Aromatic Polyamide Filament Manufacturing via Alternating Feed Paths

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional methods for manufacturing wholly aromatic polyamide filaments result in non-uniform polymerization, leading to deviations in degree of polymerization, which deteriorate the physical properties such as strength and modulus of the final product.

Innovation Solution

A process involving a multiple tubular feed pipe with alternating inner and outer paths is used to feed aromatic diacid chloride and diamine into a polymerization reactor, ensuring uniform and homogeneous polymerization by creating a vortex and regulating velocities, resulting in a polymer with narrow Polydispersity Index (PDI) and large apparent crystal size.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If aromatic diacid chloride and aromatic diamine are introduced through separate feed pipes into the polymerization reactor, then the feeding process is simple, but the monomers do not mingle well immediately, causing non-uniform polymerization and increased deviation in degree of polymerization

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefeeding process simplicityVSAvoiduniformity of polymerization
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple feed streams (aromatic diacid chloride and aromatic diamine solutions) into a single common feed pipe with alternating inner and outer paths. This merging allows the monomers to mingle immediately upon mixing in the reactor, ensuring uniform polymerization while maintaining simple feeding operation through integrated pipe design

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The feed pipe is segmented into alternating inner and outer paths that carry different monomer solutions. This segmentation allows controlled mixing zones where monomers are introduced separately but mingle systematically, resolving the contradiction between simple feeding and uniform mixing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Device complexity

If conventional separate feed pipes are used, then device complexity is low, but deviation in degree of polymerization increases, deteriorating filament strength and modulus

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefeed pipe structureVSAvoidfilament strength and modulus
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple feed streams are merged into a common feed pipe with alternating inner and outer paths, creating immediate and uniform mixing of monomers. This merging structure, while slightly more complex than separate pipes, ensures uniform polymerization that directly improves filament strength and modulus by minimizing degree of polymerization deviation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Productivity

If monomers are not uniformly polymerized, then polymerization process is simpler, but physical properties of filament are deteriorated

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepolymerization process efficiencyVSAvoidphysical properties of filament
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The feed pipe structure is designed to preliminarily mix monomers through alternating inner and outer paths before they enter the main polymerization zone. This preliminary mixing action ensures uniform distribution of monomers, enabling both efficient polymerization process and reliable filament physical properties

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach minimizes deviation in polymerization, leading to wholly aromatic polyamide filaments with significantly improved strength and modulus, characterized by a PDI range of 1.5 to 2.3 and apparent crystal size of 42 to 50Å, resulting in enhanced mechanical properties.

Implementation Method 1

ensuring uniform and homogeneous polymerization by creating a vortex and regulating velocities

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVortex: Vortex Ring

Data Source

PatentEP2280101B1Method of manufacturing of aromatic polyamide filament
Publication Date: 2012.09.26 KOLON INDUSTRIES INC
  • EP2280101B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP2280101B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

Disclosed are wholly aromatic polyamide filament and a method of manufacturing the same, characterized in that, in a process of preparing wholly aromatic polyamide polymer, a multiple tubular feed pipe for polymeric monomer and polymerization solvent with specific construction of adjacent inner paths and outer paths which are alternately arranged one another is used to feed either aromatic diacid chloride A or aromatic diamine dissolved in the polymerization solvent B into a polymerization reactor (20) through corresponding one among the inner and outer paths. The present invention is effective to progress uniform and homogeneous polymerization over all of area of a polymerization reactor (20) leading to reduction of deviation in degree of polymerization, since polymeric monomers are miscible and react together very well immediately after putting the monomers into the reactor (20). Accordingly, the wholly aromatic polyamide filament produced exhibits narrow PDI and increased ACS, so as to considerably improve strength and modulus thereof.