Background

Feder U.S. patent 3,229,002 was the outcome of development of a process for treating resin particles, e.g. -35 mesh polyethylene, to improve the flowability of the particles so that the poly¬ ethylene would be better suited for use in injection molding and in the production of rug backings. Briefly, the treatment in¬ volves passing the resin through a drum in which a rotor having spaced blades or rods hurls the material into a dispersion. The material is heated by this action and this causes changes which improve the flowability.

Subsequently, the process was applied to the blending of various materials, e.g. pigments and waxes, with resin particles. That extension resulted in Feder U.S. application Serial No. 772,894, filed February 28, 1977. Here again heating is utilized, as the heating causes the resin and the additive to coalesce.

More recently, attempts were made to apply the process to the treatment of reactor fluff or flake. The fluff is a polymer as it is produced in a reactor. The polymers of interest were poly¬ ethylene and polypropylene, particularly polyethylene. The poly¬ mer is in the form of particles of varying sizes. By reason of the variation in particles size, the fluff is not suitable for use by some converters.

In for example blow molding, the molder extrudes the poly¬ ethylene into a tube which is cut, and the resulting parts are molded by blowing. The fluff, with its great variation in particle

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size, is unsuitable for transportation to and use by the older in his extruder. In the fluff, the small particles have a high melt index and the large particles have a low melt index. Apparently, these conditions, together with segregations with respect to particle size, render the fluff unsuitable for extru sion by the molder. To remedy that situation, the practice in the industry is that the prime producer of the polyethylene extrudes the fluff, and forms the extrusion product into pellet The extrusion by the prime producer is a high power consumption operation, and, additionally, the accompanying heat causes some degradation.

Efforts were made to utilize the process and apparatus of the aforementioned patent to blend the large and small fluff particles, into particles comυosed of both the large and small particles. In the process of the Feder patent heat is utilized to effect the desired treatment, and in respect to the fluff th small particles stick to or melt onto the larger particles. Th product produced from the fluff, while not of the uniform size which is usual for pellets, appeared to be quite adequate for the needs of the molder, while in the inventor's nrocess power consumption is substantially less and there is no degradation.

However, the capacity which the prime producers require is much larger than can be provided by the present apparatus i.e. apparatus disclosed in the Feder patent. The problem could be dealt with by enlarging the size of the apparatus, but the size would result would be such as to make the agitator unattractive tc the prime producers .

The Invention The problem was solved by utilizing intersecting drums instead of the drum as was utilized heretofore. See Fig. 1 and F g. 2 of the accompanying drawings. Each drum is outfitted with a rotor having blades at spaced intervals. Preferably the rotors rotate . in the same direction. The rotors are rotated at high speed and hurl the resin particles into a dispersion, so that in each drum a rotating doughnut tends to form. The relative movement of the blades and the dispersion causes heating which contributes to -the heat treatment. In the new process, in the open area between the two drums, the doughnuts slam into each other, and this gives rise to substantial further heating with the result that increased capacity is realized, while at the same time the apparatus is not unduly large.

Thus, the invention provides a process for heat treating a material which comprisee introducing the material into at least one of at least two intersecting, axially parallel disposed generally cylindrical drums, filled with a fluid, and heating and dispersing the material in the fluid at least in the vicinity of the wall of each drum throughout the circumference of each drum by agitating thematerial with a rotor disposed over a length of each drum and having radially projecting, axially spaced blades for effecting the agitation. The intersection of the drums pro¬ vides an open area between the two drums , and the agitation causes particles from one drum to mix with particles of the other drum in the vicinities on either side of the open area. The temperature of the material in the drum is controlled by temper¬ ature control means, and the heat treated resin is withdrawn from at least one

of the drums at a location across the agitators from the locati where the resin is introduced. As to the fluid in the apparatu a gas, usually.air is particularly contemplated.

While the new process was developed especially for the coalescing of reactor flake, such as polyethylene or polypropyl flake, it can be utilized for improving flowability, and also f the mixing of additives, e.g. pigment, with a polymer.. In both improving flowability and in admixing, by reason of the new pro cess, capacity is increased.

The Drawings

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 is an isometric view of the apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus with the top cover removed; Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, are taken, respectively, along line 3-3 and-4-4 of Fig. 2 ; '

Figs. 5, 6, aid 7 illustrate alternative embodiments.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1-4, the apparatus comprises two intersecting axially disposed, generally cylindri drums 10, and 11. The drums are mounted on a frame 12 and are disposed so that their axes are horizontal. The bottom half of two drums are constructed as an intregal piece and the upper ha are likewise constructed. As can be seen in Fig. 2, where the portion or half of the apparatus has been removed, rotatively mo

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rotors 13 and 14 are respectively, disposed in drums 11 and 10.

