Process and apparatus for continuous production of polyesters

US4382139A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Didier Engineering GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Friedhelm Kapteina · Gelsenkirchen, DE
• Jurgen Rink · Schwäbisch Gmünd, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 10, 1981
• Grant date: May 3, 1983
• Expiry date: Dec 10, 2001

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B01J2219/0011
• WIPO field: Macromolecular chemistry, polymers
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Process and apparatus for continuous production of polyesters, characterized by an improvement in the esterification or interesterification stage, in which a mixture containing the starting materials, for example, terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol, is subjected to the shearing and homogenizing action of a rotor-stator, and the resultant homogeneous mixture is introduced into a thin-layer evaporator to produce a reaction mixture containing low molecular weight bis-hydroxyalkylene ester. This lower molecular weight product is then subjected to precondensation and polycondensation in accordance with conventional procedures to obtained the desired polyester product. In accordance with the present invention, the esterification degree can be increased substantially, without deteriorating the quality of the polyester.