Apparatus for manufacturing polymer beads and method for manufacturing polymer beads

Abstract

This invention provides a polymer bead manufacturing apparatus that significantly reduces the possibility of collisions between droplets and suspended particles at the liquid surface of the solidification tank, thereby enabling stable polymer bead production. [Solution] The polymer bead manufacturing apparatus of the present invention is an apparatus for forming solid granular polymer by dropping a polymer solution into a solidifying liquid, and comprises a nozzle for dropping droplets of polymer solution, and a solidifying liquid tank for storing the solidifying liquid that solidifies the droplets dropped from the nozzle. The nozzle is positioned so that droplets are dropped only onto a dropping region, which is a part of the liquid surface of the solidifying liquid. The solidifying liquid tank comprises a flowing means for flowing the solidifying liquid so as to create a circulating flow that flows out from the dropping region to the liquid surface of the solidifying liquid and returns to the dropping region, and a capturing means for capturing polymer floating matter that is positioned to obstruct the circulating flow on the liquid surface of the solidifying liquid, whose lower end is in contact with the liquid surface or at a depth near the liquid surface, and which does not become solid granular polymer but floats on the liquid surface and flows with the circulating flow.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a polymer bead manufacturing apparatus and a polymer bead manufacturing method.

Background Art

[0002] As a method for manufacturing polymer beads with excellent particle size controllability, the "dropwise coagulation method" is known. This is a method in which a polymer solution obtained by dissolving a polymer as a raw material in a solvent is dropped from a dropping nozzle and dropped into a coagulating liquid stored in a coagulation tank, thereby coagulating the polymer solution into a spherical shape, and obtaining polymer beads through washing and drying (see, for example, "Patent Document 1"). In this method, since the polymer solution drops from the tip of the dropping nozzle when it becomes a liquid droplet of a certain size that cannot withstand its own weight, the variation in the particle size of the polymer beads can be suppressed to an extremely small level, and it is also easy to adjust the droplet diameter by changing the hole size of the dropping nozzle or the like.

[0003] Furthermore, when it is desired to make the diameter of the polymer droplets extremely small, on the order of 1 to 2 mm, a method of blowing gas with a gas nozzle toward the dropping nozzle is also disclosed (see, for example, "Patent Document 2"). This method can apply a gas impact force to the polymer solution at the tip of the dropping nozzle, so that polymer droplets in a state smaller than when dropping by their own weight can be dropped, and thus polymer beads with a small particle size variation can be manufactured even with a small diameter.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the "drop-coagulation method" described above, irregularly shaped defective beads may occur. One cause of this is suspended matter on the surface of the coagulation liquid. When a falling polymer droplet reaches the surface of the coagulation liquid, it may collide with the suspended matter, and the impact of the collision may cause the spherical shape to collapse. This suspended matter can be caused by contamination of the coagulation tank or originate from the polymer solution itself. For example, if the polymer solution contains air bubbles, the polymer beads may float to the surface of the coagulation liquid after coagulation. In addition, in methods that combine gas nozzles, a spinning state similar to the so-called melt-blown method may be induced, generating fine filamentous material from the polymer solution. This filamentous material has a larger specific surface area than the spherical shape, and even if it lands on the surface of the coagulation liquid, it does not sink in the coagulation tank and becomes suspended matter.

[0006] If defective beads caused by such suspended particles are left untreated, these defective beads will create new suspended particles, triggering a negative chain reaction that drastically reduces the yield of polymer beads. Therefore, preventing collisions between suspended particles and droplets has been a major challenge in improving polymer bead productivity.

[0007] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a polymer bead manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method that significantly reduces the possibility of collision between droplets and suspended matter at the liquid surface of the solidification tank, thereby enabling stable production of polymer beads. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] [1] The present invention, for solving the above problems, is a polymer bead manufacturing apparatus for forming solid granular polymer by dropping a polymer solution into a coagulation liquid, A nozzle for dispensing droplets of polymer solution, The system comprises a solidification liquid tank for storing a solidification liquid that solidifies droplets dropped from the above nozzle, The nozzle described above is positioned so that droplets are dropped only onto a portion of the liquid surface of the coagulation solution, specifically the dropping area. The above-mentioned solidification liquid tank includes a flowing means for causing the solidification liquid to flow so as to create a circulating flow that flows out from the dropping area to the surface of the solidification liquid and returns to the dropping area, and a capturing means for capturing polymer suspended matter that is positioned to obstruct the circulating flow on the surface of the solidification liquid, with its lower end in contact with the liquid surface or at a depth near the liquid surface, and which does not become solid granular polymer but floats on the liquid surface and flows with the circulating flow.

