Usm Corporation

Farrel Corporation

Pradip S Mehta

Lefteris N Valsamis

Zehev Tadmor

Gary S Donoian

A rotary processor has enclosed processing passages defined by channels in the rotor and a stationary coaxial closure. At least one processing passage is used as a stabilizing passage and another as a metering passage, whose volume and cross section are less than the stabilizing passage. A feed of plastic or polymeric material enters the stabilizing passage and may be subject to fluctuations or disturbances arising in external upstream equipment or within upstream stages of the processor itself. Substantially all material in the stabilizing passage is diverted through a first transfer passage to an entrance into the metering passage. An adjustable metering (throttling) element allows a controlled first flow of material to be carried downstream through an adjustable gap between this metering element and the bottom of the metering passage. This controlled first flow is discharged for providing material having uniform flow or at least a marked reduction in such fluctuations and disturbances. The excess material which does not pass through the adjusted gap forms a recycled second flow which is returned back through a second transfer passage into said stabilizing passage for recycling. A modified embodiment shown as metering pumping apparatus includes pairs of stabilizing and metering passages sharing in handling throughput with adjustable throttling means for each metering passage. Interconnecting transfer passages equalize operation among these pairs. A transfer passage is also shown extending from an upstream processing passage to and past a metering passage to a stabilizing passage.

Rotary processor for plastic and polymeric materials providing surge

Novel rotary processors and devolatilizing methods which provide extremely efficient devolatilization of materials, including viscous and visco-elastic materials and which involve a devolatilizing stage including a rotatable element carrying a plurality of annular channels and a stationary element providing a coaxial closure surface operationally arranged with the channels to provide enclosed processing passages. Each passage of the devolatilizing stage includes inlet means, outlet means and a channel blocking member all associated with the stationary element and arranged and adapted so that material fed to the inlet can be carried forward by the rotatable channel walls to the blocking member for discharge from the passage. The passages are interconnected by material to transfer grooves formed in the closure surface and operationally communicate with a vacuum source to provide a highly efficient devolatilizing stage. The novel devolatilizing stage is characterized by features which provide control of the processing volume available within the passages and of the transfer volume available within the transfer grooves. These volumes may then be coordinated with other processing variables to effect a foam devolatilizing mechanism in which nucleation of bubbles of volatiles within the material, bubble growth and bubble rupture occur during substantially plug-flow movement alternating with non-pressurizing shearing within the novel devolatilizing stage.

Rotary processors for devolatilizing materials

Rotary processors and methods for purifying a viscous liquid material by liquid-liquid extraction. Material is introduced to an extracting apparatus including a mixing rotary processor comprising at least one annular channel carried by a rotor and enclosed by a housing to form a mixing passage. The material is dragged forward by the rotating channel from the passage inlet past a blocking member. Solvent introduced to the passage, such as by spray means, is carried downstream with the material and dispersed in material collected at a passage end wall. In one embodiment the blocking member comprises a spreader which spreads the material as films on the channel walls. In another embodiment, sparging means sparges solvent into a pool of the material collected upstream of the blocking member. Separation of the solvent from the material may involve rotary devolatilizing or phase separating processors, which may be arranged with the mixing processor for cocurrent or countercurrent, multi-stage series operation.

Rotary processors and methods for liquid-liquid extraction

Rotary processors and methods for mixing a low viscosity liquid with a viscous material while controlling plugging of the means for introducing low viscosity liquid to the processor. Viscous material is introduced to a mixing rotary processor comprising at least one annular channel carried by a rotor and enclosed by a housing to form a mixing passage. The material is dragged forward by the rotating channel walls from the passage inlet past a spreader as films on the channel walls, forming a void downstream of the spreader between the films. Low viscosity liquid is sprayed from a point within the void to be deposited on and carried downstream with the films of material and to be mixed with material collected at a passage end wall. In one embodiment, pressure sealing means permits spraying into a saturated vapor zone in the void so that liquid vaporizes and is condensed onto the films as well distributed fine droplets. An especially preferred embodiment provides devolatilizing apparatus in which a low viscosity, low boiling devolatilizing aid is deposited onto and mixed with a viscous material to aid in the removal of one or more difficultly devolatilizable impurities.

