Melt Emulsion Extrusion Methods for Producing Thermoplastic Polymer Particles

Abstract

A method of making thermoplastic polymer particles may include mixing in an extruder a mixture comprising a thermoplastic polymer and a carrier fluid that is immiscible with the thermoplastic polymer at a temperature greater than a melting point or softening temperature of the thermoplastic polymer and at a shear rate sufficiently high to disperse the thermoplastic polymer in the carrier fluid; cooling the mixture to below the melting point or softening temperature of the thermoplastic polymer to form solidified particles comprising thermoplastic polymer particles having a circularity of 0.90 or greater and that comprise the thermoplastic polymer; and separating the solidified particles from the carrier fluid.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.