A process and apparatus for producing TPEE

Abstract

The application relates to the field of high polymer materials and discloses a TPEE production process and device, the process comprises the following steps: S1, solid impurities in TPEE are removed by screening and purging; S2, TPEE is transferred into a dissolving and washing device, organic impurities in TPEE particles are dissolved, TPEE is kneaded, and the organic impurities on the surface of TPEE are removed; S3, TPEE particles are washed and dried; S4, TPEE, PTEE, silicon dioxide, a lubricant and an antioxidant are melt blended; S5, high wear-resistant TPEE is prepared by extruding through an extruder, and the extruded body is prepared into a sheet or a particle; and S6, quality inspection is carried out on the TPEE sheet or particle, then the qualified products are packaged, and the qualified products are packaged. The TPEE production process and device can remove impurities from TPEE raw material TPEE, can effectively and completely dissolve and wash the organic impurities on TPEE, and guarantees the product quality of TPEE.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of polymer materials, and more specifically, to a TPEE production process and apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] Thermoplastic polyester elastomer (TPEE), also known as polyester rubber, is a type of linear block copolymer containing PBT (polybutylene terephthalate) hard polyester segments and polyether soft segments. TPEE combines the excellent elasticity of rubber with the easy processability of thermoplastics. Its hardness is adjustable, allowing for design freedom, making it a promising new variety of thermoplastic elastomer.

[0003] Depending on the specific usage requirements and specifications, TPEE products with varying properties can be prepared by adding different materials to TPEE as the base material. Currently, the quality of the TPEE products produced is not high because impurities exist in the TPEE raw materials, resulting in impurities also present in the manufactured TPEE products.

[0004] Some common impurities present in TPEE raw materials include:

[0005] Unreacted starting materials: During the synthesis of TPEE, unreacted terephthalic acid and 1,4-butanediol may sometimes be present. These unreacted starting materials may exist in the form of small particles or dissolved substances.

[0006] Particulate impurities: During the production, transportation, storage and processing of TPEE raw materials, some particulate impurities, such as dust, fibers, metal shavings, etc., may be introduced.

[0007] Moisture: If TPEE is not strictly controlled during the production process and storage, it may absorb moisture and contain a certain amount of moisture.

[0008] Other contaminants: During the preparation, packaging and transportation of TPEE raw materials, they may come into contact with other contaminants, such as grease, residual solvents, plastic additives, etc.

[0009] Current production processes typically involve directly polymerizing TPEE without cleaning it, resulting in TPEE products containing impurities that fail to meet current quality requirements. Summary of the Invention

[0010] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention provides a TPEE production process and apparatus.

[0011] A TPEE manufacturing process includes the following steps:

[0012] S1: Remove solid impurities;

[0013] Solid impurities in TPEE are removed by screening and purging.

[0014] S2: Removes organic impurities;

[0015] The TPEE is transferred to a washing device to dissolve the organic impurities in the TPEE particles. The TPEE is then rubbed to remove the organic impurities from its surface.

[0016] S3: Rinse and dry;

[0017] The TPEE particles are rinsed and dried.

[0018] S4: Melt blending;

[0019] TPEE, PTEE, silica, lubricant, and antioxidant are melt-blended; defoamers are usually added to eliminate bubbles generated during mixing; the amounts of the above components are those used in the production of conventional TPEE materials;

[0020] S5: Extrusion;

[0021] High wear-resistant TPEE can be produced by extrusion through an extruder, and the extruded material can be prepared into sheets or granules.

[0022] S6: Inspection and Packaging;

[0023] The TPEE flakes or granules are inspected for quality, and then the qualified products are packaged.

[0024] The washing device includes a solvent tank, which contains a kneading mechanism. The kneading mechanism includes an annular base, which is horizontally arranged. An annular baffle is arranged on the outside of the base, and the baffle has two notches. One notch is connected to the feed hopper, and the other notch is the discharge port, which is connected to the transfer mechanism.

