Method and apparatus for eliminating gel contained in polymer

Abstract

A method of eliminating gel contained in polymer, by efficiently plasticizing and melting the polymer supplied into a barrel with the stress in a rotor reduced, and next kneading the polymer with a rise in temperature of the polymer suppressed and a residence time of the polymer in the barrel increased. A continuous kneader for realizing this method is also provided. The gel eliminating method includes the first step of plasticizing and melting the polymer by using a first rotor having a given number of wings; and the second step of kneading the polymer after the first step by using a second rotor having a given number of wings fewer than the number of wings of the first rotor, so as to suppress a rise in temperature of the polymer and increase the volume of a kneading chamber to thereby increase a time period of residence of the polymer in the kneading chamber. The continuous kneader includes a rotor having the first rotor and the second rotor.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.