Reactor apparatus for preparing a polymeric material

A reactor apparatus for preparing a polymeric material, comprising:

• a reactor vessel defining a substantially cylindrical horizontally-extending interior polymer processing chamber, a polymer inlet opening into the processing chamber and a polymer outlet opening from the processing chamber at a spacing from one another axially along the processing chamber, and a vapor exhaust outlet opening from the processing chamber, and
• a polymer agitator rotatably disposed axially within the chamber, the agitator comprising a plurality of polymer flow-controlling baffles and a plurality of perforated polymer film-forming screens affixed together for unitary rotation in generally parallel axially-spaced relation to one another within the processing chamber,
• the baffles comprising a plurality of annular overflow baffles each having a substantially circular outer periphery disposed in rotational polymer-sealing relation to the vessel and defining a central polymer overflow opening and a plurality of underflow baffles each having an outer periphery defining at least one polymer underflow opening between its outer periphery and the vessel, the overflow and underflow baffles being arranged in alternation with one another axially along the agitator to define a tortuous flow path for the polymeric material between the polymer inlet and the polymer outlet extending alternately through the polymer overflow and underflow openings of the successively alternating overflow and underflow baffles for controlling the residence time, distribution and viscosity of the polymeric material during flow between each overflow baffle and the next succeeding overflow baffle,
• at least one of the screens being disposed between each adjacent pair Of the baffles for causing the polymeric material to become coated on each screen in a film form during rotation of the agitator to produce enhanced vapor release from the polymer for polycondensation of the polymer.

A reactor apparatus for preparing a polyester material, comprising:

• a reactor vessel defining a substantially cylindrical horizontally-extending interior polymer processing chamber, a polymer inlet opening into the processing chamber adjacent one end thereof and a polymer outlet opening from the processing chamber adjacent the opposite end thereof, a vapor exhaust outlet opening from the processing chamber, and an annular passageway extending exteriorly about the chamber with at least a portion of the passageway defining a generally helical path for flow of a heat exchange material with and opposite to the direction of flow of the polymeric material within the chamber for heat transfer relation with the polymeric material in the chamber to control the temperature of the polymeric material;
• a polymer agitator rotatably disposed axially within the chamber, the agitator comprising a plurality of polymer flow-controlling baffles, a plurality of perforated polymer film-forming screens, a pair of support disks at opposite axial ends of the agitator, and a plurality of connecting elements extending between the respective peripheries of the support disks, the baffles and the screens for fixation thereof in generally parallel axially-spaced relation to one another for unitary rotation within the processing chamber, each connecting element having a trailing wiping surface disposed radially outwardly of the agitator for applying and removing polymer to and from the interior surface of the chamber of the vessel during rotation of the agitator;
• the baffles comprising a plurality of annular overflow baffles each having a substantially circular outer periphery disposed in rotational polymer-sealing relation to the vessel and defining a central polymer overflow opening including a perforated annulus, the polymer overflow openings of the overflow baffles being of increasing diametric dimensions and the annuli of the overflow baffles having increasing open area from adjacent the polymer inlet end to adjacent the polymer outlet end of the chamber, and a plurality of underflow baffles each having an outer periphery comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced recesses forming polymer underflow openings between its outer periphery and the vessel and defining a central vapor flow opening generally axially aligned with the overflow openings of the overflow baffles, the overflow and underflow baffles being arranged in alternation with one another axially along the agitator to define a tortuous flow path for the polymeric material between the polymer inlet and the polymer outlet extending alternately through the polymer overflow and underflow openings of the successively alternating overflow and underflow baffles for controlling the residence time, distribution and viscosity of the polymeric material during flow between each overflow baffle and the next succeeding overflow baffle;
• a plurality of the screens being disposed between each adjacent pair of the baffles for causing the polymeric material to become coated on each screen in a film form during rotation of the agitator to produce enhanced vapor release from the polymer for polycondensation of the polymer, each of the screens having a respective central vapor flow opening generally axially aligned with the overflow openings of the overflow baffles and the vapor flow openings of the underflow baffles, the screens being arranged at increasing spacings from one another and from the baffles and having increasing open area from adjacent the polymer inlet end to adjacent the polymer outlet end of the chamber;
• and
• each support disk having a plurality of openings extending therethrough at differing angles relative to the axis of the agitator, the support disk at the end of the agitator adjacent the outlet end of the vessel including a plurality of blades projecting from an outward side of the support disk for wiping polymeric material from the interior surface of the chamber of the vessel during rotation of the agitator.