[0025] The chassis is equipped with a turntable, on which a kneading disc is arranged. The turntable, kneading disc, and chassis are arranged in parallel. The center line of the kneading disc is offset from the center line of the turntable. The kneading disc is connected to an adjustment mechanism, which is used to adjust the rotation of the kneading disc around the center line of the turntable.

[0026] Furthermore: Rubber pad A is installed on the opposite surfaces of the turntable and the kneading disc, and rubber pad B is installed on the opposite surfaces of the kneading disc and the turntable.

[0027] Furthermore: Rubber pads A and B have raised dots.

[0028] Furthermore: the outer ring of rubber pad B has a bevel, and the distance between the bevel and rubber pad A gradually increases from the center of the kneading disc to the edge.

[0029] Furthermore: the adjustment mechanism includes a rotating shaft, the axis of which is collinear with the center line of the turntable. The rotating shaft is rotatably mounted on the lifting platform, which is mounted on the lifting mechanism. The rotating shaft is connected to the kneading disc through a transmission assembly.

[0030] Furthermore: the transmission assembly includes a crank, which is arranged horizontally, with one end of the crank fixedly connected to the shaft and the other end of the crank fixedly connected to the drive shaft. The axial direction of the drive shaft is parallel to the axial direction of the shaft, and the drive shaft is fixedly mounted on the kneading disc.

[0031] Furthermore: a gap is provided in the center of the turntable, the lower end of which is connected to the drain pipe, and a filter screen is installed at the upper end of the gap.

[0032] Furthermore: The outer side of the baffle has an annular water pipe, which is connected to the A liquid supply mechanism. The annular water pipe is connected to nozzle A and nozzle B respectively. Nozzle A is arranged at the end of the feed hopper away from the turntable. Nozzle A is used to spray solvent to push the material in the feed hopper towards the space between the turntable and the kneading disc. Nozzle B is installed on the baffle. Nozzle B is used to spray solvent to push the material at the edge of the turntable towards the center area of ​​the turntable.

[0033] Furthermore: a spray pipe is rotatably mounted on the filter screen, with the nozzle and outlet of the spray pipe arranged accordingly. The spray pipe is used to spray solvent to propel the material on the turntable toward the outlet. The spray pipe is connected to the B liquid supply mechanism.

[0034] Furthermore: the turntable is connected to a drive assembly, which is used to drive the turntable to rotate.

[0035] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: the TPEE production process and apparatus proposed in this invention can remove impurities from TPEE raw materials, effectively and thoroughly dissolve and wash away organic impurities on TPEE, and ensure the product quality of TPEE. Attached Figure Description

[0036] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a TPEE production process proposed in this invention;

[0037] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the washing device in the TPEE production process proposed in this invention;

[0038] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the kneading mechanism in the washing device of the TPEE production process proposed in this invention;

[0039] Figure 4 This is a top view of the chassis structure in the washing device of the TPEE production process proposed in this invention.

[0040] In the diagram: 100, solvent tank; 110, A liquid supply mechanism; 120, material transfer mechanism; 130, drive assembly; 140, B liquid supply mechanism; 141, nozzle; 200, kneading mechanism; 210, chassis; 211, baffle; 212, feed hopper; 213, discharge port; 220, turntable; 221, A rubber pad; 222, filter screen; 223, drain pipe; 230, kneading disc; 231, B rubber pad; 240, adjusting mechanism; 241, drive shaft; 242, crank; 243, rotating shaft; 250, lifting platform; 260, lifting mechanism; 270, annular water pipe; 271, A nozzle; 272, B nozzle. Detailed Implementation

[0041] The subject matter described herein will now be discussed with reference to exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are discussed to enable those skilled in the art to better understand and implement the subject matter described herein. Changes may be made to the function and arrangement of the elements discussed without departing from the scope of this specification. Various processes or components may be omitted, substituted, or added as needed in the examples. Furthermore, features described in some examples may be combined in other examples.

