Extruder Distillation Region for Polymer Solvent Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current recycling methods for polymer products are energy-intensive, struggle with the separation of polymers with different macromolecular structures, and face challenges in processing composite materials with additives and multilayer laminates, leading to difficulties in achieving a powdery state for thermoplastics and efficient solvent removal.
Innovation Solution
A method involving an extruder with a distillation region and a facility that includes falling-film and thin-film evaporators to dissolve and concentrate thermoplastics, using steam to expel solvents and maintain the polymer solution in a liquid state, resulting in a granular or powdery target polymer product with controlled residual solvent content.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If thermoplastics are heated to recover them from powder form, then the polymer can be processed, but the particles stick together and form rubber-elastic state or melt into viscous mass
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical-chemical parameters of the polymer by dissolving it in a solvent to create a polymer solution. This transformation allows the polymer to be processed in solution form rather than as solid particles, avoiding the sticking and agglomeration problems that occur when heating powder form thermoplastics. The polymer can then be recovered from the solution in the desired granular or powdery state without having been in a rubber-elastic or viscous state.
2Loss of substance
If solvent is removed from polymer solution by conventional evaporation, then polymer recovery is achieved, but energy-intensive heating is required and particle agglomeration occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the conventional thermal evaporation process with a filtration-based solvent removal method. Instead of using heat to evaporate the solvent, the polymer solution is filtered through a filter medium that retains the polymer while allowing the solvent to pass through. This mechanical separation method eliminates the need for energy-intensive heating and prevents particle agglomeration that occurs during thermal evaporation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If polymers are used in composite materials with additives and multilayer laminates, then material functionality is enhanced, but separation and recycling of target polymers becomes technically difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the target polymer from composite materials and multilayer laminates by dissolving it in a suitable solvent. This extraction process separates the polymer of interest from accompanying substances such as additives, reinforcing fillers, pigments, and other polymer layers. The dissolved polymer can then be filtered and recovered in pure form, making recycling technically feasible even for complex composite materials that would be difficult to separate using conventional mechanical methods.
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 efficiently recycles polymers into a solid, granular, or powdery form with controlled solvent content, preventing agglomeration and enhancing processing properties, such as increased melt flow index, allowing for better additive incorporation and improved material properties.
Implementation Method 1
a) producing the target polymer solution by dissolving the target polymer in a solvent or dissolving out the target polymer with a solvent from a composite material or a mixture
Implementation Method 2
b) concentrating the target polymer solution, which has a temperature of at least the boiling temperature of water, by contacting the target polymer solution with steam at a temperature of at least the boiling temperature of water
Implementation Method 3
by contacting the target polymer solution with steam at a temperature of at least the boiling temperature of water, thereby expelling a solvent-steam mixture
Implementation Method 4
at least one distillation region between the inlet and the outlet, which allows an outflow of solvent and/or water from the mixture
Data Source
AI summary
An extruder including a housing, a first material inlet for a mixture at least consisting of a solvent and a dissolved medium, a material outlet, a screw, a screw drive, and at least one distillation region between the inlet and the outlet, which allows an outflow of solvent, and a discharge line for the solvent.