Polymer recovery process and apparatus
Abstract
Abstract BULK DENSITY OF POLYMER RECOVERED FROM A SOLUTION THEREOF IN A SOLVENTS IS CONTROLLED BY REMOVING THE POLYMER FROM SOLVENT IN A FLASHING OPERATION WHEREIN THE FLASH ZONE IS HELD AT AN ELEVATED PRESSURE, SAID PRESSURE BEING SUFFICIENTLY HIGH TO DENSIFY THE POLYMER BUT NOT SO HIGH AS TO RESTRICT THE FLASHING OF SOLVENT FROM THE SOLUTION. THE INITIAL SOLVENT REMOVAL IS THUS ACHIEVED BY FLASHING THE SOLUTION CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF POLYMER AND SOLVENT IN A FLASH-COMMINUTION ZONE HAVING A PRESSURE MAINTAINED THEREIN IN THE RANGE OF 16 TO 50 P.S.I.A., THEREAFTER PASSING THE RESULTING SOLID SIZED POLYMER PARTICLES TO A LOWER PRESSURE SOLVENT REMOVAL ZONE AND FINALLY PURGING THE RESULTING ESSENTIALLY SOLVENT-FREE MATERIAL IN TOW OR MORE ZONES TO PROVIDE SUBSTANTIALLY SOLVENT-FREE POLYMER. PRESSURE IN THE INITIAL FLASH-COMMINUTION ZONE IS CONTROLLED RESPONSIVE TO THE MEASURED VALUE OF THE BULK DENSITY OF THE POLYMER IN THE PURGE ZONE.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert A Hinton
Bibliographic Details
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