Integrated Drum-Drying and Extrusion for Polymer Solvent Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current plastic recycling methods are inefficient and energy-intensive, often requiring high temperatures that can damage polymers and involve discontinuous processes, leading to energy waste and reduced polymer quality.
Innovation Solution
A continuous method integrating drum-drying and extrusion under vacuum conditions to remove solvents from dissolved target polymers, using a drum-dryer to evaporate solvents at lower temperatures and pressures, thereby minimizing polymer degradation and enabling continuous processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If high temperature evaporation is used to remove solvent, then solvent removal efficiency is improved, but polymer degradation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the pressure parameter from atmospheric to vacuum conditions, which allows solvent evaporation at lower temperatures. This parameter change resolves the contradiction by enabling efficient solvent removal without the high temperatures that cause polymer degradation
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes the phase transition of solvent from liquid to vapor under vacuum conditions. By controlling the pressure and temperature to achieve this phase transition, the process removes solvent efficiently while maintaining temperatures below the polymer degradation threshold
2Device complexity
If discontinuous processing is used, then equipment simplicity is maintained, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the evaporation chamber and extrusion chamber into a single integrated device. This allows continuous processing where the polymer solution is continuously fed, evaporated, and extruded without stopping, thereby reducing energy consumption while maintaining equipment simplicity through functional integration
Solution Approach 2:
The invention implements continuous processing where the polymer solution continuously flows through the evaporation and extrusion zones. This continuous action eliminates the energy losses associated with repeated heating and cooling cycles in discontinuous processes, while the integrated design keeps the equipment relatively simple
3Temperature
If vacuum conditions are applied, then solvent evaporation at low temperature is achieved, but equipment complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention combines the vacuum evaporation function and extrusion function into a single integrated chamber system. The vacuum pump creates low pressure conditions in the evaporation zone, while the same chamber serves as the extrusion zone, thereby achieving low-temperature evaporation without proportionally increasing overall equipment complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The evaporation chamber is designed to serve multiple functions: it acts as both the vacuum evaporation zone and the extrusion zone. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated equipment for each process step, thereby minimizing the increase in equipment complexity while achieving the desired low-temperature evaporation
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 method reduces energy consumption, prevents polymer degradation, and enhances recycling efficiency by maintaining polymer quality and throughput, addressing the inefficiencies of traditional methods.
Implementation Method 1
evaporating at least one solvent from said liquefied form in a drum-dryer comprising at least one heated rotary drum
Implementation Method 2
evaporating at least one solvent from said liquefied form under vacuum that is a pressure of
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a continuous method for removing a solvent from a suspension or solution comprising a dissolved target polymer by integrated drum-drying and extrusion of said suspension or solution comprising the dissolved target polymer. The invention also relates to a plastic waste recycling system for recycling a target polymer. Furthermore, the invention also relates to a polymer material obtained by this recycling method.