[0009] The polymer bead manufacturing apparatus of the present invention is preferably one of the following embodiments [2] to [6]. [2] The polymer bead manufacturing apparatus according to [1], wherein the part of the capturing means that captures the polymer suspended material is mesh-like. [3] A polymer bead manufacturing apparatus according to [1] or [2], further comprising a removal means for removing polymer suspended matter captured by the capture means. [4] A polymer bead manufacturing apparatus according to any of [1] to [3] above, comprising an adjustment means for adjusting the height of the capturing means such that the lower end of the capturing means is in contact with the liquid surface or at a certain depth near the liquid surface. [5] A polymer bead manufacturing apparatus according to any of [1] to [4] above, comprising two or more of the above-mentioned fluidizing means having rotor blades that rotate about an axis extending vertically, wherein each of the above-mentioned fluidizing means is arranged in a row at the bottom of the solidification liquid tank, and adjacent fluidizing means rotate in opposite directions. [6] A polymer bead manufacturing apparatus according to any of [1] to [5] above, wherein the nozzle comprises a dropping hole for discharging a polymer solution and a gas discharging means for blowing gas vertically downward toward the dropping hole.

[0010] [7] The polymer bead manufacturing method of the present invention, which solves the above problems, uses any of the polymer bead manufacturing apparatuses described in [1] to [6] above, and drops a polymer solution into a solidifying liquid from the nozzle to form solid granular polymer.

[0011] [8] The present invention solves the above problems and provides a method for producing polymer beads, which involves dropping a polymer solution into a coagulation solution to form solid granular polymer, While the coagulation liquid is flowing, droplets of the polymer solution are dropped only onto the aforementioned dropping region, such that a circulating flow is created on the surface of the coagulation liquid, flowing out from a dropping region (a portion of the liquid surface) and returning to the dropping region. The polymer solution does not become solid granular polymer but is a polymer suspended substance floating on the surface of the coagulation liquid, and while capturing the polymer suspended substance that is flowing with the circulating flow before it reaches the dropping area, In the above-mentioned coagulation solution, droplets of the polymer solution are coagulated to form solid granular polymer.

[0012] The polymer bead manufacturing method of the present invention is preferably the method described in [9] or

[10] below. [9] The polymer bead manufacturing method according to [7] or [8] above, wherein the viscosity of the polymer solution is 100 times or more that of the coagulation solution.

[10] A method for producing polymer beads according to any of the above [7] to [9], wherein the diameter of the droplets of the polymer solution is 2 mm or less. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, the possibility of collisions between droplets and suspended particles at the liquid surface of the solidification tank can be significantly reduced, enabling stable production of polymer beads. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This figure shows a schematic configuration of one embodiment of the polymer bead manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, where (a) is a perspective view, (b) is a top view, and (c) is a side cross-sectional view. [Figure 2] This is a side cross-sectional view illustrating another embodiment of the polymer bead manufacturing apparatus of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view illustrating another embodiment of the polymer bead manufacturing apparatus of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view illustrating another embodiment of the polymer bead manufacturing apparatus of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view illustrating another embodiment of the polymer bead manufacturing apparatus of the present invention. [Figure 6] It is a nozzle tip cross-sectional view for explaining an aspect of a dropping nozzle that can be suitably used in the polymer bead manufacturing apparatus of the present invention.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] As a result of intensive studies on the above problems, the inventors of the present invention arranged the dropping nozzle so that droplets were dropped only in the dropping region, which is a part of the coagulation liquid surface, and then caused the coagulation liquid surface to flow to generate a circulating flow that flowed out from the dropping region and returned to the dropping region again. Furthermore, a configuration was found in which a capturing means for polymer floating matter was provided outside the dropping region. With this configuration, the floating matter generated in the dropping region can be discharged outside the dropping region, and all the floating matter generated on the entire coagulation liquid surface is captured by the capturing means and does not flow into the dropping region. Therefore, the collision between the floating matter and the droplets is reduced.

