Controlling the crystallization of polyesters by means of their water content
AssigneeBuhler AG
InventorsBrent-Allan Culbert, Andreas Christel
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Abstract
Methods are disclosed herein to reduce and/or eliminate agglomerations and deformations of pellets comprised of crystallizable thermoplastic polymer material during a crystallization or crystallization of the pellets. As described herein, polymer material is subjected to one or more conditioning steps prior to crystallization, in which a controlled moisture content and/or controlled moisture profile is set in the material, or in which the polymer material was obtained via solidification from a polymer melt in such a way that the polymer material has a defined initial moisture profile before the crystallization step
Claims29
A method for crystallizing an at least partially amorphous, thermoplastic polymer material obtained by solidification from a polymer melt in the form of a granulate, strands or strips, comprising:
- conditioning a polymer material at a temperature below a crystallization point of the polymer material immediately after solidification to set a controlled moisture content and/or a controlled moisture profile in the polymer material prior to crystallization;
- and
- crystallizing the polymer material using said controlled moisture content and/or controlled moisture profile in the material.
A method for crystallizing a partially amorphous, thermoplastic polymer material comprising:
- solidifying a polymer melt into a polymer material in the form of a granulate, strands or strips;
- conditioning the polymer material at a temperature below a crystallization point of the polymer material immediately after the solidifying to have a defined initial moisture profile before crystallizing the polymer material;
- and
- crystallizing the polymer material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.