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 equipment comprises at least one first mixing apparatus for introducing at least one of said further components onto polymer pellets, which said first mixing apparatus comprises:

• an inlet for feeding polymer pellets into said first mixing apparatus, to form a pellet stream,
• a first mixing section provided with mixing means 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 the longitudinal direction of the mixing section to move the said pellet stream along said section from the inlet towards the outlet,
• said mixing device for moving and mixing said pellet stream in said first mixing section causes said mixing section to at least vibrate and also oscillate and thereby to cause the pellet stream to vibrate and oscillate within said 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 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 in included from the stated group,
• no moving mixing device is present within said first mixing section, and
• said at least one application devices is arranged to extend at least partially within the equipment for the pellet stream, to extend at least partially within the polymer pellet stream and to be positioned to be at least partly in contact with flowing polymer stream.