초록 ▼

Rotary processors and methods for mixing a low viscosity liquid with a viscous material while controlling plugging of the means for introducing low viscosity liquid to the processor. Viscous material is introduced to a mixing rotary processor comprising at least one annular channel carried by a roto

Rotary processors and methods for mixing a low viscosity liquid with a viscous material while controlling plugging of the means for introducing low viscosity liquid to the processor. Viscous material is introduced to a mixing rotary processor comprising at least one annular channel carried by a rotor and enclosed by a housing to form a mixing passage. The material is dragged forward by the rotating channel walls from the passage inlet past a spreader as films on the channel walls, forming a void downstream of the spreader between the films. Low viscosity liquid is sprayed from a point within the void to be deposited on and carried downstream with the films of material and to be mixed with material collected at a passage end wall. In one embodiment, pressure sealing means permits spraying into a saturated vapor zone in the void so that liquid vaporizes and is condensed onto the films as well distributed fine droplets. An especially preferred embodiment provides devolatilizing apparatus in which a low viscosity, low boiling devolatilizing aid is deposited onto and mixed with a viscous material to aid in the removal of one or more difficultly devolatilizable impurities.

대표청구항 ▼

A method for mixing a low viscosity liquid with a viscous material comprising: A. introducing the viscous material at an inlet to one or more substantially annular mixing passages each defined by two rotatable, substantially circular walls, a stationary surface coaxial with the circular walls and en

A method for mixing a low viscosity liquid with a viscous material comprising: A. introducing the viscous material at an inlet to one or more substantially annular mixing passages each defined by two rotatable, substantially circular walls, a stationary surface coaxial with the circular walls and enclosing the mixing passage, an end wall positioned downstream of and a major portion of the circumferential distance about the passage from the inlet, and a spreader positioned between the inlet and the end wall; B. rotating the circular walls of each mixing passage at substantially equal velocities, in the same direction from the inlet toward the end wall, so that the material introduced at the inlet is dragged forward by the circular walls from the inlet toward the end wall of each mixing passage; C. partially blocking upstream of the spreader the downstream movement of the dragged-forward material in each mixing passage and spreading the blocked material at the spreader on the circular walls of each mixing passage so that at least a portion of the material is dragged downstream past the spreader as films on the circular walls and so that a void is formed downstream of the spreader and between the films; D. spraying the low viscosity liquid within the void in such a way that the low viscosity liquid is deposited on and carried downstream with the films of viscous material; E. containing within the void a zone of saturated vapor of the low viscosity liquid at a partial pressure equal to the vapor pressure of the liquid at the processing temperature so that the liquid sprayed into the void vaporizes to be condensed on the films of material as well distributed fine droplets; F. blocking at the end wall the downstream movement of the material and liquid and collecting the material and liquid so that a recirculating pool of material and liquid is formed at the end wall in which the liquid is mixed with the material; and G. discharging the mixture of the material and the liquid from the mixing passage at an outlet near the end wall.