A process for nitrogen replacement of a sulfurization tank

Abstract

This invention discloses a nitrogen replacement process for a vulcanizing tank, including a nitrogen generator. Nitrogen gas produced by the nitrogen generator is pressurized by a first nitrogen compressor. The nitrogen gas then flows through a gas pipeline into a first nitrogen foaming kettle and a second nitrogen foaming kettle for a foaming process. A portion of the gas in the second nitrogen foaming kettle enters the first vulcanizing tank. A first pressure gauge and a first regulating valve are installed on the nitrogen input pipe into the first vulcanizing tank. Compared to existing technologies, this process utilizes a portion of the nitrogen from the foaming process to replace toxic gases in the vulcanizing tank, eliminating the need for an additional nitrogen production and input equipment, thus saving significant production equipment costs. Furthermore, the nitrogen gas after foaming is recycled, making it more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly than producing new nitrogen gas. The nitrogen gas can be reused multiple times, reducing nitrogen generation costs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the technical field of vulcanization processes, and more particularly to a nitrogen purging process for a vulcanizing tank. Background Technology

[0002] In the rubber vulcanization process, the vulcanizing tank is an indispensable key piece of equipment. The vapor pressure during rubber vulcanization generally does not exceed 1 MPa gauge pressure, and the temperature is approximately below 180℃. After the vulcanization reaction is complete, nitrogen needs to be introduced into the vulcanizing tank to replace the toxic gases inside, ensuring that subsequent actions on the rubber material inside the tank after opening reduce pollution to the working environment and harm to operators. Currently, during the vulcanization reaction, new nitrogen is introduced into the vulcanizing tank through external nitrogen generators. However, due to the pressure requirements of the vulcanizing tank, precise pressure control of the nitrogen introduced into the tank is necessary, requiring the use of nitrogen generators or nitrogen compressors for pressure adjustment, which is quite complex. Furthermore, some existing nitrogen foaming kettles are placed together with the vulcanizing tank, and nitrogen is also introduced into the foaming kettle during use, only to be released after foaming, resulting in waste. The existing publication number WO2020042308A1 discloses a method for preparing thermoplastic polymer foamed beads using a clean and anhydrous process. This method utilizes a high-pressure fluidized bed and directly employs supercritical fluid foaming technology, which requires less heat, has low cost, strong controllability, and high production efficiency. The resulting foamed beads have fine micropores and good uniformity of pore size. The overall production process is safe and clean. However, the product obtained is foamed beads, and although a vulcanizing tank is used in the foaming process, the vulcanizing tank serves as the site of the foaming reaction, not the site of the vulcanization reaction. Therefore, a nitrogen replacement process for the vulcanizing tank is still needed. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to address the shortcomings of existing technologies by proposing a nitrogen replacement process for a vulcanizing tank.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: it includes a nitrogen generator, wherein the nitrogen generated by the nitrogen generator is introduced into a first nitrogen compressor for pressurization, and the nitrogen enters a first nitrogen foaming kettle and a second nitrogen foaming kettle sequentially through a gas transmission pipeline for foaming process, part of the gas in the second nitrogen foaming kettle enters a first vulcanizing tank, and the remaining gas enters the first nitrogen compressor through a circulation pipeline for repressurization and is circulated into the first nitrogen foaming kettle and the second nitrogen foaming kettle for use;

[0005] A first pressure gauge and a first regulating valve are installed on the vulcanization input pipe into the first vulcanizing tank to control the pressure entering the first vulcanizing tank. The first vulcanizing tank is connected to external waste gas treatment equipment through a waste gas discharge pipe.

[0006] As a further description of the above technical solution, a nitrogen recovery tank is provided between the first nitrogen foaming kettle and the second nitrogen foaming kettle. The nitrogen recovery tank is used to collect the nitrogen discharged from the first nitrogen foaming kettle for subsequent use.

[0007] As a further description of the above technical solution, the exhaust pipe of the nitrogen recovery tank is connected to the second nitrogen compressor, and the second nitrogen compressor is connected to the inlet pipe of the second nitrogen foaming kettle.