[0016] There is no limitation on the constituent components of the polymer solution and the coagulation liquid used in the present invention. For the polymer solution, a polymer resin such as polysulfone, polyacrylonitrile, or polyamide dissolved in a good solvent for the polymer component, such as dimethyl sulfoxide, dimethylacetamide, dimethylformamide, or N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, can be used. For the coagulation liquid, a mixed solvent of a good solvent and a poor solvent for the polymer component can be used. As the poor solvent, water, an alcohol-based solvent (such as methanol or ethanol), or a ketone-based solvent (such as acetone) or a mixture thereof can be used. In addition, additives such as surfactants may be added to the polymer solution or the coagulation liquid.

[0017] The viscosity of the polymer solution used in this invention must be higher than that of the solidifying liquid so that the spherical shape of the polymer droplet does not collapse upon impact with the solidifying liquid surface. Preferably, the viscosity is 100 times or more than that of the solidifying liquid, and more preferably 300 times or more. When the viscosity of the polymer solution is 300 times or more than that of the polymer liquid, polymer beads with high sphericity can be obtained. In the drop-coagulation method, as the viscosity of the polymer solution increases, it becomes easier to maintain the spherical shape, but it also becomes more difficult for the droplet to break off from the nozzle tip and more prone to forming threads. These thread-like substances tend to become suspended matter, but this invention can effectively remove suspended matter, making it suitable for high-viscosity polymer solutions.

[0018] There are no limitations on the diameter of the polymer droplets to which this invention can be applied. The diameter of the droplets dropped can be adjusted according to the final product specifications of the polymer beads. In the drop-coagulation method, the smaller the polymer droplet diameter, the more the influence of suspended matter on the coagulated liquid surface becomes negligible, and the more likely it is that defective beads will occur. However, this invention can effectively remove suspended matter, making it suitable for dropping very small droplets with a diameter of 2 mm or less.

[0019] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The following description is provided to facilitate understanding of the present invention and does not limit it in any way. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and includes all modifications within the scope equivalent to the configurations described in the claims.

[0020] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing one embodiment of the polymer bead manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, where (a) is a perspective view, (b) is a top view, and (c) is a side cross-sectional view.

[0021] This polymer bead manufacturing apparatus 10 consists of a solidification tank 20 and a plurality of dropping nozzles 40 installed vertically above the solidification tank. The solidification tank 20 is filled with a solidifying liquid 21, and a rotating blade 30 with a vertical axis is provided at the bottom of the solidification tank 20 as a means of flowing the solidifying liquid surface. As the rotating blade 30 rotates counterclockwise when viewed from the top surface of the solidification tank, a circulating flow 22 in the same direction is generated on the solidifying liquid surface. The dropping nozzles 40 are installed within the range of a dropping region 23 (double-dotted line), which is a part of the liquid surface of the solidification tank 20 when viewed from the top surface of the solidification tank. Near the solidifying liquid surface, a plate-shaped capturing member 50 is provided outside the dropping region 23 for capturing suspended particles. The lower end of the capturing member 50 is in shallow contact with the solidifying liquid 21, and its position is adjusted so that the contact depth 55 is a constant value when viewed from the side of the solidification tank.

[0022] While it is acceptable to install only one dropping nozzle 40, the more nozzles installed, the greater the production volume of polymer beads. Therefore, it is preferable to install more dropping nozzles 40, as long as they fit within the range of the dropping area 23 when viewed from the top surface of the solidification tank.

[0023] The polymer solution is supplied to the dropping nozzle 40 from a polymer solution supply means (not shown) and dispensed from the dropping nozzle. As the polymer solution falls, surface tension causes it to form spherical polymer droplets 60, which then fall into the solidification liquid 21, accelerating solidification and fixing them into bead shapes. The solidified polymer beads 61 are then collected from the solidification tank 20 and undergo processes such as washing and drying to become the final product.

