Rubber masterbatching

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION OF AN OIL-FILLER-RUBBER MIXTURE COMPRISING PROVIDING FIRST AND SECOND MIXING ZONES, SAID SECOND MIXING ZONE CONTAINING A LIQUID WHICH HAS SUBSTANTIALLY NO SOLVENT POWER FOR OTHER MATERIALS INTRODUCED THEREINTO; INTRODUCING A SOLID FILLER FOR RUBBER INTO SAID FIRST MIXING ZONE; ADDING A LIQUID ADDITIVE FOR RUBBER IN LIQUID FORM TO SAID FIRST MIXING ZONE THEREBY FORMING A FILLER-LIQUID ADDITIVE MIXTURE; PASSING THE RESULTING FILLERLIQUID MIXTURE TO SAID SECOND MIXING ZONE; INTRODUCING RUBBER CRUMB INTO SAID SECOND MIXING ZONE; REMOVING FILLERLIQUID ADDITIVE MIXTURE, RUBBER CRUMB, AND NON-SOLVENT LIQUID FROM SAID SECOND MIXING ZONE AND PASSING SAME TO A LIQUID-SOLID SEPARATION ZONE, RECOVERING (1) A FILLER-LIQUID ADDITIVE-RUBBER WET WITH NON-SOLVENT LIQUID, AND (2) A SEPARATE NON-SOLVENT LIQUID CONTAINING FINES FROM SAID LIQUIDSOLID SEPARATION ZONE; PASSING STREAM (1) AND A PORTION OF STREAN (2) TO A COMPRESSION ZONE TO REMOVE THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE NON-SOLVENT LIQUID FROM THE FILLER-LIQUID ADDITIVE RUBBER MIXTURE; PASSING THE REST OF STREAM (2) TO SAID SECOND MIXING ZONE; PASSING NON-SOLVENT LIQUID REMOVED FROM SAID MIXTURE IN SAID COMPRESSION ZONE TO SAID SECOND MIXING ZONE; AND PASSING FILLER-LIQUID ADDITIVE-RUBBER MIXTURE CONTAINING A SMALL AMOUNT OF NONSOLVENT LIQUID TO A CLOSE MILLING ZONE WHEREIN SAID FILLERLOQUID ADDITIVE-RUBBER MIXTURE IS HEATED TO A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENTLY HIGH THAT NON-SOLVENT LIQUID VAPORIZES THEREFROM UPON RELEASE OF SAID MIXTURE FROM SAID MILLING ZONE THEREBY PROVIDING A SUBSTANTIALLY DRY FILLER-LIQUID ADDITIVERUBBER MIXTURE.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION OF AN OIL-FILLER-RUBBER MIXTURE COMPRISING PROVIDING FIRST AND SECOND MIXING ZONES, SAID SECOND MIXING ZONE CONTAINING A LIQUID WHICH HAS SUBSTANTIALLY NO SOLVENT POWER FOR OTHER MATERIALS INTRODUCED THEREINTO; INTRODUCING A SOLID FILLER FOR RUBBER INTO SAID FIRST MIXING ZONE; ADDING A LIQUID ADDITIVE FOR RUBBER IN LIQUID FORM TO SAID FIRST MIXING ZONE THEREBY FORMING A FILLER-LIQUID ADDITIVE MIXTURE; PASSING THE RESULTING FILLERLIQUID MIXTURE TO SAID SECOND MIXING ZONE; INTRODUCING RUBBER CRUMB INTO SAID SECOND MIXING ZONE; REMOVING FILLERLIQUID ADDITIVE MIXTURE, RUBBER CRUMB, AND NON-SOLVENT LIQUID FROM SAID SECOND MIXING ZONE AND PASSING SAME TO A LIQUID-SOLID SEPARATION ZONE, RECOVERING (1) A FILLER-LIQUID ADDITIVE-RUBBER WET WITH NON-SOLVENT LIQUID, AND (2) A SEPARATE NON-SOLVENT LIQUID CONTAINING FINES FROM SAID LIQUIDSOLID SEPARATION ZONE; PASSING STREAM (1) AND A PORTION OF STREAN (2) TO A COMPRESSION ZONE TO REMOVE THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE NON-SOLVENT LIQUID FROM THE FILLER-LIQUID ADDITIVE RUBBER MIXTURE; PASSING THE REST OF STREAM (2) TO SAID SECOND MIXING ZONE; PASSING NON-SOLVENT LIQUID REMOVED FROM SAID MIXTURE IN SAID COMPRESSION ZONE TO SAID SECOND MIXING ZONE; AND PASSING FILLER-LIQUID ADDITIVE-RUBBER MIXTURE CONTAINING A SMALL AMOUNT OF NONSOLVENT LIQUID TO A CLOSE MILLING ZONE WHEREIN SAID FILLERLOQUID ADDITIVE-RUBBER MIXTURE IS HEATED TO A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENTLY HIGH THAT NON-SOLVENT LIQUID VAPORIZES THEREFROM UPON RELEASE OF SAID MIXTURE FROM SAID MILLING ZONE THEREBY PROVIDING A SUBSTANTIALLY DRY FILLER-LIQUID ADDITIVERUBBER MIXTURE.