Sabic Innovative Plastics IP B.v.

Sulzer Chemtech Ag

Purac Biochem Bv

Peter Willi Kreis

Jan Van Breugel

Peter Paul Jansen

Maarten Antoon Jan Campman

Siebe Cornelis De Vos

Jan-Willem Goedmakers

Robert Edgar Haan

Sarah Borer

Jürg Keller

Sarah Lanfranchi

Maarten Campman

Continuous process of forming aliphatic polyesters The process includes continuously providing cyclic ester monomer and polymerization catalyst to a continuous mixing loop reactor (CMLR) having static mixing elements and operated at a temperature between 100 and 240&#xb0; C. to form a pre-polymerized reaction mixture. The conversion is between 40 and less than 90 wt. %, wherein the cyclic ester monomer comprises lactide having a free acid content lower than 50 milli-equivalents per kg. The pre-polymerized reaction mixture is continuously provided to a plug flow reactor that is a static mixer reactor having static mixing elements and is operated at a temperature between 110-240&#xb0; C., wherein the reaction mixture is polymerized to a conversion of at least 90%, to form polymer wherein the flow ratio of the CMLR and the plug flow reactor is between 1.5 an d50. The process includes continuously removing polymer from the plug flow reactor devolitizing the polymer.

Process for the continuous production of polyesters

The present invention provides a reactor system for producing polycarbonate. The reactor system has one or more reactant vessels, an oligomerization reactor, a first pressure control device, a preheater, a second pressure control device, a distributor, and a flash tank. The one or more reactant vessels contain reactants contain a melt transesterification catalyst, a dihydroxy compound, and an activated diaryl carbonate. The reactor system is connected in the following configuration: (i) the one or more reactant vessels connected to the oligomerization reactor, (ii) the first pressure control device disposed between and connecting the outlet of the oligomerization reactor and the inlet of the preheater; (iii) the second pressure control device disposed between and connecting the outlet of the preheater and the distributor; and (iv) the distributor disposed at the inlet to the flash tank. The pressure in the preheater is controllable at a pressure intermediate between the pressure in the oligomerization reactor and the flash tank.

Method of producing polycarbonate in a flash devolatilization system

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Winterthur, Switzerland

Peter Willi Kreis