Method for introducing additives

• US 6,866,171 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2001
• Issued: 03/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sulzer Chemtech AG (Sulzer AG)
• Original Assignee: Sulzer Chemtech AG (Sulzer AG)
• Inventors: Ickinger, Georg Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): KASTLER, SCOTT R
• Application Number:
  US09/936,039
• Publication Number:
  US 20020167103A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,531 Days
• Field of Search: 222/566, 222/591
• US Class Current: 222/596
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/313 wherein additional components are introduced in the centre of the conduit
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/314 wherein additional components are introduced at the circumference of the conduit
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/71755 using means for feeding components in a pulsating or intermittent manner
• CPC Class Codes: B22D 25/005 Casting metal foams
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2043/3455 for particles, powder, fibres, e.g. fluidized or sprayed
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2043/3494 using vibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2045/1841 into runner channel or runner nozzle
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/92514 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/92561 Time, e.g. start, termination, duration or interruption
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/926 Flow or feed rate
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/92704 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/92895 Barrel or housing
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/92904 Die; Nozzle zone
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/34 Feeding the material to the mould or the compression means B29C43/085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/1816 Feeding auxiliary material, e.g. colouring material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/29 in liquid form
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/297 at several locations, e.g. using several hoppers or using a separate additive feeding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/92 Measuring, controlling or regulating
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/95 by adding lubricant to the moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 47/027 Electrically actuated valves draining the chamber to release the closing pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 61/1806 : characterised by the arrangement of discharge orifices, e.g. orientation or size
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 69/04 : Injectors peculiar thereto
• CPC Class Codes: F23R 7/00 : Intermittent or explosive combustion chambers

Abstract

A method introduces additives into flowing or fluidised media. The spatially predetermined position of the additives in the flowing material, also called fluid bed, is obtained by controlling the pulsating injection, The introduction and exact dosing of additives, that is hardeners, dyes, gas producers and softener for instance, into a liquid plastic stream or metal stream (10) for instance, or the fluid bed of bulk material, such as powder, granules and pellets, is carried out by means of an injector. The invention is used in melting units, in hot channel systems, in tools, componens of tools and injection moulding machines, extruders, injection moulding, pelleting, burner and injection arrangements. The nozzle needle (3) of at least one nozzle (2), respectively, is variable and highly precisely moved for the introduction by means of a device and in such a way that additive (17) is dosed exactly in relation to the volume flow of the medium and that a pulsating stream (18, 36) is injected into the medium flowing past, by means of at least one well-aimed nozzle opening (4). The additives are dosed by means of a pressure that can be variably adjusted by pulse width and pulse frequency. The desired homogenous distribution is obtained by the penetrating injection jet (37) during compounding.

Claims

1. A system for introducing an additive into a viscous medium comprising:

a conduit having an inlet and an outlet;

means for introducing a viscous medium into said conduit inlet;

an injector having a nozzle with an axially extending bore therein, said nozzle having a nozzle passage with a nozzle outlet in fluid communication with said conduit and an inlet in fluid communication with said bore, a needle extending axially within said bore and having valve means associated therewith for controlling fluid communication of said bore with said inlet of said nozzle passage as a function of the axial position of said needle in said bore;

a pressure regulator for controlling the pressure of an additive in said bore and the viscous medium in said conduit;

actuating means for axially moving said needle in said bore in response to an electrical signal in a cyclical manner from a first position whereat said nozzle passage inlet is closed to a second position whereat said nozzle passage inlet is in fluid communication with said bore to a set degree, said movement from said first position to said second position occurring at a set frequency and at a set time for said second position whereby said additive is pulsed into said medium.

2. The system of claim 1 further including mixing means in said conduit downstream of said nozzle for causing the direction of said medium with said additive to change promoting mixing of said medium with said additive.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said mixing means include a static mixer in said conduit.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein said mixing means includes a plurality of longitudinally spaced obstructions within said conduit downstream of said nozzle.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein said mixing means includes a longitudinally extending channel within said conduit having a channel inlet and a channel outlet, said channel having a longitudinally-extending portion thereof of increasing cross-sectional area in the direction of said channel outlet and said nozzle adjacent said channel inlet.

6. The system of claim 2 wherein the diameter of said nozzle passages is between 0.08 and 0.2 mm and said pressure regulator is set to establish a higher additive pressure in said bore than said melt in said conduit whereby said nozzle passages act as orifices.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said nozzle bore has a nozzle seat formed therein upstream of said nozzle passage inlet and said needle has a valving surface adjacent said nozzle seat for opening and closing said nozzle seat as a function of axial position of said needle in said bore.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said valve seat has sharp edge surfaces whereby atomized spray exits from said nozzle passage outlet into said medium.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein said nozzle has a plurality of nozzle passages circumferentially spaced about said nozzle at set inclined angles relative to the longitudinal direction of said nozzle.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein said nozzle has a pocket at an end thereof and through which said nozzle passage extends, said valve seat being disposed upstream of said pocket whereby discrete drops of additives may be injected into said medium upon opening and closing of said nozzle with said valve seat.

11. The system of claim 6 further including said needle having a needle bore axially extending therein;

said needle having orifice passages adjacent the tip of said needle in fluid communication with said bore in said nozzle and a needle valve is said needle bore movable within said bore to open and close said orifice passages; and

said actuator means controlling said needle valve and the position of said needle independently of one another.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said needle valve is an interior needle within said needle bore and said actuator means effective to move said interior needle within said needle bore to open and close said orifice passages and said regulator effective to supply pressurized additive to said needle bore and pressurized medium to said bore between said nozzle and said needle.

13. The system of claim 2 further including an extruder plasticating screw within an extruder barrel for forming said medium as a plastic melt, said regulator controlling the rotation of said extruder screw and the temperature of said barrel to control the pressure of said melt, said extruder barrel having a space forward of said screw for receiving said melt terminating at an extruder nozzle, a die mold adjacent said extruder nozzle and melt channels between said nozzle and said mold or within said mold, said additive selected as at least one element from the group consisting of gas producing substances, dyes, hardeners, softeners, fillers, blends and reactants and said conduit comprising at least one element selected from the group consisting of said forward space, said melt channels and said die mold.

14. The system of claim 2 further including a reciprocal in-line injection molding plasticating screw within an injection barrel for forming said medium as a plastic melt, said regulator controlling the rotation and translation of said screw and the temperature of said barrel to control the pressure of said melt, said barrel having a space forward of said screw for receiving said melt terminating at an injection barrel nozzle, a mold adjacent said injection nozzle, at least one hot runner between said mold and said injection nozzle and melt channels within said mold, said additive selected as at least one element from the group consisting of gas producing substances, dyes, hardeners, softeners, fillers, blends and reactants and said conduit comprising at least one element selected from the group consisting of said forward barrel space, said melt channels and said hot runner.

15. The system of claim 2 further including a casting machine for producing said medium as a molten metal, said metal flowing in a valved passage to a die mold, said die mold having melt channels within said mold, said additive selected as at least one element from the group consisting of alloys and metallurgical additives, and said conduit comprising at least one element selected from the group consisting of said valved passage and said melt channels.