Method for transporting expanded thermoplastic polymer particles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9546052-B2
Application number	US-201314405452-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 4, 2013
Priority date	Jun 6, 2012
Publication date	Jan 17, 2017
Grant date	Jan 17, 2017

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for transporting foamed thermoplastic polymer particles ( 3 ) from a container ( 5, 9 ) through at least one pipe ( 7, 11 ), wherein, for transporting the foamed thermoplastic polymer particles ( 3 ), a gas stream is applied through the pipe ( 7, 11 ). The foamed thermoplastic polymer particles ( 3 ) are wetted with a water comprising lubricant.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for transporting foamed thermoplastic polymer particles from a container through at least one pipe comprising:
(a) wetting the foamed thermoplastic polymer particles with a water comprising lubricant by adding the water comprising lubricant at a plurality of positions that are in succession in the direction of flow, and
(b) transporting the foamed thermoplastic polymer particles by applying a gas stream through the pipe.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising adding the water comprising lubricant in the container or in the pipe.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the foamed thermoplastic polymer particles are wetted by spraying the water comprising lubricant onto the foamed thermoplastic polymer particles.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the amount of water comprising lubricant which is added is in the range from 10 mg to 4 kg, in each case based on one liter of expanded thermoplastic polymer particles.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the foamed thermoplastic polymer is selected from the group consisting of expanded polypropylene, expanded polyethylene, expanded polystyrene and expanded thermoplastic polyurethane.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the foamed thermoplastic polymer comprises an interior or exterior lubricant.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the gas flow is generated by applying a superatmospheric pressure at the container, a reduced pressure on the takeoff side of the pipe, or both.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the foamed thermoplastic polymer particles are transported from a container to a filling-pressure container.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the amount of water in the water comprising lubricant is in the range from 60 to 100% by weight.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the water comprising lubricant additionally comprises a silicone oil, a glycerol ester or mixtures thereof.

11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the water comprising lubricant additionally comprises a pulverulent lubricant which is selected from waxes, stearates, talcum and mixtures of at least two of these components.

Assignees

• Basf Se
• Basf Se (Isenbruck Bösl Hörschler Llp)

Inventors

• Buscher Markus
• Weis Gerhard
• Bartl Jürgen
• Obermann Christian
• Wolf Alexander

Classifications

• C08J9/36

  After-treatment (C08J9/22 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29C31/041

  using filling or dispensing heads placed in closed moulds or in contact with mould walls (B29C45/27 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29K2105/04

  cellular or porous · CPC title

• B65G53/16

  Gas pressure systems operating with fluidisation of the materials · CPC title

• B29C31/04

  Feeding {of the material to be moulded}, e.g. into a mould cavity {(B29C39/08 takes precedence; using a material distribution system to two or more fixed injection moulds B29C45/125)} · CPC title