US 11,839,996 B2
Method and device for processing a mixture of recycled polyester material and a polyester prepolymer from a polyester manufacturing process
Andreas Christel, Zuzwil (CH); and Karl Schöpf, Obstalden (AT)
Assigned to Polymetrix AG, Oberbüren (CH)
Filed by POLYMETRIX AG, Oberbüren (CH)
Filed on Feb. 5, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/168,223.
Claims priority of application No. 20157008 (EP), filed on Feb. 12, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0245399 A1, Aug. 12, 2021
Int. Cl. B01J 8/18 (2006.01); B01D 53/86 (2006.01); B01D 53/02 (2006.01); B29B 9/10 (2006.01); B29K 67/00 (2006.01); B29K 105/00 (2006.01); B29K 105/26 (2006.01)
CPC B29B 9/10 (2013.01) [B01D 53/02 (2013.01); B01D 53/8696 (2013.01); B01J 8/1809 (2013.01); B01J 8/1818 (2013.01); B01J 8/1836 (2013.01); B01J 2208/00132 (2013.01); B29K 2067/00 (2013.01); B29K 2105/253 (2013.01); B29K 2105/26 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for processing a mixture of recycled polyester material and a polyester prepolymer from a polyester manufacturing process, comprising the following steps:
blending said recycled polyester material with said polyester prepolymer from the polyester manufacturing process to produce a mixture of solids;
treating this mixture of solids in a reactor for thermal treatment of bulk materials with a process gas in counter-current or cross-current to a flow direction of the mixture;
introducing the process gas, containing organic impurities, into at least one heat exchanger to heat the process gas, and heating the process gas in said heat exchanger,
controlling supply of an oxygen-containing gas to the process gas,
introducing the process gas mixed with the oxygen-containing gas into a catalyst vessel with at least one catalyst bed arranged therein, through which the process gas flows from an inlet side to an outlet side of said catalyst vessel,
combusting the organic impurities in the process gas in the at least one catalyst bed,
at least partial recirculation of the process gas,
wherein before entering the catalyst vessel, passing the process gas through a protective bed containing a solid adsorbent material, arranged upstream of the heat exchanger for heating the process gas, which removes high-boiling organic substances or organic substances having a high combustion temperature from the process gas stream, and setting a temperature in a range of 100 to 250° C. so that the high-boiling substances can condense and be absorbed by the adsorbent material.