[0024] During the polymer bead manufacturing process, suspended matter 62 generated at the solidified liquid surface within the dropping area 23 is immediately discharged outside the dropping area by the circulating flow 22. Subsequently, the suspended matter 62 collides with the liquid-contacting portion of the capture member 50, forming aggregates 63, which do not flow into the dropping area 23, thus preventing collisions between the suspended matter 62 and the polymer droplets 60.

[0025] The capture member 50 is in contact with the solidified liquid near the boundary between the inside and outside of the dropping region 23 of the solidified liquid surface, specifically the boundary in which the flow direction of the circulating flow 22 is in the direction of inflow into the dropping region 23 (hereinafter referred to as the "inflow direction boundary"). By not obstructing the flow of the circulating flow 22 with the capture member 50 near the boundary in which the flow direction of the circulating flow 22 is in the direction of outflow from the dropping region 23, suspended matter generated within the dropping region 23 can be effectively discharged outside the dropping region 23. The capture member 50 may be in contact with the liquid at a distance from the inflow direction boundary, but by making contact with the liquid near the inflow direction boundary, suspended matter generated anywhere outside the dropping region 23 can be captured without fail.

[0026] The contact depth 55 of the capture member 50 with the solidified liquid 21 should be as shallow as possible, specifically preferably 3 mm or less, and more preferably 1 mm or less. The contact depth 55 is even more preferably 0 mm, meaning that the capture member 50 is in contact with the surface of the solidified liquid 21, and contact is maintained by the rise of the solidified liquid due to surface tension. The shallower the contact depth, the less interference with the circulating flow 22 can be reduced, so flow stagnation is less likely to occur near the wetted part of the capture member 50, and suspended particles can collide with the capture member 50 while maintaining a fast flow, causing them to aggregate and reducing the loss of suspended particles. Furthermore, production loss due to the capture member 50 capturing polymer beads 61 that have solidified normally in the solidification tank 20 is avoided.

[0027] There are no particular restrictions on the form of the capture member 50, but it is preferable that the part that captures suspended matter be mesh-like. Because it is mesh-like, the coagulation liquid 21 can pass through the open parts of the mesh, thus reducing interference with the circulating flow 22. From the viewpoint of minimizing the impact on the circulating flow 22, it is preferable that the mesh opening is coarse enough so that suspended matter does not pass through. As such a mesh material, for example, a plain weave metal mesh used in filtration filters can be used.

[0028] There are no particular restrictions on how the dripping area 23 is defined. Figure 1 shows a semicircular shape (1 / 2 partial circle), but it may be defined as a narrow area such as a 1 / 4 partial circle, or a wide area such as a 3 / 4 partial circle. Narrowing the dripping area 23 allows for immediate discharge of suspended matter generated within the dripping area 23, while widening the dripping area 23 allows for the placement of more dripping nozzles to increase productivity. Therefore, the area can be determined by considering a balance between these two factors.

[0029] Furthermore, there are no restrictions on the method of driving the rotor blades 30. For example, a rotary motor can be installed vertically above the center of the solidification tank 20, and the rotor blades can be driven via a rotary shaft. However, since the rotary shaft may become contaminated with suspended matter near the solidification liquid surface, a more preferable method is to install the rotary motor on the lower outside of the solidification tank and drive the rotor blades via a magnetic coupling or the like.

[0030] Figure 2 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating another embodiment of the polymer bead manufacturing apparatus of the present invention. In this polymer bead manufacturing apparatus 11, a liquid transfer pump 34 is provided as a means of flowing the solidifying liquid 21. A pipe 35 is connected to the primary side of the liquid transfer pump 34, and a pipe 36 is connected to the secondary side. A circulation channel is formed by connecting pipe 36 to the inlet 38 of the solidification tank 20 and pipe 35 to the outlet 37. Since the inlet 38 and outlet 37 are located opposite each other on the side wall of the solidification tank 20, a unidirectional circulation flow 22 is generated on the solidifying liquid surface, allowing suspended matter 62 generated in the dripping area 23 to be discharged outside the dripping area 23. In addition, the capture member 50 captures and aggregates the suspended matter 62 flowing out of the dripping area 23, thereby preventing the inflow of suspended matter into pipes 35 and 36, the liquid transfer pump 34, and the dripping area 23.

