Method and device for producing polyesters, copolyesters and polycarbonates

• US 7,084,234 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2003
• Issued: 08/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lurgi Zimmer GmbH (Mirko Kovats, PhD)
• Original Assignee: Zimmer AG
• Inventors: Reisen, Michael, Wilhelm, Fritz
• Primary Examiner(s): Boykin, Terressa
• Application Number:
  US10/513,227
• Publication Number:
  US 20050222371A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,217 Days
• Field of Search: 422/131, 528/196, 528/198, 528/271, 528/272
• US Class Current: 528/271
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/1856 placed in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/1862 placed in series
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/20 in the form of helices, e.g. screw reactors
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00006 Large-scale industrial plants
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/182 horizontal
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 63/78 Preparation processes
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 63/785 characterised by the apparatus used
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 64/205 characterised by the apparatus used
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 64/307 and phenols

Abstract

In a process for producing polyester, the esterification of dicarboxylic acids and diols is carried out in at least one reaction stage, the prepolycondensation of the esterification product in at least one reaction stage and the polycondensation of the prepolycondensation product in at least one reaction stage. To increase the capacity of the apparatus forming one or more of the reaction stages in the production of the polyesters, at at least one of the reaction stages the supplied product system before it enters the reaction stage or within the reaction stage is divided into at least two partial streams and the partial streams entirely or partially separate from one another are passed through the reaction stage.

Claims

1. A method for the continuous production of polyesters, copolyesters or polycarbonates by the esterification of dicarboxylic acids or dicarboxylic acid esters and diols or by the transesterification of dialkylcarbonates or diarylcarbonates with bisphenols in at least one reaction stage, prepolycondensation of the esterification or reesterification product in at least one reaction stage and polycondensation of the precondensation product in at least one reaction stage, wherein at least one of the reaction stages, the supplied product stream before or within the reaction stage is subdivided into at least two partial streams and the partial streams are passed through the same reaction stage, entirely or partly, separately from one another.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the partial streams are passed through the reaction stage converging at a common product outlet.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the partial streams are supplied sectionwise parallel to one another in the reaction stage towards a common product outlet.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the partial streams are passed through the reaction stage in equal flow rates.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the partial streams are combined in the reaction stage at the latest at the outlet.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the partial streams in the reaction stage for the prepolycondensation or polycondensation are passed in opposite directions to separate outlets.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the flow rate of the product streams fed into or discharged from the reaction stage is controlled.

8. A device for carrying out the method for continuous production of polyesters, copolyesters or polycarbonates by esterification of dicarboxylic acids or dicarboxylic acid esters and diols or by transesterification of dialkylcarbonates for or diarylcarbonates with bisphenols in at least one reaction stage which is an esterification stage prepolycondensation of the esterification or transesterification product in at least one reaction stage which is a prepolycondensation stage and polycondensation of the prepolycondensation product in at least one reaction stage which is a polycondensation stage, whereby in at least one of the reaction stages the product stream supplied before or within the reaction stage is divided into at least two partial streams and the partial streams are passed through the same reaction stage entirely or partly separate from one another, wherein the reaction stage guiding the partial streams is a cascade reactor or a cage reactor which has at least two spatially separate sections divided into partial spaces through which the partial streams may flow separately one after the other.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein the cascade reactor is a stirring disk reactor with perforated or annular disks.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein in the case of converging partial streams the inlet for the partial streams is provided each at the ends and the outlet for the total product stream formed from the partial streams is provided in the middle region of the stirring disk reactor.

11. The device according to claim 9, wherein in the case of partial streams diverging in opposite directions the inlet for the product stream supplied for forming the partial streams is provided in the middle region and the outlet for the partial streams is provided at the end of the stirring disk reactor.

12. The device according to claim 8, wherein the cascade reactor is a multistage reactor having at least two inlets for the product stream at a head region and an outlet for the product stream of the combined partial streams at the bottom and at least in an upper section partial stages connected in parallel for feeding the partial streams and a consecutive section stage or a bottom space for combining the partial streams.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein the inlets and outlet are connected through a recycle of the discharged product outside the multistage reactor by means of lines with elements included therein for dividing the product stream in the lines to separate inlets.

14. The device according to claim 8, wherein the outlet openings for vapor discharge of the cascade reactor or of the cage reactor are disposed as far as possible from the inlet openings.

15. The device according to claim 8, having esterification stages comprising two stirred reactors, a prepolycondensation stage comprising one multistage reactor and a polycondensation stage comprising one stirring disk reactor.

16. The device according to claim 8, having an esterification stage comprising two stirred reactors, a prepolycondensation stage comprising one stirring disk reactor and a polycondensation stage comprising one stirring disk reactor.

17. The device according to claim 8, having two esterification stages comprising two stirred reactors, a prepolycondensation stage comprising a stirring disk reactor, a granulator system, a crystallizer system and a vertical tube reactor forming a polycondensation stage.

18. The device according to claim 16, wherein in the second esterification stage a vacuum esterification stage is integrated.

19. The device according to claim 8, having a multistage reactor with an external product circulation as the esterification stage which is followed by a prepolycondensation stage and a stirring disk reactor for polycondensation.