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 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, creating a stirred material within the cavity via activities comprising plastically deforming the first feedstock;
• via a container protrusion, wiping a portion of the stirred material from the rotor;
• and
• continuously extruding the stirred material from the cavity through a die to generate an extruded material;
• wherein:
• the rotor defines a rotational axis about which the rotor is configured to operatively rotate;
• the rotor defines a contained portion that operatively remains within the container;
• the first feedstock is fed through the stationary first feedport while the contained portion of the rotor is operatively rotating;
• 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:
• 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;
• 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;
• and
• 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 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 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, creating a stirred material within the cavity via activities comprising plastically deforming the first feedstock;
• via a container protrusion, wiping a portion of the stirred material from the rotor;
• 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 operatively rotates and along which the rotor is operatively translates;
• 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 first feedport while the contained portion is operatively rotating about the rotational axis and/or translating along to the rotational axis;
• 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 about the rotational axis and operatively translating along the rotational axis:
• 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;
• and
• 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 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 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, creating a stirred material within the cavity via activities comprising plastically deforming the first feedstock;
• via a container protrusion, wiping a portion of the stirred material from the rotor;
• 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 and/or along which the rotor is configured to operatively translate;
• 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 first feedport while the contained portion is operatively rotating about the rotational axis and/or operatively translating along the rotational axis;
• 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 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;
• and
• 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 first feedport and into a cavity defined between a rotating rotor and an inner wall of a stationary container;
• a rotor that, upon contacting the first feedstock with the rotor operatively creates a stirred material within the cavity via activities comprising plastically deforming the first feedstock;
• and
• a container protrusion that operatively wipes a portion of the unmelted stirred material from the rotor;
• wherein:
• the rotor defines a rotational axis about which the rotor is configured to operatively rotate and/or along which the rotor is configured to operatively translate;
• 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 first feedport while the contained portion is operatively rotating about the rotational axis and/or translating along the rotational axis;
• 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 about the rotational axis and/or translating along the rotational axis:
• 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.