[0042] Example 1

[0043] Reference Appendix Figure 1 This embodiment proposes a TPEE production process and apparatus, including the following steps:

[0044] S1: Remove solid impurities;

[0045] Solid impurities in TPEE are removed by screening and purging.

[0046] S2: Removes organic impurities;

[0047] The TPEE is transferred to a washing device to dissolve the organic impurities in the TPEE particles. The TPEE is then rubbed to remove the organic impurities from its surface.

[0048] S3: Rinse and dry;

[0049] The TPEE particles are rinsed and dried.

[0050] S4: Melt blending;

[0051] TPEE, PTEE, silica, lubricant, and antioxidant are melt-blended; defoamers are usually added to eliminate bubbles generated during mixing.

[0052] S5: Extrusion;

[0053] High wear-resistant TPEE can be produced by extrusion through an extruder, and the extruded material can be prepared into sheets or granules.

[0054] S6: Inspection and Packaging;

[0055] The TPEE flakes or granules are inspected for quality, and then the qualified products are packaged.

[0056] Example 2

[0057] In this embodiment, a washing device applied in Embodiment 1 is proposed. The washing device includes a solvent tank 100, and a kneading mechanism 200 is installed in the solvent tank 100. The kneading mechanism 200 includes an annular base 210, which is arranged horizontally. An annular baffle 211 is arranged on the outside of the base 210. Two notches are provided on the baffle 211. One notch is connected to the feed hopper 212, and the other notch is the discharge port 213, which is connected to the transfer mechanism 120.

[0058] A turntable 220 is mounted on the chassis 210, and a kneading disc 230 is arranged on the turntable 220. The turntable 220, the kneading disc 230 and the chassis 210 are arranged in parallel. The center line of the kneading disc 230 is offset from the center line of the turntable 220. The kneading disc 230 is connected to an adjustment mechanism 240, which is used to adjust the rotation of the kneading disc 230 around the center line of the turntable 220.

[0059] Rubber pad A 221 is installed on the opposite surfaces of turntable 220 and kneading disc 230, and rubber pad B 231 is installed on the opposite surfaces of kneading disc 230 and turntable 220.

[0060] Rubber pad A 221 and rubber pad B 231 have raised dots.

[0061] The outer ring of rubber pad B 231 has a bevel, and the distance between the bevel and rubber pad A 221 gradually increases from the center to the edge of the kneading disc 230.

[0062] The adjusting mechanism 240 includes a rotating shaft 243, the axis of which is collinear with the center line of the turntable 220. The rotating shaft 243 is rotatably mounted on the lifting platform 250, which is mounted on the lifting mechanism 260. The rotating shaft 243 is connected to the kneading disc 230 through a transmission assembly.

[0063] The transmission assembly includes a crank 242, which is arranged horizontally. One end of the crank 242 is fixedly connected to a rotating shaft 243, and the other end of the crank 242 is fixedly connected to a transmission shaft 241. The axial direction of the transmission shaft 241 is parallel to the axial direction of the rotating shaft 243, and the transmission shaft 241 is fixedly mounted on the kneading disc 230.

[0064] The turntable 220 has a gap in the center, the lower end of which is connected to the drain pipe 223, and a filter screen 222 is installed on the upper end of the gap.

[0065] The outer side of the baffle 211 has an annular water pipe 270, which is connected to the A liquid supply mechanism 110. The annular water pipe 270 is connected to the A nozzle 271 and the B nozzle 272 respectively. The A nozzle 271 is arranged at the end of the feed hopper 212 away from the turntable 220. The A nozzle 271 is used to spray solvent to push the material in the feed hopper 212 towards the area between the turntable 220 and the kneading disc 230. The B nozzle 272 is installed on the baffle 211. The B nozzle 272 is used to spray solvent to push the material at the edge of the turntable 220 towards the center area of ​​the turntable 220.

