US 12,030,222 B2
Circuit and process for managing transients in a plant for continuous mass production of granulated expandable polymers
Riccardo Felisari, Mantova (IT); Sara Gavioli, Revere (IT); and Riccardo Inglese, Stiviere (IT)
Assigned to Versalis S.P.A., Milanese (IT)
Appl. No. 16/958,207
Filed by VERSALIS S.P.A., San Donato Milanese (IT)
PCT Filed Dec. 21, 2018, PCT No. PCT/EP2018/086492
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 26, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/129686, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 4, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 102017000149724 (IT), filed on Dec. 27, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2020/0346368 A1, Nov. 5, 2020
Int. Cl. B29B 9/06 (2006.01); B29B 9/12 (2006.01); B29C 48/00 (2019.01); B29C 48/04 (2019.01); B29C 48/08 (2019.01); B29C 48/25 (2019.01); B29C 48/92 (2019.01)
CPC B29B 9/065 (2013.01) [B29B 9/12 (2013.01); B29C 48/0022 (2019.02); B29C 48/04 (2019.02); B29C 48/08 (2019.02); B29C 48/269 (2019.02); B29C 48/92 (2019.02)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A circuit for managing transients and process and product anomalies in a polymer granule or polymer extruded product production plant, the circuit comprising:
a mixing device that mixes additives and expanding agents into a stream of molten polymer;
a deviation valve that is suitable for molten polymers disposed downstream of the mixing device,
wherein the deviation valve has an inlet that receives an output of the mixing device, a first outlet, and a second outlet,
wherein the deviation valve is operable between at least a first position communicating the inlet and the first outlet and a second position communicating the inlet and the second outlet;
a polymer granulator or an extrusion device disposed downstream of the deviation valve that receives an output of the first outlet;
a heat exchanger disposed downstream of the deviation valve that receives an output of the second outlet;
a devolatilizer disposed downstream of the heat exchanger that receives an output of the heat exchanger,
wherein the devolatilizer is configured to physically separate the additives and expanding agents from the stream of the molten polymer; and
a cooling device disposed downstream of the devolatilizer that receives the separated additives and expanding agents from the devolatilizer.