[0031] Next, Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating yet another embodiment of the polymer bead manufacturing apparatus of the present invention. This polymer bead manufacturing apparatus 12 is further equipped with a removal means 52 for collecting aggregates 63 near the capture member 50, in addition to the embodiment of Figure 1. By appropriately collecting the aggregates 63 with the removal means 52, the risk of overgrown aggregates 63 detaching from the capture member 50 and flowing into the dropping area can be reduced.

[0032] There are no particular restrictions on the form of the removal means 52; as shown in Figure 3, it may be sucked up with a suction nozzle, or the floating particles may be scraped off with a brush-like member.

[0033] Next, Figure 4 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating yet another embodiment of the polymer bead manufacturing apparatus of the present invention. This polymer bead manufacturing apparatus 13 is further equipped with an adjustment means for adjusting the wetted depth of the capture member 50 to a constant level, in addition to the embodiment shown in Figure 1. The adjustment means consists of a liquid level gauge 54 and a vertical movement means 53 for the capture member 50. The vertical movement means 53 moves the capture member 50 vertically in response to fluctuations in the liquid level measured by the liquid level gauge 54, thereby controlling the wetted depth 55 to a constant level. In this embodiment, even if the solidified liquid level fluctuates due to the dropping of polymer solution, evaporation of the solidified liquid, adjustment of the solvent concentration of the solidified liquid, etc., the wetted depth 55 can be maintained in a good state. There are no particular restrictions on the specific form of the adjustment means. In addition to the form shown in Figure 4, for example, the wetted depth 55 can be adjusted to a constant level by attaching a floater to the capture member 50 and making it float on the solidified liquid surface. Furthermore, the solidification liquid level can be adjusted to a constant height by injecting solidification liquid into the solidification tank 20 to cause the solidification liquid level to rise, and by providing an overflow hole near the solidification liquid level in the solidification tank 20 to discharge the excess solidification liquid.

[0034] Next, Figure 5 is a perspective view illustrating yet another embodiment of the polymer bead manufacturing apparatus of the present invention. In this polymer bead manufacturing apparatus 14, the solidification tank of the embodiment in Figure 1 is elongated in one direction, and rotor blades 30, 31, 32, and 33 are arranged in a row at equal intervals along its longitudinal direction. The rotation directions of each rotor blade are staggered, so that the circulating flows excited by each rotor blade do not face each other, thus preventing turbulence in the circulating flow 22 and effectively discharging suspended matter 62 from the dropping area 23. Capture members 50 and 51 are provided on the solidification liquid surface to block the inflow of the circulating flow into the dropping area 23, and the rotor blades 30 and 31 and the capture member 50, and the rotor blades 32 and 33 and the capture member 51, respectively, capture suspended matter 62 carried by the circulating flow, thereby preventing the inflow of suspended matter 62 throughout the entire dropping area 23. There is no limit to the number of rotor blades that can be arranged, and the number of dropping nozzles 40, i.e., the number corresponding to the size of the dropping area 23, can be arranged according to the production volume. It is also possible to have an odd number of items instead of an even number.

[0035] In order to increase production volume, if the number of dripping nozzles 40 is increased by widening the dripping area 23, this configuration allows the dripping area 23 to be widened only in the longitudinal direction, so the number of dripping nozzles 40 can be increased by arranging them linearly rather than planarly. Therefore, maintenance access to any of the dripping nozzles 40 is made easy. In addition, because the dripping area 23 is widened only in the longitudinal direction, the distance to the outside of the dripping area 23 from any position can be shortened. Therefore, suspended matter 62 generated within the dripping area 23 can be immediately discharged outside the dripping area 23, and the possibility of contact between the suspended matter 62 and the liquid can be greatly reduced.

