screenextrusion

Screen extrusion is a term used in some manufacturing literatures to describe a process that combines extrusion with the use of a screen or mesh as a forming element. In this approach, material is forced through a screen with defined pore structure, producing a continuous extrudate whose microstructure is influenced by the screen. The term is not universally standardized and may refer to related techniques that use a mesh or perforated plate as part of the shaping mechanism.

Process overview: A viscous material such as a polymer melt, ceramic slurry, metal paste, or food paste is fed into an extruder and pressed toward a screen. The screen acts as a sieve and shaping barrier; the extrudate emerges with texture, porosity, or cross-sectional features determined by screen geometry, pore size, and flow conditions. Downstream curing, drying, or sintering may be used to achieve final properties.

Materials and rheology: Screen extrusion typically requires materials that can flow through a mesh without clogging. The choice of screen size and weave, as well as extrusion pressure, temperature, and residence time, determine porosity, surface texture, and mechanical performance.

Applications and limitations: Potential uses include filtration membranes, tissue engineering scaffolds, catalyst supports, porous ceramics, and specialty textiles. Limitations include screen clogging, process instability, scale-up challenges, and limits on resolution, thickness, and surface finish.

See also extrusion, screen printing, and other mesh-based forming methods.