Process and apparatus for dissolving water soluble polymers and gums in water involving inversion of water-in-oil emulsions

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS OF DISSOLVING WATER SOLUBLE VINYL ADDITION POLYMERS AND GUMS IN WATER WHEREIN A WATER-IN-OIL EMULSION WHICH CONTAINS FINELY DIVIDED WATER SOLUBLE VINYL ADDITION POLYMER OR GUM IS INVERTED IN WATER WHEREBY THE WATER SOLUBLE VINYL ADDITION POLYMER OR GUM IS RELEASED INTO THE WATER AS A SOLUTION, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES ADDING WATER TO SAID WATER-IN-OIL EMULSION IN SUFFICIENT AMOUNT SO THAT THE RESULTANT COMPOSITION HAS A VISCOSITY APPROXIMATING THAT OF WATER ALONE, AND PASSING A CONFINED STREAM OF THE RESULTANT COMPOSITION WITH A REYNOLDS NUMBER OF AT LEAST 50,000 FOR AN AVERAGE RESIDENCE TIME LESS THAN ONE SECOND IN A TORTUOUS OR WINDING PATH UNDER CONDITIONS SUFFICIENT TO PRODUCE TURBULENCE AND TO CAUSE SAID WATER-IN-OIL EMULSION TO INVERT AND TO RELEASE SAID POLYMER OR GUM IN WATER TO PRODUCE AN AQUEOUS ACTIVATED SOLUTION OF SAID POLYMER OR GUM AFTER SAID STREAM LEAVES SAID TORTUOUS OR WINDING PATH, SAID ACTIVATED SOLUTION HAVING A HIGHER VISCOSITY THAN THE VISCOSITY OF SAID EMULSION IN SAID CONFINED STREAM.