US 12,215,200 B2
Methods for manufacturing bulked continuous filament
Thomas R. Clark, Hixson, TN (US)
Assigned to Aladdin Manufacturing Corporation, Calhoun, GA (US)
Filed by Aladdin Manufacturing Corporation, Calhoun, GA (US)
Filed on Jul. 22, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/871,145.
Application 13/892,740 is a division of application No. 13/721,955, filed on Dec. 20, 2012, granted, now 8,597,553, issued on Dec. 3, 2013.
Application 17/871,145 is a continuation of application No. 16/866,708, filed on May 5, 2020, granted, now 11,427,694.
Application 16/866,708 is a continuation of application No. 16/220,905, filed on Dec. 14, 2018, granted, now 10,654,211, issued on May 19, 2020.
Application 16/220,905 is a continuation of application No. 15/473,402, filed on Mar. 29, 2017, granted, now 10,232,542, issued on Mar. 19, 2019.
Application 15/473,402 is a continuation of application No. 14/546,819, filed on Nov. 18, 2014, granted, now 9,630,353, issued on Apr. 25, 2017.
Application 14/546,819 is a continuation in part of application No. 13/892,740, filed on May 13, 2013, abandoned.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/654,016, filed on May 31, 2012.
Prior Publication US 2022/0356321 A1, Nov. 10, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B29C 48/69 (2019.01); B29B 13/06 (2006.01); B29B 17/00 (2006.01); B29B 17/02 (2006.01); B29B 17/04 (2006.01); B29C 37/00 (2006.01); B29C 48/00 (2019.01); B29C 48/05 (2019.01); B29C 48/14 (2019.01); B29C 48/255 (2019.01); B29C 48/38 (2019.01); B29C 48/385 (2019.01); B29C 48/40 (2019.01); B29C 48/425 (2019.01); B29C 48/43 (2019.01); B29C 48/435 (2019.01); B29C 48/44 (2019.01); B29C 48/525 (2019.01); B29C 48/70 (2019.01); B29C 48/76 (2019.01); B29C 48/92 (2019.01); B29D 99/00 (2010.01); C08J 11/04 (2006.01); C08J 11/06 (2006.01); D01D 1/04 (2006.01); D01D 1/10 (2006.01); D01D 5/08 (2006.01); D01F 6/62 (2006.01); D02G 3/24 (2006.01); D02G 3/44 (2006.01); B29B 13/00 (2006.01); B29K 67/00 (2006.01); B29K 105/26 (2006.01); B29L 31/00 (2006.01)
CPC C08J 11/04 (2013.01) [B29B 13/06 (2013.01); B29B 17/0026 (2013.01); B29B 17/02 (2013.01); B29B 17/0412 (2013.01); B29C 37/006 (2013.01); B29C 48/0022 (2019.02); B29C 48/022 (2019.02); B29C 48/05 (2019.02); B29C 48/144 (2019.02); B29C 48/255 (2019.02); B29C 48/2552 (2019.02); B29C 48/38 (2019.02); B29C 48/385 (2019.02); B29C 48/40 (2019.02); B29C 48/425 (2019.02); B29C 48/43 (2019.02); B29C 48/435 (2019.02); B29C 48/44 (2019.02); B29C 48/525 (2019.02); B29C 48/766 (2019.02); B29C 48/767 (2019.02); B29C 48/92 (2019.02); B29D 99/0078 (2013.01); D01D 1/103 (2013.01); D01D 1/106 (2013.01); D01D 5/08 (2013.01); D01F 6/62 (2013.01); D02G 3/24 (2013.01); D02G 3/445 (2013.01); B29B 2013/002 (2013.01); B29B 2013/005 (2013.01); B29B 2017/0015 (2013.01); B29B 2017/0279 (2013.01); B29B 2017/0289 (2013.01); B29C 2791/006 (2013.01); B29C 2948/922 (2019.02); B29C 2948/9238 (2019.02); B29C 2948/924 (2019.02); B29C 2948/92514 (2019.02); B29C 2948/92857 (2019.02); B29K 2067/003 (2013.01); B29K 2105/26 (2013.01); B29L 2031/731 (2013.01); C08J 2367/02 (2013.01); D10B 2331/04 (2013.01); D10B 2503/04 (2013.01); Y02P 20/143 (2015.11); Y02W 30/62 (2015.05)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of recycling a PET-containing material, comprising:
providing a multi-rotating screw (MRS) extruder having an MRS section comprising a plurality of satellite screws, each of the plurality of satellite screws being at least partially housed within a respective extruder barrel and mounted to rotate about its respective central axis, and an outlet;
providing a vacuum pump in communication with the MRS section;
providing an intrinsic viscosity management system;
providing a spinning machine comprising an inlet, wherein the inlet is directly coupled to the outlet of the MRS extruder;
heating a plurality of PET-containing flakes in the MRS extruder to form a PET-containing melt;
increasing a surface area of the PET-containing melt by distributing the PET-containing melt across the plurality of satellite screws in the MRS extruder;
drawing off vapors from the PET-containing melt by reducing the pressure in the MRS section with the vacuum pump;
using the intrinsic viscosity management system to measure an intrinsic viscosity of the PET-containing melt within the MRS extruder;
regulating the pressure in the MRS based on the intrinsic viscosity of the PET-containing melt using the vacuum pump;
collating the PET-containing melt in the MRS extruder; and
extruding the PET-containing melt through the outlet of the MRS extruder into the inlet of the spinning machine.