Continuous polymerization and direct fiber spinning and systems for accomplishing same

A system for the continuous anionic polymerization and melt-spinning of a polycaprolactam comprising:

• (a) a mixer for receiving and mixing at least two streams of liquid caprolactam respectively containing a polymerization initiator and co-initiator;
• and
• (b) a reactor and melt-spinning apparatus downstream of said mixer, which includes:
• (1) a reactor zone having at least a first set of reactor plates defining a flow path for the reaction mixture which is sized and configured to achieve a predetermined residence time of the reaction mixture therein;
• (2) a temperature control zone having at least one pair of plates comprising at least one heating plate and at least one cooling plate in thermal communication with the first set of reactor plates to thermally isolate the said first set of reactor plates to allow for independent temperature control thereof and to thereby achieve anionic polymerization reaction conditions while the reaction mixture is flowing along the defined path therein to obtain a molten polycaprolactam;
• and
• (3) a spinneret zone having a fiber-spinning orifice located downstream of said reactor zone to receive the molten polycaprolactam formed in said reactor zone and extrude the molten polycaprolactam through the fiber-spinning orifice to thereby form a fiber thereof.