[0036] Next, Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the nozzle tip illustrating an embodiment of a dropping nozzle suitably used in the polymer bead manufacturing apparatus of the present invention. The tip of the dropping nozzle 40 in Figure 6 has a double-tube structure, and a circumferential slit-shaped gas discharge hole 42 is provided so as to surround the outer surface of the polymer solution dropping hole 41. By blowing gas vertically downward from this gas discharge hole 42 toward the tip of the dropping hole 41, the polymer solution reservoir 64 is forced to drop before it falls by gravity, making it easy to control the size of the droplets by adjusting the gas flow rate. Furthermore, fine adjustment of the droplet diameter when the polymer supply flow rate is changed according to the production volume is also easy. While this dropping nozzle 40 excels in small diameter and sphere diameter controllability, it can induce a spinning state similar to the melt-blown method, especially when the polymer solution is highly viscous. As a result, fine thread-like material 65 tends to become suspended matter, but the present invention can effectively remove suspended matter, making it suitable for polymer bead manufacturing apparatuses equipped with this dropping nozzle 40. [Industrial applicability]

[0037] The polymer bead manufacturing apparatus and method of the present invention can be widely applied to the production of polymer beads with small variations in spherical diameter. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 Polymer bead manufacturing equipment 20 Coagulation tank 21 Coagulation liquid 22 Circulating flow 23 Dripping area 30, 31, 32, 33 Rotary wings 34. Liquid transfer pump 35, 36 Piping 37 Outlet 38 Inlet 40 Dropping nozzles 41 Dripping hole 42 Gas discharge port 43 Gases 50, 51 Capture members 52 Removal means 53 Vertical movement means 54 Liquid level gauge 55 Wetted depth 60 polymer droplets 61 Polymer Beads 62. Floating objects 63 Aggregates 64 Liquid reservoir 65 Filamentous bodies

Claims

1. A polymer bead manufacturing apparatus for forming solid granular polymers by dropping a polymer solution into a coagulation solution, The system comprises a nozzle for dispensing droplets of polymer solution, and a solidification solution tank for storing a solidification solution that solidifies the droplets dispensed from the nozzle. The nozzle is positioned so that droplets are dropped only onto a portion of the liquid surface of the coagulation solution, The aforementioned coagulation liquid tank is A flowing means for causing the coagulation liquid to flow so as to create a circulating flow that flows out of the dropping area and returns to the dropping area on the surface of the coagulation liquid, The system includes a capturing means positioned to obstruct the circulating flow at the surface of the coagulation liquid, with its lower end in contact with the liquid surface or at a depth near the liquid surface, for capturing polymer suspended matter that does not become solid granular polymer but floats on the liquid surface and flows with the circulating flow. Polymer bead manufacturing equipment.

2. The polymer bead manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the portion of the capture means that captures polymer suspended matter is mesh-like.

3. The polymer bead manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a removal means for removing polymer suspended matter captured by the capture means.

4. The polymer bead manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an adjustment means for adjusting the height of the capturing means such that the lower end of the capturing means is in contact with the liquid surface or at a certain depth near the liquid surface.

5. The fluid means comprises two or more rotors that rotate around an axis extending vertically, Each of the aforementioned flowing means is arranged in a single row at the bottom of the solidification liquid tank. The adjacent flowing means rotate in opposite directions. A polymer bead manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1.

6. The polymer bead manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle comprises a dropping hole for discharging a polymer solution and a gas discharging means for blowing gas vertically downward toward the dropping hole.

7. A method for producing polymer beads, comprising using a polymer bead manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, and dropping a polymer solution from the nozzle into a coagulation solution to form solid granular polymer.

8. A method for producing polymer beads, comprising dropping a polymer solution into a coagulation solution to form solid granular polymer, While the coagulation liquid is flowing, droplets of the polymer solution are dropped only onto the dropping region, which is a portion of the liquid surface of the coagulation liquid, so that a circulating flow is created on the surface of the coagulation liquid, flowing out from the dropping region (a portion of the liquid surface of the coagulation liquid) and returning to the dropping region. The polymer solution does not become solid granular polymer but is a polymer suspended substance floating on the surface of the coagulation liquid, and while capturing the polymer suspended substance that is flowing with the circulating flow before it reaches the dropping area, In the aforementioned coagulation solution, droplets of the polymer solution are coagulated to form solid granular polymer. Method for manufacturing polymer beads.

9. The polymer bead manufacturing method according to claim 8, wherein the viscosity of the polymer solution is 100 times or more that of the coagulation solution.

10. The method for producing polymer beads according to claim 8, wherein the diameter of the droplets of the polymer solution is 2 mm or less.

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