US3841381A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for producing and recovering rubbery or sticky polymers
Assignee: Solvay SA
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Filing: 1972-04-21
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Granted: 1974-10-15
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Expires: 1992-04-21
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus for producing and recovering rubbery or sticky polymers comprises a reactor for polymerizing one or more monomers in a medium of volatile liquid hydrocarbons, a flashing column to which the polymer with the medium is fed, a recirculation circuit for recycling an aqueous suspension of the polymer through the flashing column, means for withdrawing from the recirculation circuit a portion of the suspension corresponding in polymer content to the polymer fed from the reactor and means for recovering the polymer from the withdrawn portion of the suspension. The flashing column comprises a tower in which deflecting surfaces comprising outwardly diverging cones alternating with inwardly converging frusto-cones are suspended. The polymer with the medium and the recirculated suspension are directed together onto the uppermost deflecting surface and cascade down over the surfaces to a collecting chamber at the bottom of the tower. The hydrocarbon medium is discharged as vapor from the top of the tower. The recirculation circuit includes means for controlling the temperature of the recirculated suspension and for supplying make-up water.
Inventors
- 👤 P Dassesse
- 👤 M Delwiche
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 13:29
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01D; B01D3/00; B01D3/06; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S159/00; Y10S159/10; Y10S159/20; Y10S159/25
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
260 words
A APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING AN RECOVERING RUBBERY OR STICKY POLYMERS COMPRISING A REACTOR FOR POLYMERIZING ONE OR MORE MONOMERS IN A MEDIUM OF VOLATILE LIQUID HYDROCARBON, AND A RECOVERY SYSTEM COMPRISING A FLASHING COLUMN COMPRISING A TOWER PROVIDED ALONG A PORTION ONLY OF ITS HEIGHT WITH SUPERPOSED DIVERGING DEFLECTING SURFACES ALTERNATING WITH CONVERGING DEFLECTING SURFACES IN THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF FLOW, MEANS FOR CONDUCTING SAID POLYMERS WITH SAID MEDIUM FORM SAID REACTOR TO THE TOP OF SAID TOWER AND DIRECTING IT ONTO THE UPPERMOST OF SAID DEFLECTING SURFACES, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING WATER TO SAID TOWER TO FORM AN AQUEOUS SUSPENSION OF SAID POLYMER, SAID TOWER HAVING AT ITS LOWER END BELOW THE LOWERMOST DEFLECTING SURFACE A CHAMBER FOR COLLECTING SAID SUSPENSION, A RECIRCULATION CIRCUIT INCLUDING PUMP MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING SAID AQUEOUS SUSPENSION FROM SAID CHAMBER AND CONDUIT MEANS FOR CONDUCTING IT TO THE TOP OF SAID TOWER AND DIRECTING IT ONTO THE UPPERMOST OF SAID DEFLECTING SURFACES TOGETHER WITH SAID POLYMER IN SAID MEDIUM TO DIRECT SAID SUSPENSION AND POLYMER IIN A CASCADE DOWN OVER SUCCESSIVE DEFLECTING SURFACES TO SAID CHAMBER AT THE LOWER END OF SAID TOWER, MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING FROM SAID SYSTEM A SELECTED AMOUNT OF SAID SUSPENSION CORRESPONDING IN POLYMER CONTENT TO THE POLYMER CONDUCTED TO SAID TOWER FROM SAID REACTOR, MEAND FOR PROCESSING THE WITHDRAWN SUSPENSION TO REMOVE SEPARATELY THE POLYMER AND WATER THEREFROM, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING INTO SAID SYSTEM MAKE-UP WATER IN AN AMOUNT CORRESPONDING TO THE AMOUNT OF WATER WITHDRAWN AND MEANS FOR DISCHARGING VAPOR OF SAID MEDIUM FROM THE TOP OF THE TOWER.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
260 words
A APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING AN RECOVERING RUBBERY OR STICKY POLYMERS COMPRISING A REACTOR FOR POLYMERIZING ONE OR MORE MONOMERS IN A MEDIUM OF VOLATILE LIQUID HYDROCARBON, AND A RECOVERY SYSTEM COMPRISING A FLASHING COLUMN COMPRISING A TOWER PROVIDED ALONG A PORTION ONLY OF ITS HEIGHT WITH SUPERPOSED DIVERGING DEFLECTING SURFACES ALTERNATING WITH CONVERGING DEFLECTING SURFACES IN THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF FLOW, MEANS FOR CONDUCTING SAID POLYMERS WITH SAID MEDIUM FORM SAID REACTOR TO THE TOP OF SAID TOWER AND DIRECTING IT ONTO THE UPPERMOST OF SAID DEFLECTING SURFACES, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING WATER TO SAID TOWER TO FORM AN AQUEOUS SUSPENSION OF SAID POLYMER, SAID TOWER HAVING AT ITS LOWER END BELOW THE LOWERMOST DEFLECTING SURFACE A CHAMBER FOR COLLECTING SAID SUSPENSION, A RECIRCULATION CIRCUIT INCLUDING PUMP MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING SAID AQUEOUS SUSPENSION FROM SAID CHAMBER AND CONDUIT MEANS FOR CONDUCTING IT TO THE TOP OF SAID TOWER AND DIRECTING IT ONTO THE UPPERMOST OF SAID DEFLECTING SURFACES TOGETHER WITH SAID POLYMER IN SAID MEDIUM TO DIRECT SAID SUSPENSION AND POLYMER IIN A CASCADE DOWN OVER SUCCESSIVE DEFLECTING SURFACES TO SAID CHAMBER AT THE LOWER END OF SAID TOWER, MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING FROM SAID SYSTEM A SELECTED AMOUNT OF SAID SUSPENSION CORRESPONDING IN POLYMER CONTENT TO THE POLYMER CONDUCTED TO SAID TOWER FROM SAID REACTOR, MEAND FOR PROCESSING THE WITHDRAWN SUSPENSION TO REMOVE SEPARATELY THE POLYMER AND WATER THEREFROM, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING INTO SAID SYSTEM MAKE-UP WATER IN AN AMOUNT CORRESPONDING TO THE AMOUNT OF WATER WITHDRAWN AND MEANS FOR DISCHARGING VAPOR OF SAID MEDIUM FROM THE TOP OF THE TOWER.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, in which said recirculation circuit includes heat exchanger means for controlling the temperature of the recirculated suspension.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
47 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, in which said reactor operates at superatmospheric pressure and in which said means for conducting said polymer with said medium from the reactor to the flashing column includes means for reducing the pressure to maintain approximately atmospheric pressure in said flashing column.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for introducing additives into said flashing column.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
54 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, in which said means for discharging vapor of said medium includes a discharge opening at the top of said tower, and in which a conical deflector is located below said opening and above the uppermost of said deflecting surfaces to prevent discharge of droplets of liquid through said opening.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising agitating means in said chamber at the lower end of said tower below the lowermost of said deflecting surfaces.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising pulsating producing means at the bottom of said tower for producing pulsations in said suspension collected in said chamber.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
45 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, in which said processing means comprises filter means for separating said polymer from the water of said suspension and in which said means for introducing make-up water comprises means for conducting water from said filter means to said recirculation circuit.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
30 words
Apparatus according to claim 8, in which said means for introducing make-up water includes means for selectively introducing into said recirculation circuit water in addition to that from said filter.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, in which said diverging deflecting surfaces comprise cones having their apices up and said converging deflecting surfaces comprise truncated cones converging downwardly.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
37 words
Apparatus according to claim 10 comprising means for suspending said cones and truncated cones from the top of said tower, the peripheries of said cones and truncated cones being spaced inwardly from side walls of said tower.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-10-14 | 1978-04-15 | 1978-10-15 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-10-14 | 1982-04-15 | 1982-10-15 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-10-14 | 1986-04-15 | 1986-10-15 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |