Buhler Ag

Polymetrix Ag

Buehler Ag

Buhler Thermal Processes Ag

Automatik Plastics Machinery Gmbh

Andreas Christel

Brent Allan Culbert

Jürgen Schweikle

Federico Innerebner

Achim-Phillipp Sturm

Camille Borer

Rudolf Geier

Fernando Eusebio

Claudemiro Ferreira

Peter Locker

Achim-Philipp Sturm

Theodor Jürgens

Rudolf Kuratli

Thomas Hersperger

Allan Brent Culbert

Peter Meili

Karl Schöpf

Mauricio Rodrigues

Erhard Krumpholz

Brent-Allan Culbert

Martin Müller

Franz Giger

Theodor JÜRGENS

Brent-Allen Culbert

A method for processing a mixture of recycled polyester material and a polyester prepolymer from a polyester manufacturing process, wherein a recycled polyester material is mixed with a polyester prepolymer, from a polyester manufacturing process, and treated in a bulk thermal treatment reactor () with a process gas which flows in a counter-current or a cross-current flow direction to the flow direction of the mixture. In this process, the process gas, before entering a catalyst vessel (), is passed through a protective bed () containing a solid adsorbent material that removes high-boiling organic substances or organic substances, with a high combustion temperature, from the process gas stream.

Method and device for processing a mixture of recycled polyester material and a polyester prepolymer from a polyester manufacturing process

The present invention relates to a process for continuous production of partly crystalline polycondensate pellet material, comprising the steps of forming a polycondensate melt into pellet material; separating the liquid cooling medium from the pellet material in a first treatment space, wherein the pellets after exit from the first treatment space exhibit a temperature T, and crystallizing the pellet material in a second treatment space, wherein in the second treatment space fluidized bed conditions exist, and in the second treatment space the pellets are heated by supply of energy from the exterior by means of a process gas.

Process and apparatus for direct crystallization of polycondensates

A process for recycling polyolefins comprising the steps of extruding used polyolefin material, producing granules from the polyolefin material exiting from the extrusion into a liquid cooling medium, separating the cooling medium to obtain a dry polyolefin granulate, and treating the dry polyolefin granulate in a treatment space with a treatment gas, preferably by counter-current flow, immediately after separation of the cooling medium, the dry polyolefin granules still have a granule temperature (T) which is above a temperature (T) of the liquid cooling medium and in the range of 71&#xb0; C.-200&#xb0; C., preferably 80&#xb0; C.-160&#xb0; C., but below the melting point of the granules, and at least 75% of the dry polyolefin granules, in the treatment space, have a dry temperature (T) which is in the range of granule temperature (T)&#xb1;20&#xb0; C., but below the melting point of the granules.

Process for recycling polyolefins

A method and an apparatus for solid-state polycondensation of polyesters, preferably polyethylene terephthalate and/or copolymers thereof. The method and apparatus are both characterized by a solid-state polycondensation being performed with polyester prepolymer particles in a reaction chamber in which an absolute pressure is in the range from 10 mbar to 200 mbar, and a process gas flow in the range of an R-value of 0.005 to 0.05. The polycondensation is carried out over a time of from 2 to 30 hours and at a temperature of from 180&#xb0; C. to 5&#xb0; below a crystalline melting point of the polyester prepolymer particles in order to achieve an intrinsic viscosity of from 0.70 to 0.95 dl/g. The R value is defined as a ratio of an hourly amount of process gas (in kg) flowing through the reaction space to an hourly amount of polymer (in kg) flowing through the reaction space: 

Process for solid-state polycondensation

An apparatus for continuous pelletization and crystallization of a polymer includes a unit for forming a polymer pellet material and cooling the pellet material in a liquid cooling medium. An after-connected drying unit has an exit opening for exporting gas and a crystallizer for crystallizing the pellet material. The crystallizer communicates via a connection line with the pre-connected unit for separating the liquid cooling medium from the pellet material and drying the pellet material. The crystallizer communicates with an inert gas tank, whereby the pressure in the crystallizer can be increased relative to the pressure in the drying unit. A related process is also disclosed.

Process and apparatus for direct crystallization of polymers under inert gas

The method for the production of a polyester with improved melting properties and crystallization properties comprises the steps of (a) production of a pre-polyester melt with an average molecular weight (Mn) of 2000 to 16000 g/mol, (b) solidifying and shaping the melt into pre-polyester particles, and (c) thermally treating the pre-polyester particles in a solid phase in the presence of a transesterification catalyst whereby a molecular weight increase (&#x394;Mn) of more than 2000 g/mol occurs. In addition, the prepolyester particles have a carboxyl end group content (XCOOH) of between 0.25 and 0.6 before step c and during the thermal treatment step c, the proportion of the esterification reaction (E) to the polycondensation reaction (E+T) is between 0.5 and 1.

Method for the production polyester with improved melting properties and crystallization properties

A device for obtaining a material from a mixed fraction (including particles of a desired material and particles of another material with different optical properties) has a first sorting apparatus and at least two further sorting apparatuses below the first sorting apparatus. From the first sorting apparatus, a major fraction is introduced into a first further sorting apparatus and purified further there, while a minor fraction is passed into a second further sorting apparatus and processed further there.

Device and method for sorting polymeric material

The invention relates to a method for producing a semicrystalline polymer, said method comprising the following steps: producing a polymer melt from a crystallizable polymer; shaping particles and solidifying the polymer melt, the step of shaping the particles being carried out before or after solidification; cooling the particles; treating the particles to reduce their tendency to agglomerate; crystallizing the particles. The invention is characterized in that the treatment is carried out by shaking at a temperature T1 which is below the glass transition temperature of the polymer plus 10&#xb0; C., i.e. T1&#x3c;Tg+10&#xb0; C.

Method for crystallizing crystallizable polymers having a high tendency to agglomerate

The invention relates to a method for the continuous production of semicrystalline polycondensate pellets. Said method comprises the following steps: producing a polycondensate material; shaping polycondensate pellets and solidifying the polycondensate melt in a liquid cooling medium, wherein the shaping of the pellets can be carried out prior to or after solidification; separating the pellets from the liquid cooling medium once the polycondensate pellets have cooled down to an average temperature that lies within the crystallization temperature range of the polycondensate; and crystallizing the pellets in a treatment chamber, the treatment gas being led in said treatment chamber in a countercurrent to the polycondensate pellets, the flow rate of the treatment gas being above the incipient fluidization point of the polycondensate pellets and the polycondensate pellets having a narrow dwell time spectrum in the treatment chamber.

Method for producing homogeneously crystallized polycondensate pellets

The invention relates to a partially crystalline polyethylene terephthalate having a degree of polymerization which is greater than 80, particularly greater than 100, produced from a diol component and a dicarboxylic acid component, wherein according to the invention the DSC melting point, when measured with a heating rate of 10&#xb0; C./Min during the first passage and second passage, is less than the melting temperature (Tm) of a comparable standard polyethylene terephthalate which is dependent upon the comonomer content. The inventive method for the production of a polyethylene terephthalate comprises a step for the production of a polycondensate prepolymer melt; a step for the formation of granules and the solidification of the polycondensate prepolymer melt; a step for increasing the degree of crystallization of the prepolymer granulates and a step for increasing the molecular weight of the granulates by means of solid phase polycondensation, wherein according to the invention a treatment temperature of 220&#xb0; C. in step d) is not exceeded.

Partially crystalline polyethyleneterephthalate

The method of degassing is performed in a ring extruder wherein at least one process chamber is provided with at least one degassing opening. The radius R of the conveyor element in the degassing zone is smaller by &#x394;R than the full radius Rv of the conveyor element required for the mutual stripping of adhering product in a closely intermeshing screw operation with adjacent conveyor elements.

Method of degassing a flowable mass in a ring extruder

The invention relates to a method for producing a high-molecular polyester from a solidified polyester prepolymer by solid phase polycondensation. The polycondensation cleavage products of the solid phase polycondensation reaction are extracted from the product by means of a process gas, and the process gas is then cleaned and essentially recycled. According to the invention, the process gas is cleaned by means of an aqueous washing liquid. The invention also relates to an installation for carrying out the inventive method, said installation containing a crystallisation appliance () and a reaction appliance (). A gas outlet () of the reaction appliance () is directly or indirectly connected to a gas inlet () in a gas cleaning system (), and a gas outlet () of the gas cleaning system () is connected to a gas inlet () of the reaction appliance (). Furthermore, the gas cleaning system () comprises a gas washing appliance to which an aqueous washing liquid is supplied, and a gas drying appliance () which is mounted downstream.

Solid-phase polycondensation of polyester with process gas purification

The invention relates to a method for producing a high-molecular polycondensate from a solidified polycondensate prepolymer by solid phase polycondensation. According to said method, the polycondensation cleavage products of the solid phase polycondensation reaction are extracted from the product by means of a process gas, and the process gas is then cleaned of the polycondensation cleavage products and essentially recycled. According to the invention, the specific energy input is less than 120 kWh/t, preferably less than 110 kWh/t and especially between 70 and 100 kWh/t. The invention also relates to an installation for producing a high-molecular polycondensate, said installation comprising a heating appliance (), followed by a crystallisation appliance (), a reaction appliance (), and a cooling appliance (). A gas outlet () of the cooling appliance () is connected to a gas inlet () of the heating appliance (), a gas outlet () of the reaction appliance () is connected to a gas inlet () in a gas cleaning system (), and a gas outlet () of the gas cleaning system () is connected to a gas inlet () of the reaction appliance ().

Production of a high-molecular polycondensate

The invention relates to a multiple-screw extruder that comprises a first process chamber () and a second process chamber (). In the degassing zones of said extruder, at least the first process chamber is provided with at least one degassing opening. The radius R of the conveyor element in the degassing zones, in at least one conveyor element () of at least one screw () configured as a passage screw, in a subsection configured as a passage subsection (), along the peripheral direction of the at least one conveyor element () is by &#x394;R smaller than the full radius Rv of the conveyor element () required for the mutual stripping of adhering product in a closely intermeshing screw operation with die adjacent conveyor elements () of adjacent conventional screws (). The invention also relates to a method for degassing viscous or elasticoviscous flowable masses in such a multi-screw extruder having several process chambers, the respective process chambers communicating by means of a connecting opening.

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Zuzwil, Switzerland

Andreas Christel