Extrudaat

Extrudaat is the product of extrusion, the process in which material is forced through a shaped die to form a continuous profile or bulk piece. In Dutch-language technical usage, extrudaat is the standard term for the extrusion product and is equivalent to the English extrudate.

Manufacturing involves feeding material into an extruder, heating or plasticizing it, and pushing it through a shaped orifice. The extrudaat emerges as a continuous strand, film, tube, or profile and is typically cooled or quenched to solidify. After exiting the die, the material may be cut, wound, co-extruded, or annealed. Parameters such as temperature, screw speed or ram pressure, die geometry, and cooling rate determine dimensions, surface quality, and mechanical properties of the extrudaat.

Materials used include polymers (such as PVC, PE, PET, and PA), metals (notably aluminum), ceramics, and food products (snack pellets, cereal shapes, and pasta). The term is most commonly associated with polymer and metal extrusion but applies to any material that can be extruded.

Applications are broad, including construction profiles and window frames, pipes and tubes, cables and insulation, packaging films, and various consumer goods. In the food industry, extrusion forms snack products, breakfast cereals, and texturized ingredients.

Quality and properties depend on process control and die design. Key considerations include dimensional tolerances, surface finish, residual stresses, porosity, and moisture content. Environmental and economic aspects involve energy consumption, scrap handling, and opportunities for recycling of extrudaat waste.