Rotary processors and methods for mixing low viscosity liquids with

Apparatus and methods for physically separating a heterogeneous mixture of immiscible liquids utilizing the difference in the viscosities of the components. At least one moveable surface is enclosed by at least one stationary surface to form a processing passage. Viscous-drag-induced momentum is transferred preferentially from the moving surface(s) to the more viscous component of the mixture, moving it downstream toward a collecting and pressurizing obstructing member. The resulting pressure 'squeezes' the less viscous droplets upstream to separate from the collected material and drain from the passage through a drainage opening. In a preferred embodiment, an annular channel rotates within a housing, dragging the mixture from an inlet to an obstructing member extending into the passage near an outlet. The separated less viscous component drains from a drainage opening in the housing, while the more viscous component is discharged through the outlet. In another preferred embodiment, a plurality of annular passages is interconnected for series operation by material transfer grooves formed in the closure surface of the housing.

Phase separating rotary processor and method

Rotary processors and method for devolatilizing materials

Novel rotary processors which involve a devolatilizing stage including a rotatable element carrying a plurality of annular channels and a stationary element providing a coaxial closure surface operationally arranged with the channels to provide enclosed processing passages. Each passage of the devolatilizing stage includes inlet means, outlet means and a channel blocking member all associated with the stationary element and arranged and adapted so that material fed to the inlet can be carried forward by the rotatable channel walls to the blocking member for discharge from the passage. The passages are interconnected by material transfer grooves formed in the closure surface. The rotary processors of this invention include a novel vacuum system to evacuate the devolatilizing stage. A large manifold completely encloses a relatively large opening through the stationary element and communicates with a vacuum source through a relatively large vacuum port to simultaneously evacuate the passages of the devolatilizing stage at low vapor velocities. The novel vacuum system also includes means to effectively prevent material buildup at least in the region of the opening through the stationary element and the manifold.

Rotary processors and vacuum systems

Novel rotary processors including sealing means to control leakage of pressure and/or material between processing passages which are maintained at significantly different pressure levels. The processors comprise a rotatable element carrying a plurality of annular channels and a stationary element providing a coaxial closure surface operationally arranged with the channels to provide enclosed processing passages. Each passage includes inlet means, outlet means and a channel blocking member all associated with the stationary element and arranged and adapted so that viscous material fed to the inlet can be carried forward by the rotatable channel walls to the blocking member for discharge from the passage. The passages are interconnected by material transfer grooves formed in the closure surface. A sealing groove is carried by the rotor surface portions between two adjacent passages maintained at significantly different pressure levels, such as by evacuating one of the two adjacent passages, and is open to the clearance between the rotor and the closure surface. A gate at the inlet to the downstream pasasge pressurizes the material in the transfer groove interconnecting the two passages, and forces pressurized material in the sealing groove as it passes under the transfer groove. Helical grooves in the rotor portion on both sides of the sealing groove reinforce the pressure in the sealing groove and urge the material radially outward so that the material in the sealing groove contacts the closure surface about the entire circumference of the sealing groove, forming a continuous live O-ring seal in the clearance between the passages.

Rotary processors and seals

Novel rotary processors including sealing means to control leakage of pressure and/or material between processing passages which are maintained at significantly different pressure levels. The processors comprise a rotatable element carrying a plurality of annular channels and a stationary element providing a coaxial closure surface operationally arranged with the channels to provide enclosed processing passages. Each passage includes inlet means, outlet means and a channel blocking member all associated with the stationary element and arranged and adapted so that material fed to the inlet can be carried forward by the rotatable channel walls to the blocking member for discharge from the passage. The passages are interconnected by material transfer grooves formed in the closure surface. A sealing groove is carried by the rotor surface portion between two adjacent passages maintained at significantly different pressure levels, such as by evacuating one of the two adjacent passages, and is open to the clearance between the rotor and the closure surface. A gate at the inlet to the downstream passage pressurizes the material in the transfer passage interconnecting the two passages, and forces pressurized material into the sealing groove as it passes under the transfer groove. An obstructing surface extending into the sealing groove at the transfer groove reinforces the pressure in the sealing groove so that the material in the sealing groove contacts the closure surface about the entire circumference of the sealing groove, forming a continuous live O-ring seal in the clearance between the passages.

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West Haven, CT, United States of America

Pradip S Mehta