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US 4,845,192 AGranted
Method of rapidly dissolving polymer gels in water
AssigneeDiatec Polymers
InventorsEdwin T. Sortwell, Alan R. Mikkelsen
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Abstract
A method of rapidly dissolving particles of water soluble polymer gels in water. A suspension of gel particles is formed and subjected to conditions of high shear in a particle size reduction apparatus whereby finely sliced particles are formed and instantly dissolve in water. Sufficient water is present that heat is dissipated and molecular degradation of the polymer is avoided.
Claims66
A method of rapidly dissolving particles of a gel of a water soluble polymer in water, comprising the steps of:
- (a) contacting said particles with water to form a suspension of said particles in water;
- and,
- (b) simultaneously with or immediately after formation of said suspension subjecting said suspension to instantaneous and momentary conditions of high cutting shear effective to finely slice said particles, said shear conditions and the proportion of said water to said polymer in said suspension being selected to avoid molecular degradation and produce a solution of said polymer in said water.
A method of rapidly dissolving particles of a gel of a water soluble polymer in water, comprising the steps of:
- (a) contacting said particles with water to form a suspension of said particles in water;
- and,
- (b) simultaneously with or immediately after formation of said suspension subjecting said suspension to instantaneous and momentary conditions of high cutting shear effective to finely slice said particles, said shear conditions and the proportion of said water to said polymer in said suspension being selected to avoid molecular degradation and produce a solution of said polymer in said water, said step (b) being carried out in a particle size reduction apparatus comprising a rotatable impeller and a cylindrical array of generally radially directed blade members circumferentially surrounding said impeller, with radial discharge spaces defined between adjacent blades, said blades being offset from said impeller at an angle of about 0.degree.-5.degree..
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.