Continuous solid-state polymerization device and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9649617-B2
Application number	US-201314902076-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2013
Priority date	Jul 10, 2013
Publication date	May 16, 2017
Grant date	May 16, 2017

Abstract

A continuous solid-state polymerization device according to the present invention comprises: a feeder for injecting a prepolymer continuously; a transverse reactor connected to the feeder via a first connector to receive the prepolymer from the feeder and to perform solid-state polymerization, the reactor itself rotating; and a chamber connected to the transverse reactor via a second connector to receive a polymer, which has been discharged from the transverse reactor, and solid-state polymerization of which has been completed, and to discharge the polymer, wherein the transverse reactor has a demolding coating film formed on the inner wall thereof, and the feeder, the transverse reactor and the chamber are in a vacuum state. The continuous solid-state polymerization device can prevent formation of an interval, in which the prepolymer stagnates, and can perform solid-state polymerization continuously in a vacuum state without using inert gas.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A continuous solid-state polymerization apparatus comprising:
a feeder for continuously introducing prepolymers;
a rotatable transverse reactor connected to the feeder via a first connector and receiving the prepolymers from the feeder to perform solid-state polymerization;
a chamber connected to the transverse reactor via a second connector and receiving and discharging solid-state polymerized polymers from the transverse reactor; and
a sealing member preventing leakage/inflow of gas and liquid from/into the first and second connectors, wherein the sealing member is a magnetic fluid seal,
wherein the transverse reactor has a release coating film formed on an inner wall thereof, and the feeder, the transverse reactor and the chamber are under a vacuum.

2. The continuous solid-state polymerization apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the release coating film is an organic coating film, an inorganic coating film, or an organic/inorganic hybrid coating film.

3. The continuous solid-state polymerization apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the release coating film has a thickness of about 1 μm to about 100 μm.

4. The continuous solid-state polymerization apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a vacuum pump is connected to the chamber.

5. The continuous solid-state polymerization apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a vacuum pump is further connected to the feeder.

6. The continuous solid-state polymerization apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the transverse reactor comprises a pre-heating zone, a main-heating zone, and a cooling zone.

7. The continuous solid-state polymerization apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first hopper receiving the prepolymers from outside and maintained at atmospheric pressure; and
a second hopper connected to the first hopper and receiving the prepolymers from the first hopper under atmospheric pressure and transferring the prepolymers to the feeder under a vacuum.

8. The continuous solid-state polymerization apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a third hopper connected to the chamber and receiving the polymers from the chamber under a vacuum and discharging the polymers outside under atmospheric pressure.

9. The continuous solid-state polymerization apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the transverse reactor further has protrusions on the inner wall thereof.

10. The continuous solid-state polymerization apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the prepolymer is a polymer having an inherent viscosity (IV) of about 0.09 dL/g to about 0.49 dL/g.

11. The continuous solid-state polymerization apparatus according to claim 1 , the solid-state polymerized polymer has an inherent viscosity (IV) of about 0.5 dL/g to about 1.5 dL/g.

12. A solid-state polymerization method using the continuous solid-state polymerization apparatus according to claim 1 , the method comprising:
introducing the prepolymers into the feeder;
solid-state polymerizing the introduced prepolymers in the transverse reactor; and
discharging the solid-state polymerized polymers to the chamber, wherein the above steps are continuously performed.

13. The solid-state polymerization method according to claim 12 , wherein the solid-state polymerization is performed under a pressure of about 0.1 torr to about 100 torr.

Assignees

• Samsung Sdi Co Ltd
• Lotte Advanced Mateirals Co Ltd

Inventors

• Im Sang Kyun
• Lee Ki Yon
• Bae Shin Hyo
• Kim Young Jun
• Park Kyoung Kyun
• Jin Young Sub
• Jeon Sang Hyun

Classifications

• B01J2219/0245

  of synthetic organic material · CPC title

• B01J2219/0204

  comprising coatings on the surfaces in direct contact with the reactive components · CPC title

• C08G69/30

  Solid state polycondensation · CPC title

• B01J2219/00162

  controlling the pressure · CPC title

• Y02P20/149

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic