Equipment and process for producing polymer pellets

An equipment for producing polymer pellets comprising one or more polymer components and one or more further components, which the equipment comprises at least one first mixing apparatus for introducing at least one of said further components onto polymer pellets, which said at least one first mixing apparatus comprises:

• an inlet for feeding polymer pellets into said at least one first mixing apparatus to form a pellet stream,
• a first mixing section provided with a mixing device for moving and mixing said pellet stream along said first mixing section,
• at least one application device, said application device applies said at least one further component(s) onto the polymer pellets at one or more positions selected from prior to said first mixing apparatus, at said inlet of said first mixing apparatus, and within said section of said first mixing apparatus, and
• an outlet for removing the mixed pellet stream from said first mixing section,
• wherein said first mixing section is an elongated mixing section having a longitudinal axis and is arranged substantially horizontally within a longitudinal direction of the elongated mixing section to move said pellet stream along said elongated mixing section from the inlet towards the outlet,
• said mixing device for moving and mixing said pellet stream in said first mixing section causes said elongated mixing section to at least vibrate and also oscillate and thereby to cause the pellet stream to vibrate and oscillate within said elongated mixing section and said mixing device for moving and mixing said pellet stream in said first mixing section is selected from the group consisting of one or more of a vibration causing apparatus arranged outside said first mixing section in an operational contact therewith, oscillation causing apparatus arranged outside said first mixing section in an operational contact therewith and a fluidization causing apparatus and wherein at least said vibration causing apparatus is included from said group for non-gravimetrical flow of said pellet stream in a substantially horizontal direction is included from the stated group,
• no moving mixing device is present within said first mixing section,
• and
• said at least one application device is arranged to extend at least partially within the equipment for the pellet stream or to extend at least partially within the polymer pellet stream,
• wherein the equipment further comprises at least one drying section comprising one or more drying tanks configured to provide a predetermined residence time arranged to follow said first mixing apparatus for allowing further absorption homogenisation of said further components present into the pellets, wherein the one or more drying tanks are either in parallel or in series and configured to flow the polymer pellets by gravity through the one or more drying tanks.