126, at a nearest position 127 where the side surface 125 of the eccentric rotor 12 is the closest position to the rotation shaft 122, a space is formed between the side surface 125 and the inner surface 115 of the kneading chamber 11. This space is a holding clearance 117 in which the material to be kneaded is accommodated when the kneader 10 is in use.

[0031] The motor 16 is connected to the upper end of the rotating shaft 122 via a clutch 1221. The clutch 1221 can connect / disconnect the motor 16 and the rotating shaft 122 by providing a movement mechanism that moves the relative positions of the motor 16 and the rotating shaft 122 in the vertical direction. The clutch 1221 may be omitted.

[0032] The rotating shaft 122 may also be provided on the lower surface of the eccentric rotor 12 so as to protrude downward (FIG. 4). In this case, the rotating shaft 122 penetrates the bottom of the kneading chamber 11 and is connected to the motor 16 below the kneading chamber 11. By providing the rotating shaft 122 on the lower surface of the eccentric rotor 12 in this manner, a removable lid 113 can be attached to the upper side of the kneading chamber 11. Even when the rotating shaft 122 is provided on the upper surface of the eccentric rotor 12 as in FIGS. 1 to 3, a hole may be provided at a position corresponding to the rotating shaft 122, and a lid divided into two (or more) pieces may be attached to the upper side of the kneading chamber 11.

[0033] The cooler 13 includes a cylinder 130 which is a cylindrical member covering the outer surface of the kneading chamber 11, a refrigerant flow path 131 consisting of a groove formed in a spiral shape on the inner circumferential surface (surface on the kneading chamber 11 side) of the cylinder 130, a refrigerant introduction nozzle 132 connected to one end of the refrigerant flow path 131, and a refrigerant discharge nozzle 133 connected to the other end of the refrigerant flow path 131. The groove of the refrigerant flow path 131 is closed by the outer circumferential surface of the kneading chamber 11, so that the refrigerant does not leak in the middle of the groove. When water is introduced as a refrigerant from the refrigerant introduction nozzle 132, the water passes through the refrigerant flow path 131 and is discharged from the refrigerant discharge nozzle 133. As a result, the inside of the kneading chamber 11 is cooled through the cylinder 130 and the wall of the kneading chamber 11.

[0034] The heater 14 has a sheet-like shape and is provided so as to cover the outer surface of the cylindrical body 130 of the cooler 13. A power source (not shown) is connected to the heater 14, and the heater 14 generates heat when a current is supplied from the power source.

[0035] The kneaded material discharge nozzle 15 communicates with the inside of the kneading chamber 11 near the lower end of the side wall of the kneading chamber 11, and has an opening / closing valve 151 (see FIG. 3).

[0036] The handle 17 is used when moving the kneader 10, and is fixed to the upper end of the wall of the kneading chamber 11. The handle 17 may be omitted.

[0037] Hereinafter, the operation of the kneader 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Note that in Fig. 5, the coolant introduction nozzle 132, the coolant discharge nozzle 133, the kneaded material discharge nozzle 15, and the handle 17 are omitted.

[0038] First, the material to be kneaded, which is made up of multiple materials, is placed in the holding clearance 117 of the kneading chamber 11. Examples of such a combination of multiple materials include a combination of plastic and its additives, a combination of rubber and its additives, etc. Also, instead of a solid material to be kneaded, a liquid material to be kneaded or a mixture of solid and liquid may be used as the material to be kneaded.

[0039] In this manner, with the material to be kneaded accommodated in the kneading chamber 11, electricity is passed through the heater 14 to heat the interior of the kneading chamber 11, thereby softening the material to be kneaded in the kneading chamber 11. When kneading a material to be kneaded that does not need to be softened, such as a liquid, heating by the heater 14 does not need to be performed.

[0040] Then, the motor 16 is operated to rotate the eccentric rotor 12 around the rotation shaft 122. As a result, the material to be kneaded in the kneading chamber 11 is kneaded while receiving a shear force (see arrow 21 in FIG. 5) between the inner surface of the wall of the kneading chamber 11 and the surface of the eccentric rotor 12 moving laterally relative to the wall in the vicinity of the farthest position 126.

[0041] Here, by forming a narrow tip clearance 116 of, for example, 100 μm or less as described above, it is possible to apply a large shear force to the material to be kneaded. In addition, by making the size of the tip clearance 116 sufficiently smaller than 100 μm or by making the curvature of the side surface 125 of the eccentric rotor 12 at the farthest position 126 closer to the curvature of the inner surface of the kneading chamber 11, it is possible to widen the width of the region in which a large shear force can be applied. Therefore, it is possible to apply a sufficient shear action to the material to be kneaded, shorten the time required for kneading, and knead the material uniformly.

[0042] In such a narrow tip clearance 116, the material to be kneaded further undergoes complicated flows, such as an elongational flow (see arrow 22 in FIG. 5) in which the material to be kneaded flows in the tangential direction of the circular cross section of the inner wall of the kneading chamber 11 and the surface of the eccentric rotor 12, and a Taylor vortex flow (see arrow 23 in FIG. 5) in which the material to be kneaded flows in a vortex shape. This promotes the mixing of different materials in the material to be kneaded.

[0043] On the other hand, because the rotor (eccentric rotor 12) is eccentric, a wide holding clearance 117 for accommodating the material to be kneaded can be secured on the opposite side of the farthest position 126. Therefore, it is possible to increase the amount of material to be kneaded that can be accommodated and kneaded at one time.

[0044] In the holding clearance 117, the material to be kneaded is subjected to centrifugal force (see arrow 24 in FIG. 5) as the material to be kneaded rotates with the rotation of the eccentric rotor 12, and is also subjected to a force (arrow 25 in FIG. 5) pushing the material in the circumferential direction of the kneading chamber 11 from the eccentric rotor 12. These forces cause a swirling flow (arrow 26 in FIG. 5) in the material to be kneaded in the holding clearance 117. This further promotes the mixing of different materials in the material to be kneaded.

[0045] During this kneading operation, the material to be kneaded is subjected to a shear force, causing the temperature of the material to rise. If the temperature rises too much, it may cause the material to deteriorate. In such a case, the heater 14 is stopped, and the cooler 13 is operated by supplying a refrigerant (cooling water) from the refrigerant introduction nozzle 132 to the refrigerant flow path 131, thereby lowering the temperature of the material to be kneaded in the kneading chamber 11.

[0046] By continuing the above operation for a predetermined time, a kneaded material in which the material to be kneaded is sufficiently kneaded is obtained. After that, a container (not shown) for storing the kneaded material is placed at the outlet of the kneaded material discharge nozzle 15, and the opening / closing valve 151 of the kneaded material discharge nozzle 15 is opened while continuing the rotation of the eccentric rotor 12. As a result, the kneaded material in the kneading chamber 11 is discharged outside the kneading chamber 11 through the kneaded material discharge nozzle 15 while being pushed by the eccentric rotor 12, and is collected in the container.

[0047] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and modifications, and further modifications are possible.

[0048] For example, the configurations of the cooler 13 and the heater 14 are not limited to the above examples, and any cooling / heating device can be used as long as it can cool / heat the inside of the kneading chamber 11. When kneading a material to be kneaded that is small enough that it is not affected by heat generated during kneading, the cooler 13 may be omitted. Also, when kneading a material to be kneaded that can be kneaded without heating, the heater 14 may be omitted.

[0049] The kneader 10 of this embodiment may further include a temperature sensor 31 for measuring the temperature inside the kneading chamber 11, and a temperature controller 32 for controlling the output of the cooler 13 and the heater 14 (the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the cooler 13, and the power input to the heater 14) according to the measurement result of the temperature sensor 31 (FIG. 6). This makes it possible to maintain the temperature inside the kneading chamber 11 even if heat is generated due to shearing action or heat generation / absorption occurs due to chemical reactions in the material to be kneaded. Although the handle 17 is omitted in FIG. 6, the handle 17 may be provided in this configuration.

[0050] In the kneader 10 of this embodiment, a seal material 41 may be provided between the upper end of the wall of the kneading chamber 11 and the lower surface of the lid 113 to seal the kneading chamber 11, and a suction pipe 42 connected to the kneading chamber 11 and a vacuum pump 43 connected to the suction pipe 42 may be provided (FIG. 7). Alternatively, instead of or together with the suction pipe 42 and the vacuum pump 43, a gas supply pipe 45 and a gas exhaust pipe 46 connected to the kneading chamber 11, and an inert gas source 47 connected to the gas supply pipe 45 may be provided (FIG. 7). With these, the kneading material can be kneaded without contacting the material with air while the inside of the kneading chamber 11 is in a vacuum or inert gas atmosphere. In FIG. 7, the refrigerant introduction nozzle 132, the refrigerant discharge nozzle 133, and the material discharge nozzle 15 that do not exist in the cross section shown in the figure are not shown, but in reality, these nozzles are also provided in the kneader of this modified example. Also, a handle 17 may be provided in the configuration shown in FIG. 7.