[0008] As a further description of the above technical solution, solenoid valves are provided at the inlet and outlet of the first nitrogen foaming kettle, the second nitrogen foaming kettle, the first vulcanizing tank, and the nitrogen recovery tank.

[0009] As a further description of the above technical solution, the first nitrogen foaming kettle, the second nitrogen foaming kettle, the first vulcanizing tank and the nitrogen recovery tank are all provided in multiple sets, and each of the first vulcanizing tanks is provided with the first pressure detection gauge and the first regulating valve on the vulcanization input pipe.

[0010] As a further description of the above technical solution, the waste gas treatment equipment includes multiple silencers, a spray tower, and a plasma processor.

[0011] As a further description of the above technical solution, the volume of a single nitrogen recovery tank is 95-120 m³. 3 .

[0012] As a further description of the above technical solution, the volume of a single nitrogen recovery tank is 100m³. 3 .

[0013] As a further description of the above technical solution, the first pressure gauge, the first regulating valve, and the solenoid valve are all electrically connected to external electrical control equipment.

[0014] As a further description of the above technical solution, the electrical control equipment is an electrical control box, and the electrical control box is electrically connected to the nitrogen generator, the first nitrogen compressor, and the second nitrogen compressor.

[0015] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0016] 1. Compared to existing technologies, this invention utilizes a portion of the nitrogen from the foaming process to replace toxic gases in the vulcanizing tank, eliminating the need for an additional nitrogen production and input equipment, thus saving significant production equipment costs. Furthermore, the nitrogen remaining after foaming is recycled, making it more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly than producing new nitrogen. The remaining gas after foaming is repressurized in a first nitrogen compressor via a circulation pipeline and then circulated back into the first and second nitrogen foaming kettles, allowing for multiple uses of nitrogen, saving energy, protecting the environment, and reducing nitrogen generation costs.

[0017] 2. This invention provides a nitrogen recovery tank between the first and second nitrogen foaming kettles. The inlet of the nitrogen recovery tank is connected to the outlet of the first nitrogen foaming kettle for recycling and storing nitrogen from the first nitrogen foaming kettle. This avoids the waste caused by direct discharge of nitrogen from the first nitrogen foaming kettle after use. The outlet of the nitrogen recovery tank is connected to the inlet of the second nitrogen foaming kettle, allowing the stored nitrogen to be reused, thereby improving nitrogen utilization and reducing the cost of generating new nitrogen. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the nitrogen replacement process for the vulcanizing tank proposed in this invention;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of Example 2 of the nitrogen replacement process for the vulcanizing tank proposed in this invention.

[0020] Legend:

[0021] 1. Nitrogen generator; 2. First nitrogen compressor; 3. Gas delivery pipeline; 4. First nitrogen foaming kettle; 5. Second nitrogen foaming kettle; 6. First vulcanizing tank; 7. Circulation pipeline; 8. Vulcanizing input pipe; 9. First pressure gauge; 10. First regulating valve; 11. Waste gas treatment equipment; 12. Nitrogen recovery tank; 13. Second nitrogen compressor; 14. Solenoid valve; 15. Electrical control equipment. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0023] Reference Figure 1This invention provides an embodiment of a nitrogen replacement process for a vulcanizing tank, comprising a nitrogen generator 1. Nitrogen produced by the nitrogen generator 1 is pressurized by a first nitrogen compressor 2. The nitrogen then enters a first nitrogen foaming kettle 4 and a second nitrogen foaming kettle 5 sequentially through a gas delivery pipe 3 for foaming. Part of the gas in the second nitrogen foaming kettle 5 enters the first vulcanizing tank 6. Specifically, after foaming, the nitrogen inside the second nitrogen foaming kettle 5 enters the first vulcanizing tank through a vulcanization input pipe 8 to replace the nitrogen inside the vulcanizing tank, thereby ensuring that toxic gases are completely discharged. Compared to existing technologies, using part of the nitrogen from the foaming process to replace toxic gases in the vulcanizing tank eliminates the need for an additional nitrogen production and input equipment, saving significant production equipment costs. Furthermore, the nitrogen after foaming is recycled, making it more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly than producing new nitrogen. The remaining gas after foaming enters the first nitrogen compressor 2 through the circulation pipeline 7 for repressurization and is then circulated into the first nitrogen foaming kettle 4 and the second nitrogen foaming kettle 5 for use. This allows the nitrogen to be used multiple times, saving energy and protecting the environment, and reducing the cost of nitrogen generation.

