Polymer Micro-compounding
Xplore MC Xperience Line
Compact for small material volumes
The Xplore MC Xperience Line of Micro-compounders is a compact, cost-effective lab-scale system designed for compounding and evaluating very small material volumes. It is ideal for R&D applications involving high-value or limited-availability polymers and additives, where material conservation is essential.
Cost Effective R&D Solution
Professional R&D system at an accessible price
Batch Volumes
5 or 15 ml with a recirculation volume of 1.7 or 2.7 ml
Thermal Control
Temperature up to 425 °C; 6 heating cartridges and 8 thermocouples
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Cost Effective & Modular Lab-scale Polymer Compounding System
The MC Xperience Line of Micro Compounders is a cost-effective, lab-scale compounding system engineered for processing and evaluating very small material volumes, 5 and 15 ml. It is particularly well suited for R&D applications involving expensive synthesized polymers, specialty additives, or limited-availability formulations, where conserving material is critical.
Application Areas:
MCX 5
• 5 ml batch volume
• Maximum torque of 10 Nm
• Temperatures up to 425 °C
MCX 15
• 15 ml batch volume
• Maximum torque of 15 Nm
• Temperatures up to 425 °C
Xplore MC Xperience Line
Product Features
Material loading
The system features a top-mounted open hopper to accommodate for polymer powder, pellets, liquids and more. Additionally, an optional automated single feeder for straightforward loading. Elongated, forced-feeding screws ensure consistent material conveyance and stable processing.
Twin Screws
Fully intermeshing, co-rotating conical screws are standard, delivering efficient mixing and dispersive performance across a continuously variable screw speed range of 1 to 425 rpm. Counter-rotating screws are available as an option to accommodate specific processing requirements. A maximum screw torque of 15 Nm is available across the full speed range and is continuously monitored. With a barrel volume of 5 ml, this equates to torque per unit volume to be 3.5 N/ml.
Thermal Control
Robust thermal control supports operating temperatures up to 425 °C through six heating cartridges and eight thermocouples for precise temperature monitoring. Optional liquid cooling jackets further expand processing flexibility for temperature-sensitive materials.
Xplore MC Xperience Line
Accessories
Water-Cooling Jacket
Minimize cleaning downtime with an optional water-cooling jacket that enables rapid barrel cooling within a short time as part of Xplore’s integrated cleaning cycle, for faster and reliable cleaning procedures.
inert gas supply
An optional inert gas supply gives an operator fine atmospheric control in order to prevent thermo-oxidative degradation, preserving material integrity during high-temperature processing.
Single Automatic feeding
The continuous feeding system ensures stable and uninterrupted operation, delivering consistent material composition and uniform dimensional properties in continuous processing mode. This reliable feeding mechanism enables researchers to produce end products with high homogeneity, repeatability, and process consistency.
Xplore MC Xperience Line
Downstream Processing
Injection Molder
The Xplore IM 12 micro injection molder is a compact, precise, and versatile solution designed for seamless integration with Xplore twin-screw compounders. It can also function as a stand-alone unit by manually loading powders or granules. Engineered for flash-free operation, it ensures high-quality, shrinkage-free test samples through precise control of holding pressure and time.
Conveyor belt:
The Xplore Conveyor Belt Pro (CB Pro) is designed to guide polymer strands directly from a micro compounder. The CB Pro features a non-stick PTFE conveyor belt, ensuring the controlled and consistent handling of fragile, nascent polymer strands. This prevents breakage or deformation while maintaining the polymer’s intended shape.
Pro Pelletizer
The Xplore Pro Pelletizer is a post-die granulation unit engineered to cut polymer and rubber strands into a wide range of pellet sizes. The freshly cut pellets can be utilized for a second compounding step in one of the micro compounders or processed in a larger extruder for upscaling.
Micro Cast Film Line
Xplore’s Micro Cast Film Lines are designed for the efficient production of cast films using minimal material, making them ideal for applications involving limited material availability or high-cost polymers and additives. By enabling the rapid production of representative films within minutes, they significantly streamline the material screening process.
Fiber Line
The Xplore Microfiber Line is engineered for the efficient production of fibers from minimal material quantities, requiring only 5 – 10 g of material and 10 – 15 minutes. This system significantly reduces material waste, accelerates development time, and lowers R&D costs while delivering high-quality, representative test fibers for research applications.
Modular composite forming line
The Xplore modular composite forming line is a compact, modular, and versatile solution designed for seamless integration with Xplore Twin-Screw Micro-Compounders. It enables fabrication of microtubes, 3D filaments, precise coating and impregnation processes at the laboratory scale. The composite forming unit is organized into three functional modules, a pre-die module, Die module and post-die module. Five different die modules, Microtube, 3D filament, Tow impregnation, Unidirectional tape and coating, are available.
Xplore MC Xperience Line
Software
Data acquisition software
A proprietary software lets users monitor and control a processing system from a connected PC. It provides real-time visualization of key parameters (e.g., temperature, pressure, torque, speed), automatically records and exports data in Excel-compatible formats for easier analysis and reporting, and enables setpoint adjustments from the computer (matching the touchscreen controls). It also supports saving standard conditions as reusable recipes for consistency and includes a programmable cleaning cycle to automate maintenance, reduce downtime, and improve reliability.
Rheological software
An optional proprietary software is available for MC Xperience instruments that calculates and reports key rheological/process metrics during compounding, including melt screw torque, viscosity, shear rate, and shear stress using averages over the full screw length to reflect real processing conditions. The data can support more reliable thermal and process upscaling from lab runs to larger twin-screw extrusion systems.
Xplore MC Xperience Line
Micro-compounding Applications
Polymers
Micro-compounders accelerate formulation development and feasibility studies, reducing both time and costs. Additionally, post-die shaping instruments streamline and expedite polymer materials testing.
Polymer Composites
Micro-compounders aid in the development of polymer composites by incorporating functional additives such as stabilizers and antioxidants, enhancing material stability and performance.
Rubbers and Elastomers
Micro-compounders provide a faster and more cost-effective alternative to traditional Banbury-type internal mixers, making them ideal for feasibility studies and formulation screening.
sustainability
Micro-compounders are essential for developing sustainable and recyclable polymers, enabling the optimization of polymer properties, improving recycling quality, and reducing production costs.
Biomedical
Micro-compounders play a crucial role in formulating and evaluating plastic compounds for biomedical applications. They enable rapid prototyping and performance screening, facilitating the development of advanced materials.
Nutrition
Micro-compounders and extruders are effective tools for converting raw materials into structured, nutrient-dense products. One key application is the modification of plant proteins, such as soy, pea, and wheat gluten, to create textures that closely resemble meat.
Xplore MC Xperience Line
Product Knowledgebase
Webinar
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