Method of continuous manufacturing of a phenol-aldehyde resin

Claim 1

A CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR PRODUCING PHENOL-ALDEHYDE RESINS, COMPRISING POLYCONDENSATION OF A PHENOL WITH AN ALDEHYDE IN THE PRESENCE OF A CATALYST, SEPARATING FROM THE REACTION MASS PRODUCED AT THE POLYCONDENSATION STAGE A LAYER CONSISTING OF RESINOUS POLYCONDENSATION PRODUCTS INSOLUBLE IN WATER, SEPARATING AND REMOVING AN AQUEOUS LAYER FROM SAID RESINOUS POLYCONDENSATION PRODUCTS; THEREAFTER DRYING SAID RESINOUS POLYCONDENSATION PRODUCTS EFFECTED BY CONTINUOUSLY PASSING SAID PRODUCTS THROUGH AN EXTERNALLY HEATED ELONGATED PASSAGEWAY, SAID PASSAGEWAY HAVING AN INLET END MAINTAINED AT A PRESSURE SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN THE PRESSURE AT THE OUTLET END OF SAID PASSAGEWAY, THEREBY ASSISTING SAID PRODUCTS TO FLOW IN SAID PASSAGEWAY FROM THE RELATIVELY HIGHER PRESSURE INLET TOWARDS THE RELATIVELY LOWER PRESSURE OUTLET AND ALONG WHICH THESE PRODUCTS TRAVEL TOGETHER WITH THE VAPORS OF VOLATILE SUBSTANCES WHICH ARE LIBERATED FROM SAID PRODUCTS AS THE RESULT OF HEATING, THE HEAT EXCHANGE AREAS OF SAID PASSAGEWAY BEING SUFFICIENT TO TRANSFER TO SAID PRODUCTS AN AMOUNT OF HEAT WHICH PERMITS OF DIMINISHING AS THE RESULT OF EVAPORATION THE CONTENT OF VOLATILE SUBSTANCES IN SAID PRODUCTS, POLYCONDENSATION PRODUCTS BEING FED INTO SAID PASSAGEWAY IN SUCH AN AMOUNT PER UNIT TIME AND SAID PASSAGEWAY HAVING A CROSS SECTIONAL AREA RELATED TO SAID AMOUNT SO THAT THE TRAVEL VELOCITY OF VOLATILE SUBSTANCES IN THE PASSAGEWAY REACHES AT LEAST 15 MM. PER SEC., SEPARATING THE RESIN FROM SAID VAPORS OF VOLATILE SUBSTANCES, COOLING AND LIQUEFYING SAID VAPORS OF VOLATILE SUBSTANCES, WHICH ARE LIBERATED FROM THE RESINOUS POLYCONDENSSATION PRODUCTS, USING THE PRODUCED CONDENSATE, WHICH IS AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF UNCONVERTED STARTING COMPONENTS, PREDOMINANTLY A PHENOL, AS RAW MATERIAL AT THE POLYCONDENSATION STAGE.