Side feeder having separate pressure regions for degassing

A method for processing bulk material comprising the following steps:

• providing a screw extruder the screw extruder comprising:
• a housing, having at least one housing bore disposed in the housing,
• at least one auger shaft rotationally driven about a corresponding axis of rotation and disposed in the housing bore,
• an infeed device for feeding the bulk material into an intake housing, and
• a degassing housing comprising:
• at least one connection for use as a vacuum line or compressed air line, and a filter element, and the degassing housing having at least two different pressure regions defined by at least one partition wall that separates the at least two different pressure regions;
• wherein the filter element comprises a filter inliner, wherein the filter inliner encloses the at least one auger shaft about the entire circumference thereof, wherein the filter inliner is installed in the housing bore such that the filter inliner bears upon the at least one partition wall
• feeding bulk material through the infeed device and into the at least one housing bore by means of the infeed device;
• further transporting the bulk material from the intake housing in the direction of the degassing housing for one of:
• degassing the infed bulk material, or pressurizing the filter element;
• and
• degassing the bulk material in the degassing housing by the at least one filter element by applying vacuum acting in at least one of the at least two pressure regions;
• wherein the air transported along with the bulk material is exhausted by means of the at least one connection;
• wherein the at least one filter element prevents part of the bulk material from being suctioned off;
• and
• wherein compressed air continues to be applied to the at least one filter element in order to backflush the filter element opposite the direction of suction.