Extruder screw

An extruder system, comprising:

• a drive mechanism;
• an extruder barrel having an interior wall that defines a volume, and a first inlet and a second inlet through the interior wall into the volume of the extruder barrel and a water inlet;
• an extruder screw system having at least one first extruder screw and at least one second extruder screw coupled to the drive mechanism, the first extruder screw and the second extruder screw residing at least partially within the volume defined by the interior wall of the extruder barrel, wherein the drive mechanism rotates the first extruder screw and the second extruder screw, each of the first extruder screw and the second extruder screw including:
• a mixing and melting segment to provide a mixing and melting zone for the extruder system;
• a high internal phase emulsion segment that includes a kneading block to provide high internal phase emulsion zone for the extruder system, the kneading block having a plurality of disks with surfaces that define a plurality of channels, where water is introduced through the water inlet into the high internal phase emulsion segment and where the plurality of disks of the first extruder screw pass through the plurality of channels of the second screw as the drive mechanism rotates the first extruder screw and the second extruder screw relative each other, each of the plurality of disks has a width (e) between opposite substantially parallel major surfaces of each disk that is 2.0% to 8.5% of a nominal inner diameter of an extruder barrel in which the extruder screw system operates, and each of the plurality of channels has a width between disks that is 3.0% to 9.5% of the nominal inner diameter of the extruder barrel;
• a distributing and pumping segment to provide a dilution zone for the extruder system;
• a first seal segment between the mixing and melting zone and the high internal phase emulsion zone;
• a second seal segment between the high internal phase emulsion zone and the dilution zone;
• and
• a third seal segment at an end distal the dilution zone relative the high internal phase emulsion zone, wherein the first inlet passes into the high internal phase emulsion zone and the second inlet passes into the dilution zone.