[0066] A nozzle 141 is rotatably mounted on the filter screen 222. The nozzle of the nozzle 141 and the discharge port 213 are arranged accordingly. The nozzle 141 is used to spray solvent to push the material on the turntable 220 toward the discharge port 213. The nozzle 141 is connected to the liquid supply mechanism 140.

[0067] Turntable 220 is connected to a drive assembly, which is used to drive turntable 220 to rotate.

[0068] The working process of the washing device in this embodiment is as follows: First, TPEE particles are uniformly discharged into the feed tank 212. It should be noted that the density of the solvent is less than that of TPEE, the liquid level of the solution is higher than the height of rubber pad A 221, the TPEE particles are irregular particles, and the surface of the TPEE particles may have depressions and cracks, and organic impurities may be adhering in the depressions and cracks.

[0069] Spraying solvent from nozzle 271 propels the TPEE particles in feed hopper 212 toward turntable 220. Driven by drive assembly 130, turntable 220 rotates at a constant speed. It should be noted that the rotation speed of turntable 220 is relatively slow at this time, and the centrifugal force of turntable 220 is small, so it will not throw the TPEE particles on turntable 220 out.

[0070] At this time, the lifting mechanism 260 drives the lifting platform 250 to move up and down repeatedly. The rotating shaft 243 is connected to the power source. The rotating shaft 243 rotates on its own and drives the kneading disc 230 to rotate around the center line of the turntable 220 through the crank 242 and the transmission shaft 241. It should be noted that the eccentric rotation direction of the kneading disc 230 is opposite to the rotation direction of the turntable 220.

[0071] As the lifting mechanism 260 drives the lifting platform 250 to rise, the kneading disc 230 rises synchronously. As the kneading disc 230 rises away from the turntable 220, the TPEE particles in the feed hopper 212 are flushed onto the surface of the turntable 220 and rotate with the turntable 220.

[0072] As the lifting mechanism 260 drives the kneading disc 230 to descend, the B rubber pad 231 first contacts and squeezes the TPEE particles. As the kneading disc 230 rotates, it drives the TPEE particles to rotate on the A rubber pad 221, thus kneading them and removing the organic matter from the surface of the TPEE particles, thereby improving the dissolution efficiency.

[0073] As the kneading disc 230 descends and rotates, it applies pressure and agitates the TPEE particles on rubber pad A 221, increasing the washing intensity. Due to the centrifugal force of the turntable 220 and the kneading force of the kneading disc 230, the TPEE particles on the turntable 220 are gradually pushed towards the edge. At this time, the solvent sprayed from nozzle B 272 can, on the one hand, flush the TPEE particles back to the center area of ​​the turntable 220 as the kneading disc 230 rises away from the turntable 220; on the other hand, it can rinse the TPEE particles after kneading, accelerating the flow rate of the solution on the surface of the device and washing away and dissolving the organic impurities adhering to their surface.

[0074] Moreover, during the kneading and rotating process, the TPEE particles can open or close the depressions or gaps on the surface of the TPEE particles. When they are opened, the flowing solvent flushes out the organic impurities inside. When they are closed, the organic matter inside the gaps is squeezed out. In addition, the TPEE particles have good elasticity, which enables the opening and closing action. It also facilitates the rapid entry and exit of the solvent into the gaps, carrying out or dissolving the organic matter inside.

[0075] The solvent flowing into the area of ​​the turntable 220 can easily pass through the filter screen 222 and the drain pipe 223 to the bottom of the solvent pool 100, thus achieving the solvent flowability requirements.

[0076] When the turntable 220 transfers the TPEE particles on it to the area corresponding to the discharge port 213, as the kneading disc 230 rises away from the turntable 220, the solvent sprayed from the nozzle 141 flushes the TPEE particles out of the discharge port 213, and the transfer mechanism 120 transfers the flushed TPEE particles to the next process.

