Solution spinning of UHMW Poly (alpha-olefin) with recovery and recycling of volatile spinning solvent

1. A process comprising the steps of:

a) forming a solution of a UHMW PO in a solvent, said UHMW PO being UHMW PE and having an intrinsic viscosity in decalin at 135° C. of from 5 dl/g to 35 dl/g, said solvent having an atmospheric pressure boiling point of from 125° C. to 250° C. said solvent being selected from the group consisting of cis-decahydronaphthalene, trans-decahydronaphthalene, a mixture of cis-and trans-decahydronaphthalene, decalin and 1,2 dichlorobenzene;

b) spinning the solution through a spinneret at a temperature between 115° C. and the atmospheric pressure boiling point of said solvent to form a solution filament;

c) cooling the solution filament to a temperature below the gelation temperature to form a gel filament;

d) evaporating said solvent from the gel filament and optionally from the solution filament into one or more gas streams to form a dried filament, the evaporation continuing until the solvent concentration in the dried filament is less than 5 percent by weight of UHMW PO plus solvent; e) stretching at least one of the solution filament, the gel filament and the dried filament to a combined stretch ratio of at least 10:1, wherein at least 2:1 of the combined stretch is of the dried filament f) separating at least 90% of said solvent from the gas stream(s) by condensation;

g) recycling said solvent to the solution forming device; and

h) recycling the gas streams; wherein at least 95% of said solvent is recycled; wherein the volumetric flows of the gas streams are sufficient to prevent the concentration of the evaporated solvent in a gas stream from being greater than the lower flammability limit of that solvent in air at 100° C. as measured by ASTM E681-94.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the solvent is further separated from the gas streams by adsorption after condensation, said adsorption separating at least 10% of the solvent remaining in the gas streams after condensation.

3. The process of claim 2 wherein said adsorption separates at least 20% of the solvent remaining in the gas streams after condensation.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein the gas streams consist of at least 50 volume percent of inert gases selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, carbon dioxide and their mixture.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the gas steams consist of at least 90 volume percent of inert gases selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, carbon dioxide and their mixture.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the solvent used to form the UHMW PE solution contains less than 0.008 percent by weight of water at 20° C.

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein the solvent concentration in die recycled gas streams is at most 0.4 vol. %.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein the solvent concentration in the recycled gas steams is at most 0.2 vol. %.

9. The process of claim 1 , wherein the solvent concentration in the recycled gas streams is at most 0.1 vol. %.

10. The process of claim 1 , wherein the solvent concentration in the recycled gas streams is at most 0.05 vol. %.

11. The process of claim 1 , wherein said solvent comprises cis-decahydronaphthalene, trans-decahydronaphthalene, or a mixture of cis- and trans-decahydronaphthalene.

12. A process comprising the steps of:

a) forming a solution of a UHMW PO in a solvent, said solvent comprising cis-decahydronaphthalene, trans-decahydronaphthalene or mixtures of cis- and trans-decahydronaphthalene, said UHMW PO having an intrinsic viscosity in decalin at 135° C. of from 5 dl/g to 35 dl/g, said solvent having an atmospheric pressure boiling point of from 125° C. to 250° C.;

b) spinning the solution through a spinneret at a temperature between 115° C. and the atmospheric pressure boiling point of said solvent to form a solution filament;

c) cooling the solution filament to a temperature below the gelation temperature to form a gel filament;

d) evaporating said solvent from the gel filament and optionally from the solution filament into one or more gas streams to form a dried filament, the evaporation continuing until the solvent concentration in the dried filament is less than 5 percent by weight of UHMW P 0 plus solvent; e) stretching at least one of the solution filament, the gel filament and the dried filament to a combined stretch ratio of at least 10:1, wherein at least 2:1 of the combined stretch is of the dried filament; f) separating at least 90% of said solvent from the gas stream(s) by condensation;

g) recycling said solvent to the solution forming device; and

h) recycling the gas streams; wherein at least 95% of said solvent is recycled.

13. The process of claim 12 , wherein the UHMW PO is UHMW PE.

14. The process of a claim 13 , wherein the gas streams consist of at least 50 volume percent of inert gases selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, carbon dioxide and their mixture.

15. The process of claim 13 , wherein the solvent used to form the UHMW PE solution contains less than 0.008 percent by weight of water at 20° C.

