Continuous process for the preparation of superpolyamides

Claim 1

CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF SUPERPOLYAMIDE WHICH COMPRISES CONTINUOUSLY FREELY DROPPING POLYAMIDE-FORMING DIAMINE-DICARBOXYLIC ACID SALT SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM WATER INTO A CONDENSATION ZONE, SAID CONDENSATION ZONE BEING MAINTAINED AT MELT POLYMERIZATION TEMPERATURES AND UNDER SUBSTANTIALLY ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, ALLOWING SAID SALT TO IMPINGE UPON HEATED SURFACES TO FORM LOW POLYMER WITH THE LIBERATION OF WATER AND TO DIVIDE SAID LOW POLYMER, AND TO RETARD ITS FLOW, AND TO FORM PROGRESSIVELY HIGHER POLYMER WITH THE LIBERATION OF WATER, ALLOWING SAID HIGHER POLYMER TO DROP FREELY FROM SAID SURFACES INTO A MOLTEN POLYMER POOL, CONTINUOUSLY WITHDRAWING POLYMER FROM SAID POOL, CONTINUOUSLY BUBBLING THROUGH THE CONDENSATION ZONE AN INERT GAS STREAM, TO REMOVE THE LIBERATED WATER AND UNREACTED DIAMINE, SAID INERT GAS STREAM BEING INTRODUCED INTO THE CONDENSATION ZONE THROUGH THE MOLTEN POLYMER POOL, DIVIDING THE INERT GAS STREAM AT THE HEATED SURFACES TO DISPERSE THE INERT GAS STREAM THROUGH RETARDED HIGHER POLYMER AND RETARDED LOW POLYMER, WITHDRAWING THE WATER-AND DIAMINE-ENTRAINED INERT GAS STREAM AT THE END OF THE CONDENSATION ZONE OPPOSITE TO THAT OF THE INTRODUCTION OF THE INERT GAS STREAM, COOLING THE INERT GAS STREAM TO CONDENSE DIAMINE, AND RETURNING THE DIAMINE TO THE CONDENSATION ZONE.