[0077] The present invention proposes a TPEE production process and apparatus that can remove impurities from TPEE raw material, effectively and thoroughly dissolve and wash away organic impurities on TPEE, thus ensuring the quality of TPEE products.

[0078] The embodiments of this embodiment have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this embodiment is not limited to the specific implementation methods described above. The specific implementation methods described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other forms under the guidance of this embodiment without departing from the spirit of this embodiment and the scope of protection of the claims, and all of these forms are within the protection scope of this embodiment.

Claims

1. A TPEE manufacturing process, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1: Solid impurities in TPEE are removed by screening and purging. S2: Transfer TPEE to the washing device to dissolve organic impurities in the TPEE particles, and rub the TPEE to remove organic impurities from its surface. S3: Rinse and dry the TPEE particles; S4: Melt blend TPEE, PTEE, silica, lubricant and antioxidant; S5: High wear-resistant TPEE can be produced by extrusion through an extruder, and the extruded material can be made into sheets or granules. S6: Conduct quality inspection on TPEE flakes or granules, and then package the qualified products. The washing device includes a solvent tank (100), which is equipped with a kneading mechanism (200). The kneading mechanism (200) includes an annular base (210), which is horizontally arranged. An annular baffle (211) is arranged on the outside of the base (210). The baffle (211) has two notches, one of which is connected to the feed hopper (212), and the other is the discharge port (213). The discharge port (213) is connected to the transfer mechanism (120). A turntable (220) is mounted on the chassis (210), and a kneading disc (230) is arranged on the turntable (220). The turntable (220), the kneading disc (230) and the chassis (210) are arranged in parallel. The center line of the kneading disc (230) is offset from the center line of the turntable (220). The kneading disc (230) is connected to an adjustment mechanism (240). The adjustment mechanism (240) is used to adjust the rotation of the kneading disc (230) around the center line of the turntable (220). Rubber pad A (221) is installed on the opposite surfaces of the turntable (220) and the kneading disc (230), and rubber pad B (231) is installed on the opposite surfaces of the kneading disc (230) and the turntable (220). Rubber pad A (221) and rubber pad B (231) have raised dots. The turntable (220) has a gap in the center, the lower end of which is connected to the drain pipe (223), and a filter screen cover (222) is installed on the upper end of the gap. The outer side of the baffle (211) has an annular water pipe (270), which is connected to the A liquid supply mechanism (110). The annular water pipe (270) is connected to the A nozzle (271) and the B nozzle (272) respectively. The A nozzle (271) is arranged at the end of the feed hopper (212) away from the turntable (220). The A nozzle (271) is used to spray solvent to push the material in the feed hopper (212) towards the turntable (220) and the kneading disc (230). The B nozzle (272) is installed on the baffle (211). The B nozzle (272) is used to spray solvent to push the material at the edge of the turntable (220) towards the center area of ​​the turntable (220).

2. The TPEE production process according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S4, an antifoaming agent is added to eliminate bubbles generated during mixing.

3. The TPEE production process according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer ring of rubber pad B (231) has a bevel, and the distance between the bevel and rubber pad A (221) gradually increases from the center of the kneading disc (230) to the edge.

4. The TPEE production process according to claim 3, characterized in that, The adjustment mechanism (240) includes a rotating shaft (243), the axis of the rotating shaft (243) is collinear with the center line of the turntable (220), the rotating shaft (243) is rotatably mounted on the lifting platform (250), the lifting platform (250) is mounted on the lifting mechanism (260), and the rotating shaft (243) is connected to the kneading disc (230) through a transmission assembly.

5. The TPEE production process according to claim 4, characterized in that, The transmission assembly includes a crank (242), which is arranged horizontally. One end of the crank (242) is fixedly connected to the shaft (243), and the other end of the crank (242) is fixedly connected to the transmission shaft (241). The axial direction of the transmission shaft (241) is parallel to the axial direction of the shaft (243), and the transmission shaft (241) is fixedly mounted on the kneading disc (230).

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