Abstract:
The present disclosure provides methods and apparatuses providing uniform polyamide pellets. In one example, a method can include maintaining a vacuum during a pre-casting polymerization cycle of the cyclic process such that the pre-casting polymerization cycle produces a reactive polyamide polymer with decreased pre-casting polymerization cycle time, extruding the reactive polyamide polymer during a casting cycle by adjusting process parameters including vessel pressure and extrusion valve opening to generate a throughput of extruded polymer, and cutting the extruded polymer at a cutting speed substantially proportional to the throughput to provide polyamide pellets.
Abstract:
Disclosed are nylon salt solution preparation processes including a trim diamine feed. The trim diamine is added to a recirculation loop in a continuous stirred tank reactor, where it is blended with the nylon salt solution via a pump. The nylon salt solution is prepared by feeding a dicarboxylic acid monomer and a diamine monomer to a single continuous stirred tank reactor. The dicarboxylic acid is metered, based on weight, from a loss-in-weight feeder to the reactor. The nylon salt solution is formed continuously and has low variability from a target pH and/or a target salt solution concentration. The nylon salt solution is transferred directly to a storage tank, without further monomer addition, pH adjustment, or salt solution adjustment after exiting the continuous stirred tank reactor.
Abstract:
An autoclave heating jacket including a heating fluid collar (200), a fluid inlet (120), a fluid outlet (122), and a plurality of fluid flow baffles (202, 204, 206) is claimed. The heating fluid collar (200) can have an outer wall (208) which includes an upper contact surface (210) and a lower contact surface (212) forming an enclosed chamber when engaged with an outer surface of an autoclave. The fluid inlet (120) can be oriented through the outer wall and is capable of directing a heating fluid into the enclosed chamber. The fluid outlet (122) can be oriented through the outer wall but is capable of directing the heating fluid out of the enclosed chamber. The plurality of fluid flow baffles (202, 204, 206) can be oriented within the enclosed chamber so as to direct the heating fluid along a predetermined pathway within the enclosed chamber. Also claimed is a polymerization autoclave comprising said heating jacket and a heating conduit, as well as a method of repairing such an autoclave by replacing some of the weakened or leaking coil segments with said heating jacket.
Abstract:
The present disclosure provides methods and apparatuses estimating casting throughput during casting process to provide polyamide pellets. The method of estimating casting throughput of an extruded polyamide polymer comprises measuring an amount of casting water flowing in to a casting apparatus typically from two or more locations, measuring the temperature of the casting water flowing in, and measuring the temperature of the casting water flowing out. Additional steps include calculating a heat transfer between the casting water flowing in and the casting water flowing out using the measured amount, and correlating the heat transfer to the casting throughput.