Microextrusion

Microextrusion is a process used to create objects with a fixed cross-sectional profile or eventually a dynamic long-sectional profile in the case of 2 1/2D extrusion,.^[1] A material is pumped through a Microextruder and if flows then through a die with the desired cross-section. Microextrusion, differentely from extrusion it's conceived for allowing to preserve the chemical properties,^[2] and to condition the physical properties, in other words, it allows the achievement of extruded parts with a specific microstructure. The four main advantages of this process over other manufacturing processes are its ability to create very complex cross-sections, its ability to preserve chemical properties, its ability to condition phisical properties and to process materials which are delicate or with a final application very dependent on phisical or chemical properties. The above mentioned advantages can be achieved thanks to a proper design which allows to optimise the amount of energy delivered to the polymer.

References

1. ^ Maccagnan, Simone. The Next Generation of Microextrusion Technology. UBM - Canon, 2011, p. 32.
2. ^ Perale, Giuseppe. Nondegradative microextrusion of resorbable polyesters for pharmaceutical and biomedical applications: The cases of poly-lactic-acid and poly-caprolactone. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 2008, p.1591–1595.

Bibliography

• Colombo, Paolo; Perini, Katia; Bernardo, E.; Capelletti, Tiziano; Maccagnan, Giorgio (2003), Ceramic Microtubes from Preceramic Polymers, Journal of the American Ceramic Society, pp. 86: 1025–1027. doi: 10.1111/j.1151-2916.2003.tb03413.x, doi:10.1111/j.1151-2916.2003.tb03413.x 
• Colombo, Paolo (2003), Extruding Ceramic Microtubes (page 3, September issue ed.), American Ceramic Society Bulletin, http://americanceramicsociety.org/bulletin/sep_03/#/10/ 
• Pharmaceutical Polymers - Rapra Technology Limited, iSmithers Rapra Publishing, 2007, 2007, pp. 180, ISBN 1847350178, 9781847350176, http://books.google.it/books?id=zjiQ5Tj16FQC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false 
• Kellomäki, Minna (3 Feb 2008), Processing of Resorbable Poly-α-Hydroxy Acids for Use as Tissue-Engineering Scaffolds, Springer eBook, http://www.springerlink.com/content/jm4j580p47174304/#section=97543&page=1 
• De Nardo, Luigi; Farè, Silvia, New heparinizable modified poly(carbonate urethane) surfaces diminishing bacterial colonization, Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Medicine, 18(11), 2109-2115., PMID 17665117 
• Perale, Giuseppe; Pertici, Gianni; Giordano, Carmen; Daniele, Francesco; Masi, Maurizio (2008), Nondegradative microextrusion of resorbable polyesters for pharmaceutical and biomedical applications: The cases of poly-lactic-acid and poly-caprolactone (108: 1591–1595. doi: 10.1002/app.27875 ed.), Journal of Applied Polymer Science, doi:10.1002/app.27875 
• Maccagnan, Simone; Perale, Giuseppe; Capelletti, Tiziano; Maccagnan, Davide (2011), The Next Generation of Microextrusion Technology, UBM Canon, http://www.emdt.co.uk/article/next-generation-microextrusion-technology