Methods of injection molding and extruding wet hygroscopic ionomers

A method of injection molding a wet hygroscopic ionomer, comprising directly injection molding said wet ionomer using a reciprocating two-stage vented barrier screw having a feed side and an output side and having a barrier flight and a subsequent venting zone, wherein the barrier flight has a melt channel and a solids channel, the melt channel being only partially filled with melted ionomer and having a melt vapor phase adjacent thereto, whereby the vapor phase adjacent to melted ionomer in the barrier flight has access to said venting zone and vents therethrough, and whereby during said injection molding, said ionomer is dried to a degree sufficient that said injection molding is substantially free from problems which would otherwise occur were said wet ionomer to be injection molded without at least said degree of drying.