Patent · US Expired

Multiple stage devolatilization process for mass processable polymers

US4439601A · kind A · utility

32Cited by
9References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 15, 1981
Grant dateMar 27, 1984
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 15, 2001

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
  • CPC primaryC08F6/001
  • WIPO fieldMacromolecular chemistry, polymers
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

Disclosed is a multiple-stage flash devolatilization process, and apparatus for use therein, for recovering volatiles from mass processable polymers, which enables optimally low pressures to be employed without the necessity for refrigeration to condense the volatiles recovered thereby, comprising separating the volatiles from the polymeric material by flashing in a first flash devolatilization zone to remove the majority of the volatiles and then flashing in at least one additional flash devolatilization zone maintained at a lower pressure, preferably as low as practically possible, to remove residual volatiles, and then recovering the volatiles for further use by feeding the volatiles recovered from the additional flash zones back into the stream of volatiles leaving the first flash zone, the higher pressure of which allows the combined free volatiles present therein to then be condensed in a conventional non-refrigeration cooling process.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.