Method of separating a polymer from a solvent
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsNorberto Silvi, Mark H. Giammattei, Jan P. Keulen, David W. Woodruff, Paul R. Wilson, Paul W. Buckley, Norman Enoch Johnson
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Abstract
A method of separating a polymer-solvent mixture is described wherein a polymer-solvent mixture is heated prior to its introduction into an extruder comprising an upstream vent and/or a side feeder vent to allow flash evaporation of the solvent, and downstream vents for removal of remaining solvent. The one-step method is highly efficient having very high throughput rates while at the same time providing a polymer product containing low levels of residual solvent.
Claims31
A method for separating a polymer from a solvent, comprising:
- introducing a superheated polymer-solvent mixture to an extruder, wherein the extruder comprises an upstream vent and a downstream vent;
- removing solvent from the superheated polymer-solvent mixture via the upstream vent and the downstream vent;
- and
- isolating a polymer product from the superheated polymer-solvent mixture;
- wherein the polymer-solvent mixture comprises a polymer and a solvent, wherein the amount of polymer in the polymer-solvent mixture is less than or equal to about 75 weight percent based on the total weight of polymer and solvent;
- and wherein the polymer is a polyetherimide, a polyamide, a polyarylate, a polyester, a polysulfone, a polyetherketone, a polyimide, a polysiloxane, a liquid crystalline polymer, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing polymers.
A method for separating a polymer from a solvent, comprising:
- introducing a superheated polymer-solvent mixture via a pressure control valve located on an extruder, wherein the extruder comprises an upstream vent, a downstream vent, and a side feeder, wherein the side feeder comprises a side feeder vent;
- removing solvent from the superheated polymer-solvent mixture via the upstream vent, the downstream vent, and the side feeder vent;
- and
- isolating a polymer product from the polymer solvent mixture;
- wherein the polymer-solvent mixture comprises a polymer and a solvent, and wherein the polymer comprises a polyetherimide.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.