Ultrasound-enhanced devolatilization of thermoplastic plastics

A method for devolatilizing thermoplastic polymer solutions comprising the following steps in sequence:

• (i) passing a preheated thermoplastic polymer solution through a heatable zone to maintain a solution temperature which is above the normal boiling points of volatile components and below the boiling point of said polymer in said solution;
• (ii) scattering down said solution at an outlet of said heatable zone disposed in a vessel, by means of force produced by ultrasonic horns and gravity, to a plurality of vertical heating plates whose temperature is maintained above the melting point of said polymer but below the temperature at which said polymer suffers significant degradation, while the devolatilization of said polymer solution proceeds under atmospheric pressure;
• (iii) flowing said solution along the surfaces of said vertical heating plates toward an outlet of said vessel by gravity and then into a feed inlet of a first extruder, which feed inlet of said first extruder is connected to said outlet of said vessel;
• (iv) operating said first extruder to extrude said solution into a feed inlet of a second extruder, each of said first and second extruders having a casing with a cylindrical bore, a feed inlet, a discharge end and a plurality of openings and an extruder screw which is rotatable in said cylindrical bore of said casing and is driven by drive means located at the end of said casing opposite said discharge end, while the rotation speed of said screw of said first extruder is suitably controlled so that the screw channel is partially filled by said polymer solution in the vicinity of said feed inlet of said second extruder, which feed inlet of said second extruder is connected to said discharge end of said first extruder;
• (v) allowing volatile components to escape through one of said openings on said casing which is located in the region between said feed inlet and said drive means of said second extruder and connected to vacuum means for producing reduced presssure therein, and in said region a plurality of ultrasonic horns are disposed for producing sonic or ultrasonic vibrations in said solution;
• (vi) propelling said solution forward toward said discharge end of said second extruder;
• (vii) allowing volatile components to escape through a first one of said openings downstream from said feed inlet of said second extruder, around which a plurality of ultrasonic horns are disposed for producing sonic or ultrasonic vibrations in said solution;
• (viii) allowing volatile components escape through each of the remaining openings on said casing of said second extruder, wherein each of the remaining openings is any opening located between said first one of said openings and said discharge end of said second extruder, around which a plurality of ultrasonic horns for producing sonic or ultrasonic vibrations in said solution can also be disposed to increase devolatilizing efficiency;
• and
• (ix) discharging said polymer from said discharge end of said second extruder at a volatile content or less than 1000 ppm.