Multicomponent approach to standard and microlayer coextrusion

Abstract

The aspects of the disclosed embodiments provide unique extrusion methods and apparatus to create a multi-component product made from various streams of molten plastic. The method for creating multicomponent multilayered products includes merging multiple streams containing individualized component and layer designs into a single stream to form a rod, tube, pipe, filament, or profile shape.

1 . A multicomponent multilayered product, comprising:
 side-by-side multiple product sections forming a rod, a tube, a pipe, a filament, or a profile shape, wherein   each product section is comprised of one or more component sections with each component section containing singular or multiple materials which may or may not be patterned or in a multiple layer configuration,   at least two side-by-side multiple product sections including either (i) a multiple component section of more than one component section with each component section containing a different material or (ii) a multiple material component section with one or more component sections each containing multiple materials such that (i) the multiple component section and (ii) the multiple the material component section each include a pattern or a multiple layer configuration in a pattern or layer orientation, and   at least one of said at least two merging side-by-side multiple product sections having (i) the multiple component section or (ii) the multiple material component section has a different pattern or multiple layer configuration or a different pattern or layer orientation from at least one other of said at least two merging side-by-side multiple product sections having (i) the multiple component section or (ii) the multiple material component section.   
     
     
         2 . The multicomponent multilayered product according to  claim 1 , wherein said multicomponent multilayered product includes a hollow core. 
     
     
         3 . The multicomponent multilayered product according to  claim 1 , wherein said multicomponent multilayered product additionally comprises filler particles or fibers. 
     
     
         4 . The multicomponent multilayered product according to  claim 1 , wherein said multicomponent multilayered product additionally comprises seams between layers that are staggered throughout the product. 
     
     
         5 . The multicomponent multilayered product according to  claim 9 , wherein said multicomponent multilayered product with includes an annular profile with an outside diameter between 1 mm and 5 mm. 
     
     
         6 . The multicomponent multilayered product according to  claim 1 , wherein said multicomponent multilayered product comprises one or more layer(s) containing one or more active pharmaceutical substance(s) or chemical(s), and the product is specifically designed to control the time release nature and/or abuse deterrent properties of this pharmaceutical substance or chemical. 
     
     
         7 . The multicomponent multilayered product according to  claim 1 , wherein said multicomponent multilayered product comprises a soft or porous texture and is subjected to further chemically or mechanically processing so as to remove one or more materials or layers. 
     
     
         8 . The multicomponent multilayered product according to  claim 1  wherein one or more of said component sections include singular or multiple patterned materials. 
     
     
         9 . The multicomponent multilayered product according to  claim 1  wherein one or more of said component sections include singular or multiple unpatterned materials.