Method for devolatilizing liquid polymer compositions

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR SEPARATING VOLATILIES FROM A LIQUID COMPOSITION CONTAINING POLYMER AND VOLATILE CONSTITUENTS COMPRISING INTRODUCING SAID COMPOSITION TO THE UPPER PORTION OF A CHAMBER MAINTAINED AT A REDUCED PRESSURE TO FLASHVAPORIZE SAID VOLATILES AND FOAM THE RESULTING COMPOSITION THUS RELEASING A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF VOLATILES THEREFROM AND CONCURRENTLY FORMING A FOAMY STRAND OF POLYMER FREELY DESCENDING WITHIN SAID CHAMBER SUBSTANTIALLY OUT OF CONTACT WITH THE WALLS THEREOF, PASSING SAID DESCENDING STRAND THROUGH A SUBSTANTIALLY SHEAR-FREE COMPRESSION ZONE LOCATED IN THE LOWER PART OF THE CHAMBER, SAID COMPRESSION ZONE BEING DEFINED BY A PAIR OF COUNTER ROTATING ROLLERS HAVING ANGULAR VELOCITY AND A NIP CLEARANCE IN EXCESS OF THE NECESSARY MECHANICAL CLEARANCE THEREOF AND LESS THAN THE THICKNESS OF SAID STRAND; EACH OF SAID SURFACES AT THE ZONE OF COTACT MOVING GENERALLY WITH THE FLOW OF THE APPROACHING STRAND TO DRAW SAID STRAND INTO AND THROUGH THE NIP OF SAID ROLLERS TO MECHANICALLY COMPRESS SAID STRAND EFFECTING THE FURTHER RELEASE OF VOLATILES THEREFROM AND CONVEYING THE DEVOLATILIZED POLYMER COMPOSITION FROM SAID CHAMBER.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR SEPARATING VOLATILIES FROM A LIQUID COMPOSITION CONTAINING POLYMER AND VOLATILE CONSTITUENTS COMPRISING INTRODUCING SAID COMPOSITION TO THE UPPER PORTION OF A CHAMBER MAINTAINED AT A REDUCED PRESSURE TO FLASHVAPORIZE SAID VOLATILES AND FOAM THE RESULTING COMPOSITION THUS RELEASING A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF VOLATILES THEREFROM AND CONCURRENTLY FORMING A FOAMY STRAND OF POLYMER FREELY DESCENDING WITHIN SAID CHAMBER SUBSTANTIALLY OUT OF CONTACT WITH THE WALLS THEREOF, PASSING SAID DESCENDING STRAND THROUGH A SUBSTANTIALLY SHEAR-FREE COMPRESSION ZONE LOCATED IN THE LOWER PART OF THE CHAMBER, SAID COMPRESSION ZONE BEING DEFINED BY A PAIR OF COUNTER ROTATING ROLLERS HAVING ANGULAR VELOCITY AND A NIP CLEARANCE IN EXCESS OF THE NECESSARY MECHANICAL CLEARANCE THEREOF AND LESS THAN THE THICKNESS OF SAID STRAND; EACH OF SAID SURFACES AT THE ZONE OF COTACT MOVING GENERALLY WITH THE FLOW OF THE APPROACHING STRAND TO DRAW SAID STRAND INTO AND THROUGH THE NIP OF SAID ROLLERS TO MECHANICALLY COMPRESS SAID STRAND EFFECTING THE FURTHER RELEASE OF VOLATILES THEREFROM AND CONVEYING THE DEVOLATILIZED POLYMER COMPOSITION FROM SAID CHAMBER.