Apparatus and process for continuous solid-state poly-condensation in a fluidized reactor with multiple stages
AssigneeUop LLC
InventorsChi-Chin Chen, Leon Yuan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed is a multistage fluidized SSP reactor that tightens the distribution of residence time and the resulting average intrinsic viscosity of the polymer product. Less residence time is needed to achieve a desired average intrinsic viscosity. As the polymer beads continuously flow through sequential stages, poly-condensation reactions continue to develop almost under plug-flow conditions. Five fluidized stages or more provide advantageous performance.
Claims20
A multistage fluidized solid-state poly-condensation reactor comprising:
- a reactor vessel including at least one wall and said reactor vessel being partitioned into more than one chamber by at least one inclined baffle, said inclined baffle having a free edge that is spaced apart from all of said at least one wall;
- a polymer particle inlet in said reactor vessel;
- a purge gas outlet in said reactor vessel, said particle inlet and said purge gas outlet being opposed to one of said at least one baffle;
- a polymer particle outlet in said reactor vessel;
- and
- a purge gas inlet in said reactor vessel, said purge gas inlet and said particle outlet being opposed to one of said at least one baffle.
A continuous process for increasing the intrinsic viscosity of polymer particles, said process comprising:
- continuously feeding polymer particles to a solid-state polycondensation reactor, said reactor including at least a first stage and a second stage;
- fluidizing said polymer particles in said first stage with an inert gas at SSP reaction conditions;
- continuously passing said polymer particles from a bottom region of said first stage to said second stage;
- fluidizing said polymer particles in said second stage with an inert gas at SSP reaction conditions;
- recovering polymer particles from the reactor having an intrinsic viscosity that is higher than the intrinsic viscosity of the polymer particles fed to the reactor;
- and
- recovering an inert gas from said reactor.
A continuous solid-state poly-condensation process comprising:
- continuously feeding polymer particles having an average intrinsic viscosity of no more than 0.5 dl/g to a solid-state polycondensation process;
- fluidizing said polymer particles in said first stage with an inert gas at SSP reaction conditions;
- continuously passing said polymer particles from said first stage to said second stage;
- fluidizing said polymer particles in said second stage with an inert gas at SSP reaction conditions;
- recovering polymer particles from the process having an intrinsic viscosity that is higher than the intrinsic viscosity of the polymer particles fed to the process;
- and
- recovering an inert gas from said process.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.