Institute of Polymer Processing

The Institute of Polymer Processing is researching all kinds of processes for processing thermoplastic polymers. The fundamental and application-oriented research is done in the fields of materials and the production processes. It is driven by the goal to gain a deeper scientific understanding and the systematic control of the processes for an economic production of ideal products with minimum resources. The funding comes from the government, different funding agencies or directly from the industry.

The services we provide, starts with the formulation of innovative tailor-made compounds, from producing small samples up to semi industrial scales. The properties of these compounds and polymers are characterised inline or offline so that all relevant material properties are available for further processes or fluid dynamic simulations and for understanding these processes. The results of these simulation can be validated in our laboratory with industrial equipment.

Questions arising during the development of processes or products in the industry can be answered and small production batches can be produced with our equipment. The material data group does failure analysis using for example rheological and thermodynamic material properties. For compounding and recycling we employ small kneaders and for semi industrial scales co‑rotating twin screw extruders with different scales for a wide variety of fillers and polymers. In extrusion we have different kind of single screw extruders lines. In injection moulding there is also a variety of different injection moulding machines available. The additive manufacturing group deals with material extrusion and tailor-made compounds for filaments, and with the Arburg Polymer Freeformer.

The Institute of Polymer Processing is part of the Department of Polymer Engineering and Science in Leoben, Austria. Together with the other institutes – Chemistry of Polymeric Materials, Designing Plastic and Composite Materials, Injection Moulding of Polymers, Processing of Composites, and Materials Science and Testing of Polymers – the whole process chain from material to the final product is covered. The Department works in close cooperation with other institutes of the Montanuniversitaet Leoben and the Polymer Competence Center Leoben.

There are also close connections and networks in Austria, Europe and worldwide with other universities and industrial partners.