Systems and methods for manufacturing bulked continuous filament

A system for manufacturing pellets from polymer, the system comprising:

• means for melting a plurality of polymer flakes to create a first stream of polymer melt;
• means for routing the first stream of polymer melt through a separation element to generate multiple streams of polymer melt;
• means for exposing the multiple streams of polymer melt to a pressure within a multiple stream section of a melt processing unit;
• means for reducing the pressure of the multiple stream section of the melt processing unit to a chamber pressure;
• means for, while maintaining the pressure of the multiple stream section of the melt processing unit at the chamber pressure, allowing the multiple streams of polymer melt to pass through the multiple stream section of the melt processing unit into a receiving section of the melt processing unit;
• means for recombining the multiple streams of polymer melt into at least one stream of polymer melt at the receiving section of the melt processing unit;
• means for cooling said at least one stream of polymer from the at least one stream of polymer melt;
• means for forming pellets from said at least one stream of polymer;
• wherein the system further comprises an intrinsic viscosity management system configured to determine an intrinsic viscosity of the at least one stream of polymer melt, and, in response to determining the intrinsic viscosity of the at least one stream of polymer melt, adjust the pressure within the multiple stream section of the melt processing unit.

A system for manufacturing pellets from polymer, the system comprising:

• a first section of a melt processing unit, the first section being configured to melt polymer to create a first single stream of polymer melt;
• a separation element configured to receive the first single stream of polymer melt and divide the first single stream of polymer melt into multiple streams of polymer melt;
• a multiple stream section of the melt processing unit configured to:
• receive the multiple streams of polymer melt,
• allow the multiple streams of polymer melt to pass through the multiple stream section and into a receiving section of the melt processing unit, and
• expose the multiple streams of polymer melt to a pressure within the multiple stream section of the melt processing-unit as the multiple streams of polymer melt pass through the multiple stream section of the melt processing unit;
• and
• a pressure regulation system configured to maintain the pressure within the multiple stream section of the melt processing unit at a chamber pressure as the multiple streams of polymer pass through the multiple stream section, wherein:
• the receiving section of the melt processing unit is configured to:
• receive the multiple streams of polymer melt,
• recombine the multiple streams of polymer melt into at least one combined stream of polymer melt, and
• convey the at least one combined stream of polymer melt toward means for cooling and forming said at least one combined stream of polymer melt into said pellets, wherein the system further comprises an intrinsic viscosity management system configured to determine an intrinsic viscosity of the at least one combined stream of polymer melt, and, in response to determining the intrinsic viscosity of the at least one combined stream of polymer melt, instructing the pressure regulation system to adjust the chamber pressure within the multiple stream section of the melt processing unit.