The rotors have radially projecting axially spaced blades 16.dis¬ posed over a length of each drum. Blades of one of the rotors axially overlap with blades of the other rotors. The Blades are bent so that they are not perpendicular to the axes of the rotors. The bending of the blades is provided so that both halves of each blade do not travel in the same path. While the bending repre¬ sents a preferred construction, it is not necessary. The rotor shafts are ^' mounted in journals 18 and 19, and are driven by motors 21 and 22. The motors rotate the rotors in the same ^' direction. The rotors could be rotated in opposite directions, but in that case, preferably, they are rotated at different rates. An inlet opening 23 is provided in one end of one of the drums . A shoot 24 is provided for feeding the material to the drum. The shoot 24 is outfitted with an auger 25 for forcing the material into the apparatus. An outlet opening 27 is provided in drum 10. ^■ The outlet is disposed at a circumferential periphery of the drum, i.e. it is an opening in the bottom of the drum or an opening between the bottom of the drum and the lower extremity of the end

I wall 39. Preferably, the outlet is an opening in the bottom of the drum.

As is apparent from Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the apparatus inlet end 36 is composed of two parts 37 and 38 which are offset, and the apparatus outlet end 39 is composed of two parts 40 and 41 , which are also offset. Shields 42 and 43 accommodate the offsets by closing openings which would result from the offsets in the absence of the shields. For convenience, various walls of the apparatus are extended so that dead spaces 44 and 45 result. consequently, the offsets are not apparent in Fig. 1. _s ^__\ _

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In some operations, to some extent, relatively large balls resins form during the heat treatment, and tend to accumulate a a radially inward level in the apparatus. To accommodate that condition, a second discharge opening 31 can be provided in the end wall at the end from which the resin is withdrawn. This sec discharge opening is disposed radially inwardly of the circumfe ential periphery of the drum. Desirably, a slide plate 32 is provided so that the size of the opening can be adjusted.

In the embodiment of Figs. 1-4, the inlet opening 23 is disposed in one of the drums, namely drum 11, and the outlet opening 27 is disposed in the other of the drums, namely drum 10. Drum 10, which has the outlet opening, extends ^' axially beyo the other drum, i.e. the drum 10 extends to the left of drum 11, viewed in Fig. 2. Outlet opening 27 is disposed in the part of drum 10 which extends axially beyond drum 11. A scraper 34 is provided for the discharge end 29 for scraping any material tending to adhere to the discharge end wall. If the rotors were not axially offset, as is shown in Fig. 2, then it would be necessary to provide the discharge end wall of each drum with a scraper. For good scraping, it would then be necessary to synchronize the rotation of the rotors . That is of course possible, but is expensive. The use of just one motor to drive both rotors would, of course, facilitate synchronization. But for motors of the size used in the practice of the invention, it is less expensive to use two motors. The motors are not synchro nized, that is they operate independently of each other.

In the construction illustrated, scrapers other than scraper 34 are not required, though it may be desirable to provide a scraper at the inlet end of drum 11. While the construction indicated in Fig. 2 is preferred, and the offset at the left end, as seen in Fig. 2, is for the purpose described, it is believed that the offset at the right hand end is not necessary.

Temperature control means 36a are provided for controlling the temperature within the drum. The temperature control means 36a can sense energy input for the heating of the material, as is described in Feder U.S. patent 3,472,491. A slide valve 37a is provided for adjusting the size of outlet opening 27, and the slide is operatively connected to the energy means 36a for changing the size of the outlet opening for controlling the temperature of the material, for example as is described in said Patent 3,472,491. For the temperature control, the temperature within the apparatus can be measured by a thermocouple disposed 3 or 4 inches from the outlet and about 1" radially inward of the shell. The amps drawn by one or both of the motors can be measured.

Preferably, in order to avoid size reduction, the drums have smooth inner surfaces, i.e. the inner surfaces are uniformly cylindrical, and are without variation in diameter.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, the blades of the respecr tive rotors, intermesh. While that is preferred, it is not essential.

While practice of the invention with particular materials has been mentioned above, other materials .can also be treated. Thus, the invention can be utilized to densify expanded poly¬ styrene.

The invention can also be utilized for treatments as are the subject of European Patent Application 0 002 271 A 1, for example, for the treatment of butadiene-styrene rubber solution as are treated in the European patent application. Thus the apparatus of the invention can be used to practice the horizont bed continuous process of Fig. 2, or it can be used as the holding polisher of Fig. 3 of the. European application. The invention is particularly applicable to heat treating of thermo plastic materials, especially thermoplastic resins and polymers.

By heat treatment is meant that the material is heated and a consequence of the heating, following the withdrawal of the material from the apparatus and cooling to ambient temperature, a physical or chemical condition of the material or materials - Ii significantly different than it was initially.

In the operation of the invention, the effect of the agitat is analogous to the effect of a horizontally disposed centrifug on a liquid fed to the machine. The material treated forms a level depending on the rate of feed and withdrawal, the level ι being the difference between the inside and outside diameter of the rotating disoersion or liquid. The tendency for the materi to seek its own level causes the flow from the inlet to the out

If desired, more than .two intersecting drums can be used. Thus, the arrangements of Fig. 5-7 can be used.

In the embodiment of Fig. 1-4, only one drum is provided with an inlet and only one drum is provided with an outlet. If desired, each drum could be provided with an inlet and each drum could be provided with an outlet. The same applies to the embodi¬ ments of Figs. 5-7. In all cases, if there is more than one inlet, the inlets are at the same end, and if there is more than one out¬ let, then the outlets are all at the same end, and the inlets and outlets are at opposite ends of the apparatus.

Reference is made to disclosure document 084594, filed September 26, 1979, by the applicant herein, and the same is incorporated herein by reference.

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