[0051] In the kneader 10 of this embodiment, the kneaded material discharge nozzle 15 is provided on the side wall of the kneading chamber 11, but it may be provided on, for example, the bottom wall or top wall (or lid) of the kneading chamber 11. Also, instead of the kneaded material discharge nozzle 15, a hole for taking out the kneaded material may be provided on the wall (lid) of the kneading chamber 11. When a hole is provided on the side wall or bottom wall, a removable plug is also provided in the hole. Also, the kneaded material discharge nozzle 15 and the hole may be omitted, and the kneaded material may be taken out from the kneading chamber 11 by opening the lid.

[0052] 8, the kneader of this embodiment may use an eccentric rotor 12A consisting of a central cylindrical portion 18 on the central axis side and a cylindrical sleeve portion 19 fitted onto the outside of the central cylindrical portion 18. The sleeve portion 19 is not fixed to the central cylindrical portion 18 and is rotatable relative to the central cylindrical portion 18 around the central axis 121A of the eccentric rotor 12A.

[0053] The operation of the kneader 10A having such an eccentric rotor 12A (FIG. 10) will be described in comparison with the operation of the kneader 10 having an integrated eccentric rotor 12 (FIG. 9).

[0054] Some materials to be kneaded may adhere to the eccentric rotor, but in a kneader 10 having an integral eccentric rotor 12, the position 128 (FIG. 9(a)) of the side surface 125 of the eccentric rotor 12 that is closest to the inner surface 115 of the kneading chamber 11 does not change even when the eccentric rotor 12 rotates, so that even if the eccentric rotor 12 is rotated, the material S to be kneaded that has adhered to a position away from the tip clearance 116 cannot be sent to the tip clearance 116 (FIG. 9(b)). In this case, it is difficult to knead the material to be kneaded uniformly.

[0055] On the other hand, in the eccentric rotor 12A consisting of the central cylindrical portion 18 and the sleeve portion 19, even if the material S to be kneaded adheres to the side surface of the sleeve portion 19 in an area other than the tip clearance 116 (FIG. 10(a)), when the central cylindrical portion 18 rotates (arrow A in FIG. 10) about the rotation axis 122A of the eccentric rotor 12A (and the central axis 111 of the kneading chamber), the sleeve portion 19 is forced to rotate as if rolling on the inner surface 115 of the kneading chamber due to friction between the central cylindrical portion 18 and the inner surface of the sleeve portion 19 (arrow B in FIG. 10). As a result, the material to be kneaded adhering to the surface of the sleeve portion 19 is forcibly dragged into the tip clearance 116 (FIG. 10(b)). In this way, the entire material to be kneaded can be uniformly kneaded.

[0056] [Aspects] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the above-described exemplary embodiments are illustrative of the following aspects.

[0057] (Item 1) A kneader according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: a) a cylindrical kneading chamber; b) an eccentric rotor, which is a cylindrical member arranged in the kneading chamber, has a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the kneading chamber, has a central axis parallel to the central axis of the kneading chamber at a position separated from the central axis of the kneading chamber, and rotates around the central axis of the kneading chamber; Equipped with.

[0058] (Item 2) The kneader according to item 2 is the kneader according to item 1, wherein the minimum gap between the eccentric rotor and the inner wall of the kneading chamber at the position where the side surface of the eccentric rotor is farthest from the central axis of the kneading chamber is 100 μm or less.

[0059] (Item 3) The kneader according to item 3 is the kneader according to item 1 or 2, further comprising a heater for heating the inside of the kneading chamber.

[0060] (Item 4) The kneader according to item 4 is the kneader according to any one of items 1 to 3, further comprising a cooler that cools the inside of the kneading chamber.

[0061] (Item 5) The kneader according to item 5 is the kneader according to item 1 or 2, further comprising a heater for heating the inside of the kneading chamber, a cooler for cooling the inside of the kneading chamber, a temperature sensor for measuring a temperature inside the kneading chamber, and a temperature controller for controlling the heater and the cooler based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor.

