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US 8,044,169 B2Granted
Dryer configuration for production of polyester particles
AssigneeGrupo Petrotemex, S.A. de C.V.
InventorsBruce Roger DeBruin, Tommy Ray Maddox, II, Ollie W Smith, Jr., Duane Alan Hall, Jeremy R Shuppert, Alan George Wonders, Aaron Grills
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A dryer system configured for use in a polyester polymer production process. In one embodiment, the dryer system can be utilized in a non-solid-state polymer production process to dry the polymer particles prior to crystallization.
Claims27
A polyester polymer production process comprising:
- (a) transporting a slurry comprising polyester polymer particles and a quench liquid through a slurry conduit coupled to a centrifugal particle dryer, wherein said dryer comprises a housing, a generally cylindrical screen located inside said housing, and a generally upright rotor configured to rotate inside said screen;
- (b) discharging said slurry through an inlet opening of said screen in a discharge direction offset from the axis of rotation of said rotor, wherein said discharge direction is generally in the direction of rotation of said rotor at said inlet opening;
- and
- (c) removing said quench liquid from said polyester polymer particles in said particle dryer to thereby produce dried particles
- wherein said polyester polymer particles comprise a carboxylic acid component and a hydroxyl component, wherein said carboxylic acid component comprises at least 80 mole percent of the residues of terephthalic acid, wherein said hydroxyl component comprises at least 80 mole percent of residues of ethylene glycol.
2 more elements
An apparatus for producing polyester polymer particles from a polyester melt, said apparatus comprising:
- a cutter for cutting said polyester melt into particles;
- a quench zone for contacting said particles with a quench liquid;
- a dryer for removing said quench liquid from said particles;
- and
- a slurry conduit providing fluid flow communication between said quench zone and said dryer,
- wherein said dryer is a centrifugal particle dryer comprising a housing, a generally cylindrical screen located in said housing, and a generally upright rotor configured to rotate inside said screen,
- wherein said screen defines an inlet opening,
- wherein said slurry conduit comprises a discharge section configured to discharge said slurry through said inlet opening in a discharge direction offset from the axis of rotation of said rotor, wherein said discharge direction is generally in the direction of rotation of said rotor at said inlet opening.
5 more elements
A polyester polymer production process comprising:
- (a) transporting a slurry comprising polyester polymer particles and a quench liquid through a slurry conduit coupled to a centrifugal particle dryer, wherein said dryer comprises a housing, a generally cylindrical screen located inside said housing, and a generally upright rotor configured to rotate inside said screen;
- (b) discharging said slurry through an inlet opening of said screen in a discharge direction offset from the axis of rotation of said rotor, wherein said discharge direction is generally in the direction of rotation of said rotor at said inlet opening;
- and
- (c) removing said quench liquid from said polyester polymer particles in said particle dryer to thereby produce dried particles
- wherein said polyester polymer particles comprise a carboxylic acid component and a hydroxyl component, wherein said carboxylic acid component comprises at least 80 mole percent of the residues of terephthalic acid, wherein said hydroxyl component comprises at least 80 mole percent of residues of ethylene glycol,
- (d) crystallizing the dried particles in a crystallizer to form crystallized particles;
- and
- (e) annealing the crystallized particles in an annealing zone;
- wherein more than half of the overall percent crystallinity of the annealed particles is obtained by the crystallizing in the crystallizer.
6 more elements
An apparatus for producing polyester polymer particles from a polyester melt, said apparatus comprising:
- a cutter for cutting said polyester melt into particles;
- a quench zone for contacting said particles with a quench liquid;
- a dryer for removing said quench liquid from said particles;
- and
- a slurry conduit providing fluid flow communication between said quench zone and said dryer;
- a crystallizer connected to the dried particle outlet of the dryer and in pellet communication therewith;
- and
- an annealer connected to the crystallizer and in pellet flow communication therewith;
- wherein said dryer is a centrifugal particle dryer comprising a housing, a generally cylindrical screen located in said housing, a generally upright rotor configured to rotate inside said screen, and a dried particle outlet;
- wherein said cylindrical screen defines an inlet opening;
- wherein said slurry conduit comprises a discharge section configured to discharge said slurry into the dryer through said inlet opening in a discharge direction offset from the axis of rotation of said rotor, wherein said discharge direction is generally in the direction of rotation of said rotor at said inlet opening;
- and
- wherein the crystallizer is capable of providing more than half of the overall percent crystallinity of the polyester polymer particles.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.