Processes and/or machines for producing continuous plastic deformation, and/or compositions and/or manufactures produced thereby

A method for producing an extruded material from one or more feedstocks, the method comprising performing the activities of:

• feeding a deformable solid-state first feedstock selected from the one or more feedstocks through a stationary first feedport and into a cavity defined between a rotor and an inner wall of a stationary container;
• upon contacting the first feedstock with the rotor, without melting the first feedstock, creating a stirred material within the cavity via activities comprising plastically deforming the first feedstock;
• and
• continuously extruding the stirred material from the cavity through one or more dies to generate an extruded material;
• wherein:
• the rotor defines a rotational axis about which the rotor is configured to operatively rotate;
• a contained portion of the rotor is configured to operatively remain within the container while operatively translating along the rotational axis;
• the first feedstock is fed through the stationary first feedport while the contained portion is operatively rotating;
• the rotor defines a semi-contained portion located immediately adjacent to the contained portion;
• the rotor defines a contained perimeter located in a plane that is oriented perpendicularly to the rotational axis and that separates the contained portion from the semi-contained portion;
• the semi-contained portion operatively enters and exits the container;
• the feeding activity is operatively halted when the semi-contained portion begins entering the container;
• the contained portion has a generally conical frustum shape that defines a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end located closer to a driven portion of the rotor than the distal end;
• while the contained portion is operatively rotating and translating:
• a magnitude of an axial gap continuously changes across time, the axial gap measured along a first line extending in a predetermined perpetual cross-sectional plane that includes the rotational axis, the first line extending parallel to the rotational axis, the gap being the shortest distance, on the predetermined perpetual cross-sectional plane and along the first line, between (a) the exterior surface of the rotor and (b) a second line that extends in the predetermined perpetual cross-sectional plane, is perpendicular to the rotational axis, and intersects a centroid of an exit of the first feedport;
• and/or
• a magnitude of a radial gap continuously changes across time, the radial gap measured along the second line and being the shortest distance, on the predetermined perpetual cross-sectional plane and along the second line, between the exterior of the rotor and the first line;
• as viewed along the rotational axis from the distal end, a visible proximal perimeter of the rotor located proximal from the distal end is greater than a visible distal perimeter of the rotor located at the distal end.

A machine configured for producing an extruded material from one or more feedstocks, the machine comprising:

• a feedstock feeder that operatively feeds a deformable solid-state first feedstock selected from the one or more feedstocks through a stationary first feedport and into a cavity defined between a rotating rotor and an inner wall of a stationary container;
• and
• a rotor that, upon contacting the first feedstock with the rotating rotor and without melting the first feedstock, operatively creates an unmelted stirred material within the cavity via activities comprising plastically deforming the first feedstock;
• wherein:
• the rotor defines a rotational axis about which the rotor is configured to operatively rotate;
• a contained portion of the rotor is configured to operatively remain within the container while operatively translating along the rotational axis;
• the first feedstock is fed through the stationary first feedport while the contained portion is operatively rotating;
• the rotor defines a semi-contained portion located immediately adjacent to the contained portion;
• the rotor defines a contained perimeter located in a plane that is oriented perpendicularly to the rotational axis and that separates the contained portion from the semi-contained portion;
• the semi-contained portion operatively enters and exits the container;
• the machine operatively halts feeding the first feedstock when the semi-contained portion begins entering the container;
• the contained perimeter is greater than a terminal perimeter located at a non-driven terminal end of the rotor;
• the rotor has a generally conical frustum shape;
• while the contained portion is operatively rotating and/or translating:
• a magnitude of an axial gap continuously changes across time, the axial gap measured along a first line extending in a predetermined perpetual cross-sectional plane that includes the rotational axis, the first line extending parallel to the rotational axis, the gap being the shortest distance, on the predetermined perpetual cross-sectional plane and along the first line, between (a) the exterior surface of the rotor and (b) a second line that extends in the predetermined perpetual cross-sectional plane, is perpendicular to the rotational axis, and intersects a centroid of an exit of the first feedport;
• and/or
• a magnitude of a radial gap continuously changes across time, the radial gap measured along the second line and being the shortest distance, on the predetermined perpetual cross-sectional plane and along the second line, between the exterior of the rotor and the first line;
• as viewed along the rotational axis from the distal end, a visible proximal perimeter of the rotor located proximal from the distal end is greater than a visible distal perimeter of the rotor located at the distal end;
• and
• while the first feedstock is plastically deformed, a microstructure of the first feedstock is changed.