[0062] (Item 6) The kneader according to item 6 is the kneader according to any one of items 1 to 5, further comprising a sealing mechanism for sealing the kneading chamber, and a vacuum mechanism for creating a vacuum in the kneading chamber.

[0063] (Item 7) The kneader according to item 7 is the kneader according to any one of items 1 to 6, further comprising a sealing mechanism for sealing the kneading chamber and an inert gas introducing mechanism for introducing an inert gas into the kneading chamber. Alternatively, the kneader according to item 7 is the kneader according to item 6, further comprising an inert gas introducing mechanism for introducing an inert gas into the kneading chamber.

[0064] (Item 8) The kneader according to item 8 is the kneader according to any one of items 1 to 7, further comprising a kneaded material discharge port formed of a nozzle or a hole provided in a wall of the kneading chamber.

[0065] (Item 9) The kneader according to item 9 is the kneader according to any one of items 1 to 8, wherein the eccentric rotor comprises a cylindrical central cylindrical portion on the central axis side, and a cylindrical sleeve portion fitted onto the outside of the central cylindrical portion. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 10, 10A...Kneader 11...Kneading chamber 111...center axis of kneading chamber 113…Lid 115...Inner surface of kneading chamber 116…Tip clearance 117…Holding Clearance 12...Eccentric rotor 121...Central axis of eccentric rotor 122, 122A...Eccentric rotor shaft 1221…Clutch 125…Side of eccentric rotor 126…Farthest position 127…Recent position 128: The position where the side of the eccentric rotor is closest to the inner surface of the kneading chamber 13...Cooler 130... Cooling device cylinder 131... Coolant flow path 132... Refrigerant introduction nozzle 133... Refrigerant discharge nozzle 14…Heater 15...Mixed material discharge nozzle 151... Opening and closing valve of kneaded material discharge nozzle 16…Motor 17…Handle 18...Central cylindrical section 19…Sleeve section 191…Side of sleeve 192: The position where the side surface of the sleeve portion is closest to the inner surface of the kneading chamber at a certain rotation angle of the eccentric rotor 21...Arrow showing shear force 22...Arrow indicating extensional flow 23...Arrow showing Taylor vortex flow 24...Arrow showing centrifugal force 25...Arrow showing the force with which the material to be kneaded is pushed by the eccentric rotor 26...Arrow indicating swirling flow 31...Temperature sensor 32...Temperature controller 41...Sealing material 42...Suction tube 43…Vacuum pump 45…Gas supply pipe 46…Gas exhaust pipe 47...Inert gas source S: Material to be mixed

Claims

1. a) a cylindrical kneading chamber; b) an eccentric rotor, which is a cylindrical member arranged in the kneading chamber, has a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the kneading chamber, has a central axis parallel to the central axis of the kneading chamber at a position separated from the central axis of the kneading chamber, and rotates around the central axis of the kneading chamber; A kneading machine comprising:

2. 2. The kneader according to claim 1, wherein a minimum gap between the eccentric rotor and an inner wall of the kneading chamber at a position where a side surface of the eccentric rotor is farthest from a central axis of the kneading chamber is 100 μm or less.

3. The kneader according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a heater for heating the inside of the kneading chamber.

4. The kneader according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a cooler for cooling the inside of the kneading chamber.

5. The kneader according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a heater for heating the inside of the kneading chamber, a cooler for cooling the inside of the kneading chamber, a temperature sensor for measuring a temperature inside the kneading chamber, and a temperature controller for controlling the heater and the cooler based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor.

6. The kneader according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a sealing mechanism for sealing the inside of the kneading chamber, and a vacuum mechanism for creating a vacuum in the kneading chamber.

7. The kneader according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a sealing mechanism for sealing the inside of the kneading chamber; and an inert gas introducing mechanism for introducing an inert gas into the kneading chamber.

8. 3. The kneader according to claim 1, further comprising a discharge port for discharging the kneaded material, the discharge port being a nozzle or a hole provided in a wall of the kneading chamber.

9. 3. The kneader according to claim 1, wherein the eccentric rotor comprises a central cylindrical portion on a central shaft side, and a cylindrical sleeve portion fitted onto the outside of the central cylindrical portion.

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