Please share some background on yourself and your company

I joined Farrel Corporation in 2014 and I'm the Applications Development Manager supporting the sales and marketing of compounding equipment by developing new markets and alignment with research and development.

Originally, I am from Shanghai, China. I have a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering with a focus on Polymer Material and an MBA in Marketing and International Business.

Farrel began as a foundry in 1848 and evolved into an equipment manufacturer for the polymer industry. In 1963, we introduced the versatile and efficient FCM™, Farrel Continuous Mixer originally for rubber processing. Ultimately, the FCM™ found its niche in the plastics industry.

Today, FARREL POMINI is a global leader in the research, design and manufacture of compounding systems for a range of processing applications. The versatile technology is ideally suited for highly filled and/or temperature-sensitive processing providing a robust production capability, wide processing window and exceptional energy efficiency.

Key applications include rigid & flexible PVC, flooring compounds, flame retardants, biodegradable plastics as well as highly filled, white & black masterbatch and petrochemical finishing. We are pleased to launch earlier this year, recycling solutions for both mechanical and chemical landscapes.

 

What are the common challenges of PHA compounding?

PHA, like other biodegradable plastics, presents several processing challenges. It is temperature and shear sensitive, susceptible to moisture buildup, as well as molecular weight loss and material degradation.

Farrel Continuous Mixing technology is extremely well-suited to address these challenges. We had the benefit of conducting studies in partnership with CJ Biomaterials. The research clearly demonstrated that the Farrel Continuous Mixer outperformed the twin screw extruder on many process parameters.

The specifics will be detailed in our presentation on Wednesday, November 13, at the Compounding Theater.

 

What can attendees expect from visiting your booth?

For Compounding World Expo, we are excited to present our latest application developments, including biodegradable plastics processing and our mechanical and chemical recycling initiatives.

This is an exciting time for the plastics industry. We are eager to discuss opportunities in our traditional markets of compounding PVC, HFFR, flooring compounds, and high-fill-level masterbatches, as well as our expertise and advancements in processing biodegradable plastics like PLA, PHA, and PBS.

Earlier this year, we launched our solution for mechanical recycling based on the continuous mixing platform as well as our chemical or pyrolysis expertise where the Farrel Continuous Mixer is utilized in the primary phase of heating and melting material for both recycled plastics and waste rubber tire.

 

What are you most looking forward to from the expo?

I look forward to the latest developments in the plastics industry and the industry’s mega-trends for the next 5 years. As a professional in the extruder manufacturing industry, I am interested in any equipment developments that contribute to solving the challenges of sustainability that we are facing.  The plastics industry is still in the early stage of plastics recycling. The recycled plastics have a completely different characteristics than virgin plastics which means we need to find novel solutions. I also look forward to talking with plastics recyclers to understand their needs.

---

Dr. Peng Ye will be speaking on Day 1 at the Compounding World Expo Theater.

---

Conference Producer

Medwyn Roberts manages AMI's compounding portfolio of events. Over the past 2 years he has put together a variety of programs across three continents, including our various expos - Compounding World Expo Brussels 2024, Compounding World Expo North America 2023, and Injection Molding & Design Expo 2023. Medwyn has worked in a variety of industries and is interested in bringing together speakers from different disciplines to share best practice.