Method and apparatus for processing elastomer composite

A continuous method of processing elastomer composite through a two-roll mill, the two-roll mill having an input region and an output region axially spaced from one another along a first of the two rolls, the method comprising:

• admitting discrete pieces of elastomer composite to the two-roll mill at the input region;
• adjusting one or more of a nip gap width, friction ratio, surface velocity, and coolant temperature of the roll mill such that A) a band of elastomer composite on the roll mill has a plurality of voids through which the surface of the first roll is exposed, and B) the elastomer composite precesses downstream from the input region to the output region as a result of the action of the mill;
• and
• discharging the elastomer composite masticated by the two-roll mill from a predetermined axial position on the first roll as a coherent output strip;
• wherein, either A) discharging is performed simulataneously with admitting, and, during discharging, any elastomer composite removed from the two-roll mill is removed continuously, or B) at least 90% of the elastomer composite removed from the two roll mill is removed continuously as a coherent strip.