[0024] Specifically, a first pressure gauge 9 and a first regulating valve 10 are installed on the sulfurization input pipe 8 into the first sulfurization tank 6, which is used to control the pressure entering the first sulfurization tank 6. A preset pressure value is set on the pressure gauge 9. By controlling the opening of the first regulating valve 10, when the pressure value reaches the preset value, the first regulating valve 10 is closed to prevent the first sulfurization tank 6 from exceeding the limit value and causing danger. The first sulfurization tank 6 is connected to an external waste gas treatment device 11 through a waste gas discharge pipe. The waste gas treatment device 11 can treat the replaced harmful gases to avoid affecting the external environment. Furthermore, the waste gas treatment device 11 includes a spray tower and a plasma processor, which can eliminate substances such as sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide in the harmful gases. Furthermore, the waste gas treatment device 11 also includes a silencer. The silencer's function is to eliminate the whistling sound that may occur during the emission of the small amount of gas remaining in the sulfurization tank, thereby improving the quietness and comfort of the entire production environment.

[0025] In some feasible embodiments, a nitrogen recovery tank 12 is provided between the first nitrogen foaming vessel 4 and the second nitrogen foaming vessel 5. Multiple sets of nitrogen recovery tanks 12 can be provided according to the actual nitrogen processing requirements, and each nitrogen recovery tank 12 has a volume of 95-120 m³. 3 Preferably, the nitrogen recovery tank 12 has a volume of 100m³. 3Of course, nitrogen recovery tanks 12 of different capacities can be set according to specific needs. The nitrogen recovery tank 12 can be a horizontal storage tank. The inlet of the nitrogen recovery tank 12 is connected to the outlet of the first nitrogen foaming kettle 4 for recycling and storing the nitrogen in the first nitrogen foaming kettle 4. This avoids the waste caused by the direct discharge of nitrogen in the first nitrogen foaming kettle 4 after use. The outlet of the nitrogen recovery tank 12 is connected to the inlet of the second nitrogen foaming kettle 5, so that the nitrogen stored inside can be reused, thereby improving the utilization rate of nitrogen and reducing the cost of generating new nitrogen.

[0026] refer to Figure 2 In some feasible embodiments, since a high nitrogen pressure is required inside the foaming vessel, simply supplying nitrogen from the nitrogen recovery tank 12 to the second nitrogen foaming vessel 5 is insufficient to meet the foaming pressure requirements. Therefore, in this embodiment, the exhaust pipe of the nitrogen recovery tank 12 is connected to the second nitrogen compressor 13, which is connected to the inlet pipe of the second nitrogen foaming vessel 5. The second nitrogen compressor 13 pressurizes the nitrogen discharged from the nitrogen recovery tank 12 to meet the requirements of nitrogen foaming. The second nitrogen compressor 13 can be multiple nitrogen compressor units. The nitrogen inside the nitrogen recovery tank 12 is connected to the nitrogen compressor units through multiple branch pipes. Compression by multiple nitrogen compressor units can reduce the nitrogen compression time, thereby improving the nitrogen compression efficiency.

[0027] Furthermore, solenoid valves 14 are installed at the inlet and outlet of the first nitrogen foaming kettle 4, the second nitrogen foaming kettle 5, the first vulcanizing tank 6, and the nitrogen recovery tank 12. Multiple sets of solenoid valves are installed in the first nitrogen foaming kettle 4, the second nitrogen foaming kettle 5, the first vulcanizing tank 6, and the nitrogen recovery tank 12. Each vulcanizing input pipe 8 of the first vulcanizing tank 6 is equipped with a first pressure gauge 9 and a first regulating valve 10. The first pressure gauge 9, the first regulating valve 10, and the solenoid valve 14 are all electrically connected to an external electrical control device 15. The solenoid valve 14 can be controlled in general through the external electrical control device 15, i.e., the electrical control box. Similarly, the opening and closing of the above-mentioned devices can be remotely controlled through the electrical control box.

