an extrusion pelleting process and apparatus is disclosed wherein the outermost portion of an extrusion orifice is surrounded by a heat reservoir maintained at a temperature significantly higher than the softening temperature range of the polymer being extruded . the high temperature heat reservoir constitutes a heat source from which individual extrusion orifices may be heated above the polymer &# 39 ; s softening range to assist in melting frozen plugs of polymer which may block the orifice from time to time . also disclosed is a heat flow control mechanism , in effect , for slowing the heat release from the reservoir to the individual extrusion orifices for economy of operation while still making available such high temperature source for unfreezing such plugs .