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US 9,890,225 B2Granted
Method for purifying contaminated polymers
AssigneeThe Procter & Gamble Company
InventorsJohn Moncrief Layman, Maggie Gunnerson, Hans Schonemann, Kara Williams
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Abstract
A method for purifying a reclaimed polymer, such as a polymer reclaimed from post-consumer use or post-industrial use, is disclosed. The method involves obtaining the reclaimed polymer and dissolving it in a solvent at an elevated temperature and pressure to produce a polymer solution, which is purified at an elevated temperature and pressure by contacting the polymer solution with solid media to produce a purer polymer solution. A purer polymer is then separated from the purer polymer solution.
Claims25
A method for purifying a reclaimed polymer comprising:
- a. obtaining the reclaimed polymer wherein said reclaimed polymer is selected from the group consisting of post-consumer use polymers, post-industrial use polymers, and combinations thereof;
- b. dissolving the reclaimed polymer in a solvent selected from the group consisting of a first fluid solvent, a second fluid solvent, and mixtures thereof, wherein the first fluid solvent and the second fluid solvent have standard boiling points of less than about 70° C., at a temperature from about 90° C. to about 220° C. and a pressure from about 350 psig (2.41 MPa) to about 20,000 psig (137.90 MPa) to produce a polymer solution;
- c. purifying said polymer solution at a temperature from about 90° C. to about 220° C. and at a pressure from about 350 psig (2.41 MPa) to about 20,000 psig (137.90 MPa) by contacting said polymer solution with solid media to produce a purer polymer solution;
- and
- d. separating a purer polymer from said purer polymer solution;
- wherein said second fluid solvent is the same chemical composition as or a different chemical composition than the first fluid solvent.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.