[0028] Furthermore, in other feasible embodiments, the nitrogen generator 1 can also be replaced by a nitrogen storage tank, which can be a horizontal tank. Both the nitrogen generator and the nitrogen storage tank serve as sources of nitrogen. The nitrogen storage tank can also coexist with the nitrogen generator 1. Excess nitrogen generated by the nitrogen generator 1 can be discharged into the nitrogen storage tank for storage. When needed, nitrogen can be supplied to the first nitrogen foaming kettle 4 through both the nitrogen storage tank and the nitrogen generator, so that the foaming requirements can be met in a short time.

[0029] Finally, it should be noted that the above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A nitrogen purging process for a vulcanizing tank, characterized in that: The system includes a nitrogen generator (1), the nitrogen generated by the nitrogen generator (1) is fed into a first nitrogen compressor (2) for pressurization, and the nitrogen is fed into a first nitrogen foaming kettle (4) and a second nitrogen foaming kettle (5) in sequence through a gas transmission pipeline (3) for foaming process. Part of the gas in the second nitrogen foaming kettle (5) enters a first vulcanizing tank (6), and the remaining gas enters the first nitrogen compressor (2) through a circulation pipeline (7) for repressurization and is circulated into the first nitrogen foaming kettle (4) and the second nitrogen foaming kettle (5) for use. A first pressure gauge (9) and a first regulating valve (10) are installed on the vulcanization input pipe (8) into the first vulcanizing tank (6) to control the pressure entering the first vulcanizing tank (6). The first vulcanizing tank (6) is connected to an external waste gas treatment device (11) through a waste gas discharge pipe.

2. The nitrogen purging process for the vulcanizing tank according to claim 1, characterized in that: A nitrogen recovery tank (12) is provided between the first nitrogen foaming vessel (4) and the second nitrogen foaming vessel (5). The nitrogen recovery tank (12) is used to collect the nitrogen discharged from the first nitrogen foaming vessel (4) for subsequent use.

3. The nitrogen purging process for the vulcanizing tank according to claim 2, characterized in that: The exhaust pipe of the nitrogen recovery tank (12) is connected to the second nitrogen compressor (13), and the second nitrogen compressor (13) is connected to the air inlet pipe of the second nitrogen foaming kettle (5).

4. The nitrogen purging process for the vulcanizing tank according to claim 3, characterized in that: Solenoid valves (14) are provided at the inlet and outlet of the first nitrogen foaming kettle (4), the second nitrogen foaming kettle (5), the first vulcanizing tank (6), and the nitrogen recovery tank (12).

5. The nitrogen purging process for the vulcanizing tank according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first nitrogen foaming kettle (4), the second nitrogen foaming kettle (5), the first vulcanizing tank (6) and the nitrogen recovery tank (12) are each provided in multiple sets, and each of the first vulcanizing tanks (6) is provided with the first pressure detection gauge (9) and the first regulating valve (10) on the vulcanizing input pipe (8).

6. The nitrogen purging process for the vulcanizing tank according to claim 1, characterized in that: The exhaust gas treatment equipment (11) includes multiple silencers, a spray tower, and a plasma processor.

7. The nitrogen purging process for the vulcanizing tank according to claim 5, characterized in that: The volume of a single nitrogen recovery tank (12) is 95-120 m³. 3 .

8. The nitrogen purging process for the vulcanizing tank according to claim 7, characterized in that: The volume of a single nitrogen recovery tank (12) is 100m³. 3 .

9. The nitrogen purging process for the vulcanizing tank according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first pressure gauge (9), the first regulating valve (10), and the solenoid valve (14) are all electrically connected to an external electrical control device (15).

10. The nitrogen purging process for the vulcanizing tank according to claim 9, characterized in that: The electrical control device (15) is an electrical control box, which is electrically connected to the nitrogen generator (1), the first nitrogen compressor (2) and the second nitrogen compressor (13).

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