Extrusion granulation method and device, and granulate produced therefrom

• US 8,147,738 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2007
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bühler Thermal Processes AG
• Original Assignee: Buhler AG (Buhler Holding AG)
• Inventors: Boczon, Jaroslaw, Doll, Andreas, Fenchel, Sven, Culbert, Brent Allan, Eusebio, Fernando, Morganti, Franziska
• Primary Examiner(s): Del Sole, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown, II, David N
• Application Number:
  US12/516,563
• Publication Number:
  US 20100133717A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,604 Days
• Field of Search: 264/143, 425/71, 425/308
• US Class Current: 264/143
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 2009/165 Crystallizing granules
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 9/06 in the form of filamentary material, e.g. combined with extrusion
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 9/12 characterised by structure or composition
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 9/16 Auxiliary treatment of granules

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for the production of granulate grains of polymers from thermoplastic polyesters or copolyesters from a polyester melt using an extrusion granulator. The polyester melt is fed to nozzles of the extrusion granulator and then, with draw-in rollers, to the granulation device via an extraction section as extrusions exiting from the nozzle, wherein, e.g., an extrusion extraction speed is set by the draw-in rollers. The invention also relates to an improved extrusion granulator according to the invention having a wave device between the nozzles and the extraction channel, and granulate grains produced according to the method according to the invention.

Claims

1. A process comprising producing pellets of polymers of thermoplastic polyesters or copolyesters from a polyester melt with a strand pelletizer in which the polyester melt is supplied to die orifices and is thereafter supplied in the form of strands via a discharge section to a pelletization device with draw-in rollers, wherein a strand removal speed v_ab is adjusted via the draw-in rollers, wherein the strands exit the die orifices at an exit speed v_aus of at least 110 m/min, wherein a relationship of exit speed v_aus divided by the area f of the die orifice opening of a respective die orifice v_aus/f is configured such that the condition v_aus/f≧

30 m/(min×

mm²) is satisfied, and wherein the strands thus issuing from respective die orifices are brought into contact with a cooling fluid.

2. The process according to claim 1, wherein, upon exit of the strands, a stretching V=(v_ab−

v_aus)/v_aus of the issuing strands is configured such, that the condition V≦

0 is satisfied.

3. The process according to claim 1, wherein the exit speed v_aus is adjusted in a range from at least 110 m/min to at most 600 m/min.

4. The process according to claim 1, wherein the strand removal speed v_ab is adjusted in a range from at least 80 m/min to at most 350 m/min.

5. The process according to claim 1, wherein the area f of the die orifice opening of the respective die orifice is adjusted to less than 12 mm².

6. The process according to claim 1, wherein the diameter d and/or length 1 of the die orifice opening of the respective die orifices is configured such that the relationship l/d satisfies the condition l/d≦

l.

7. The process according to claim 1, wherein the strands issuing from the die orifices are brought across (m air gap into contact with a cooling fluid, the length of the air gap being adjusted to no more than 30 mm.

8. The process according to claim 1, wherein the pellets have a highly nucleated structure in the region of their lateral surface.

9. The process according to claim 8, wherein the highly nucleated structure has a layer thickness of at least 5 μ

m, more particularly at least 10 μ

m.

10. The process according to claim 1, wherein the pellets have a part-crystalline structure in the region of their lateral surface.

11. The process according to claim 10, wherein the part-crystalline structure has a layer thickness of at least 5 μ

m, more particularly at least 10 μ

m.

12. The process according to claim 10, wherein the part-crystalline structure has a crystallization degree of at least 10%, more particularly at least 15%.

13. The process according to claim 1, wherein the cooling fluid has a temperature T which is in the range T1 to T2, where T1=Tg−

20°

C. and T2=Tg+70°

C. and where Tg corresponds to the glass transition temperature of the thermoplastic polyester.

14. The process according to claim 1, wherein the polyester melt is supplied to the die orifices at a melt temperature T_melt≦

280°

C.

15. The process according to claim 1, wherein the die orifice temperature is 10 to 60°

C. lower than the melt temperature.

16. The process according to claim 1, wherein a contact time of the polyester melt with the cooling fluid is in the range from 0.3 to 10 seconds.

17. The process according to claim 1, wherein the pelletization of the strands in the pelletization device is followed directly by heat treatment of the pellets.

18. The process according to claim 17, wherein the heat treatment includes crystallization.

19. The process according to claim 18, wherein crystallization is effected in a crystallization chamber by means of a process gas stream, wherein the temperature of the process gas at the entry into the crystallization chamber is higher than the temperature of the pellets at the exit from the crystallization chamber.

20. The process according to claim 1, wherein the pelletization of the strands in the pelletization device is followed directly by the crystallization of the thus produced pellets.

21. The process according to claim 1, wherein there is post-condensation of the thus produced pellets.