InstaPurge Commodity-Grade Cleaning Compound from PTS is a mechanical purging agent that dislodges the residues of previous production colours and resins that remain on cylinder walls and screws after the barrel is run empty. It permits these residues to be quickly removed from the machine and is then readily purged from the barrel by the next production colour or resin.
The machine is back to producing good parts with minimum downtime.
How does InstaPurge work?
InstaPurge gains its purging effectiveness from three factors:
1. The proprietary formulation works in combination with a high level of agitation during the purging process to dislodge contaminants.
2. The formula includes resins and other ingredients that are effective in providing mechanical "push" over a wide temperature range.
3. An exclusive ingredient in InstaPurge causes it to have lower adhesion to metal surfaces than other resins of similar viscosity.
Where can I use InstaPurge?
PTS recommends InstaPurge for use in conventional reciprocating screw injection moulding systems. It may also be used in conventional screw-type extruders and is available in filled and unfilled forms. The product is intended for use with thermoplastic resins processed between 175-330°C, a range that includes all commodity resins and many engineering materials.
How do we decide what InstaPurge grade is right for us?
InstaPurge is supplied in two grades - Unfilled and Filled. The Filled grade contains a chopped glass fibre material that provides additional "scrubbing" effectiveness for difficult purges.
Here are a few cases where you should NOT use the Filled grade:
- In hot runner systems.
- In extrusion systems unless the die and any screens or filters are removed.
- In systems that have internal flow passages of less than 1.0 mm.
- In cases where the follow-on resin is of low viscosity (such as flexible PVC or LDPE) and might have difficulty displacing residues of the filled purging compound.
- In any case where the added abrasiveness of the filler causes concern about wear on soft or polished metal finishes.
In these cases, only the Unfilled grade should be used. In other cases, either grade may be used.
How much purging compound will we need to clean my system?
In most cases, between one and two barrel volumes of InstaPurge material will be needed to effectively purge the system. Start with one barrel volume and increase if necessary.
What's the bottom line?
In summary, if you are a plastics processor that does not work with "exotic" resins or operate very large or highly complex equipment then you probably do not need (and should not pay for) a "high performance" purging compound. You need a hard-working "commodity-grade" purging material - InstaPurge is that material and is just what you need.
