Machine for solid phase polymerization

Claim 1

A machine for solid phase polymerization comprising means defining a system for supplying particles of a synthetic polymer, means defining a reaction system for effecting solid phase polymerization under a vacuum and heated conditions to said particles of a synthetic polymer fed from said supplying system, and means defining a system for discharging said particles of a synthetic polymer which have been subjected to said solid phase polymerization in said reaction system so that their degree of polymerization is increased, characterized in that said reaction system comprises a horizontal reaction vessel, a shaft rotatable about a horizontal axis within said reaction vessel, at least one screw vane secured to said rotatable shaft and having a multiplicity of small apertures formed therein, and scrapers axially extending between adjacent screw vane portions, said supplying system comprises a pre-treatment apparatus comprising a precrystallizer wherein particles are precrystallized and a beater for separating stuck particles connected to the exit of said precrystallizer, whereby said particles of a synthetic polymer are precrystallized and beaten by means of said pre-treatment apparatus and then are fed to said reaction system, said machine further comprising intermediate vessels disposed for communication between said reaction system and said discharging system, respectively, and vacuum breakers comprising particle shutters and vacuum valves located downstream of said shutters disposed at the particle supply side and the particle discharge side of said intermediate vessels, respectively.