Polycondensation apparatus

• US 5,480,616 A
• Filed: 07/26/1994
• Issued: 01/02/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Solvay Advanced Polymers LLC (Solvac SA)
• Original Assignee: Amoco Corporation (BP PLC)
• Inventors: Poppe, Wassily, Bolton, Benjamin A., Richardson, Joel A., Paschke, Edward E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Christopher Y.
• Application Number:
  US08/280,702
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• Field of Search: 422/134, 422/137, 422/138, 422/196, 422/197, 422/312, 526/65, 528/335
• US Class Current: 422/134
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 63/78 Preparation processes
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 69/28 Preparatory processes
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 73/1028 characterised by the process itself, e.g. steps, continuous
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 73/14 Polyamide-imides

Abstract

A process for preparing condensation polymers comprises forming a dispersion of a reaction mixture in a continuous vapor phase, maintaining the dispersion while passing it through a reaction zone, heating the dispersion in the reaction zone to polymerize reactants in the reaction mixture and form a polycondensate.

Claims

1. An apparatus for preparing a condensation polymer, said apparatus comprising:

mixing means for mixing reactants to form a feed mixture;

pressurizing means connected to said mixing means for pressurizing said feed mixture;

heating means for receiving said pressurized feed mixture from said pressurizing means and heating said mixture;

at least one reactor connected to said heating means, said reactor comprising means for heating said reactor to temperatures of about 400°

F. to about 1000°

F. and designed to maintain turbulent flow of a dispersion of particles of liquid or solid in a continuous vapor phase;

means for forming a dispersion of particles of liquid or solid in a continuous vapor phase from said heated feed mixture, said means located at an entrance to said reactor;

throttling means located at an exit from said reactor to control the pressure in said reactor; and

finishing means connected to the exit from the reactor to post-polymerize a reactor product.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for forming a dispersion is an orifice sized to allow a stream of feed mixture to pass therethrough while maintaining pressure of the feed mixture in said heating means and allowing volatile components in the feed mixture to flash into a lower pressure region in the reactor.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said orifice is a valve.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said reactor is tubular in shape.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said throttling means is a valve.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said reactor comprises a plurality of reactors

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said reactors are tubular in shape.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said means for forming a dispersion comprises a plurality of orifices with one such orifice located at the entrance to each such reactor.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the finishing means is mounted at the exit of said reactor.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said finishing means is an extruder.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said extruder is a twin-screw extruder.

12. An apparatus for preparing a condensation polymer, said apparatus comprising:

a stirred vessel for mixing reactants to form a feed mixture;

a pump connected to said vessel for pressurizing said feed mixture;

a conduit connected to said pump for receiving said pressurized feed mixture, said conduit comprising means for increasing temperature of the pressurized feed mixture over at least a portion of the conduit;

a plurality of heated, parallel tubular reactors connected to said conduit for heating a dispersion formed from said feed mixture, said heated tubular reactors designed to maintain turbulent flow of a dispersion of particles of liquid or solid in a continuous vapor phase therethrough and comprising means for heating the reactors to temperatures of about 400°

F. to about 1000°

F. to provide a heat flux to the dispersion;

a plurality of orifices with one such orifice located at an entrance to each of said reactors for forming a dispersion of particles of liquid or solid in a continuous vapor phase from said heated feed mixture each such orifice being sized to allow a stream of said feed mixture to pass therethrough while maintaining pressure of the feed mixture in said conduit and allowing volatile components in the feed mixture to flash into a lower pressure region in the reactor;

a valve located at an outlet of such tubular reactors to control the pressure in said reactors; and

a post-polymerization finishing reactor connected to such tubular reactors for receiving a product from such tubular reactors and post-polymerizing said product.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said finishing reactor is an extruder.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said tubular reactors are about 6 to about 20 feet long and have an internal diameter of about 0.3 to about 1.0 inch.