US 12,070,876 B2
Apparatus and method for granulating low viscosity materials
Santosh S. Bawiskar, Lake Jackson, TX (US); Michael J. Zogg, Jr., Lake Jackson, TX (US); Guang Ming Li, Lake Jackson, TX (US); Yi Jin, Lake Jackson, TX (US); and Lonnie Schilhab, Lake Jackson, TX (US)
Assigned to Dow Global Technologies LLC, Midland, MI (US)
Appl. No. 17/272,338
Filed by Dow Global Technologies LLC, Midland, MI (US)
PCT Filed Aug. 27, 2019, PCT No. PCT/US2019/048344
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 28, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/046936, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 5, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/724,835, filed on Aug. 30, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0316481 A1, Oct. 14, 2021
Int. Cl. B29B 13/04 (2006.01); B29B 9/10 (2006.01); B29K 23/00 (2006.01); C08F 210/16 (2006.01); C08J 3/12 (2006.01)
CPC B29B 13/04 (2013.01) [B29B 9/10 (2013.01); C08F 210/16 (2013.01); C08J 3/12 (2013.01); B29K 2023/06 (2013.01); B29K 2023/12 (2013.01); B29K 2995/0063 (2013.01); B29K 2995/0088 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A process to form solid polymer particles from a polymer melt, said process comprising pastillating the polymer melt using an apparatus to batch or continuously form solid polymer particles, the apparatus comprising the following components:
A) at least one pastillation unit comprising a pastillation head, said unit used to form discrete molten polymer particles from a polymer melt comprising ≥95 wt % of an olefin-based with a melt viscosity (177° C.) from 50 cP to 20,000 cP;
B) a moving belt to receive and transfer the discrete molten polymer particles from the pastillation head;
C) a means to transfer water over the moving belt, such that the water comes into contact with the discrete molten polymer particles on the moving belt at a rate of water spray to form the solid polymer particles at a discharge rate with a belt residence time of ≤50 seconds; and
wherein the water of component C is sprayed onto the discrete molten polymer particles, such that the ratio of the rate of water spray to the discharge rate is ≥3.0.