The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 05, 2005
Filed:
May. 01, 2002
Rong-her Jean, Sugar Land, TX (US);
Chin-yuan George MA, Sugar Land, TX (US);
Rong-Her Jean, Sugar Land, TX (US);
Chin-Yuan George Ma, Sugar Land, TX (US);
Shell Oil Company, Houston, TX (US);
Abstract
The present invention provides a contractor apparatus and method for removing solvent from a polymer cement. The resulting polymer is substantially free of solvent and exhibits improved oil absorption and lower fines. In one aspect, a contractor is provided including a cylindrical casing having a high pressure section, a convergence section, a high velocity section, a divergence section, and a discharge section. The polymer cement is introduced into the high pressure section to significantly and unexpectedly improve solvent removal. The convergence and divergence sections have cross-sectional areas that correspond to an effective angle from about 4° to about 65°, such as 6°. The polymer cement is mixed with high pressure steam. After converging, the polymer cement forms more uniform droplets due to high shear of steam. In the divergence and discharge sections, the polymer is substantially devolatized.