16. The process of claim 13 , wherein the solvent concentration in the recycled gas streams is at most 0.4 vol. %.

17. A process comprising the steps of:

a) forming a solution of a UHMW PO in a solvent, said UHMW PO being UHMW PE and having an intrinsic viscosity in decalin at 135° C. of from 5 dl/g, to 35 dl/g, said solvent having an atmospheric pressure boiling point of from 125° C. to 250° C. said solvent comprising cis-decahydronaphthalene, trans-decahydronaphthalene, or a mixture of cis-and trans-decahydronaphthalene;

b) spinning the solution through a spinneret at a temperature between 115° C. and the atmospheric pressure boiling point of said solvent to form a solution filament;

c) cooling the solution filament to a temperature below the gelation temperature to form a gel filament;

d) evaporating said solvent from the gel filament and optionally from the solution filament into one or more gas steams to form a dried filament, the evaporation continuing until the solvent concentration in the dried filament is less than 5 percent by weight of UHMW PO plus solvent; e) stretching at least one of the solution filament, the gel filament and the dried filament to a combined stretch ratio of at least 10;1, wherein at least 2:1 of the combined stretch is of the dried filament; f) separating at least 90% of said solvent from the gas stream(s) by condensation;

g) recycling said solvent to the solution forming device; and

h) recycling the gas streams; wherein at least 95% of said solvent is recycled; wherein the volumetric flows of the gas streams are sufficient to prevent the concentration of the evaporated solvent in a gas stream from being greater than 0.7 vol.

18. The process of claim 17 , wherein the gas streams consist of at least 50 volume percent of inert gases selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, carbon dioxide and their mixture.

19. The process of claim 17 , wherein the solvent used to form the UHMW PE solution contains less than 0.008 percent by weight of water at 20° C.

20. The process of claim 17 , wherein the solvent concentration in the recycled gas streams is at most 0.4 vol. %.

21. A process comprising the steps of:

a) forming a solution of a UHMW PO in a solvent, said solvent comprising cis-decahydronaphthalene, trans-decahydronaphthalene or mixtures of cis- and trans-decahydronaphthalene, said UHMW PO having an intrinsic viscosity in decalin at 135° C. of from 5 dl/g to 35 dl/g, said solvent having an atmospheric pressure boiling point of from 125° C. to 250° C.;

b) spinning the solution through a spinneret at a temperature between 115° C. and the atmospheric pressure boiling point of said solvent to form a solution filament;

c) cooling the solution filament to a temperature below the gelation temperature to form a gel filament;

d) evaporating said solvent from the gel filament and optionally from the solution filament into one or more gas streams to form a dried filament, the evaporation continuing until the solvent concentration in the dried filament is less than 5 percent by weight of UHMW PO plus solvent; e) stretching at least one of the solution filament, the gel filament and the dried filament to a combined stretch ratio of at least 10:1, wherein at least 2:1 of the combined stretch is of the dried filament; f) separating at least 90% of said solvent from the gas stream(s) by condensation;

g) recycling said solvent to the solution forming device; and

h) recycling the gas streams; wherein at least 95% of said solvent is recycled; wherein said gas stream (s) comprise one or more inert gases.

22. The process of claim 21 , wherein the UHMW PO is UHMW PE.

23. The process of claim 22 , wherein the gas streams consist of at least 50 volume percent of inert gases selected front the group consisting of nitrogen, carbon dioxide and their mixture.

24. The process of claim 22 , wherein the solvent used to form the UHMW PE solution contains less than 0.008 percent by weight of water at 20° C.

25. The process of claim 22 , wherein the solvent concentration in the recycled gas streams is at most 0.4 vol. %.

26. A process comprising the steps of:

a) forming a solution of a UHMW PO in a solvent, said UHMW PO being UHMW PE and having an intrinsic viscosity in decalin at 135° C. of from 5 dl/g to 35 dl/g, said solvent having an atmospheric pressure boiling point of from 125° C. to 250° C. said solvent comprising cis-decahydronaphthalene, trans-decahydronaphthalene, or a mixture of cis-and trans-decahydronaphthalene

b) spinning the solution through a spinneret at a temperature between 115° C. and the atmospheric pressure bailing point of said solvent to form a solution filament;

c) cooling the solution filament to a temperature below the gelation temperature to form a gel filament;

d) evaporating said solvent from the gel filament and optionally from the solution filament into one or more gas streams to form a dried filament, the evaporation continuing until the solvent concentration in the dried filament is less than 5 percent by weight of UHMW PO plus solvent; e) stretching at least one of the solution filament, the gel filament and the dried filament to a combined stretch ratio of at least 10:1, wherein at least 2:1 of the combined stretch is of the dried filament; f) separating at least 90% of said solvent from the gas stream(s) by condensation;

g) recycling said solvent to the solution forming device; and

h) recycling the gas streams; wherein at least 95% of said solvent is recycled; wherein the solvent used to form the UHMW PO solution contains less than 0.008 percent by weight of water at 20° C.

27. The process of claim 26 , wherein the gas streams consist of at least 50 volume percent of inert gases selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, carbon dioxide and their mixture.

28. The process of claim 26 , wherein the solvent concentration in the recycled gas streams is at most 0.4 vol. %.

29. The process of claim 26 , wherein the volumetric flows of the gas streams are sufficient to prevent the concentration of the evaporated solvent in a gas stream from being greater than the lower flammability limit of that solvent in air at 100° C. as measured by ASTM E681-94.

30. A process comprising the steps of:

a) forming a solution of a UHMW PO in a solvent, said solvent comprising cis-decahydronaphthalene, trans-decahydronaphthalene, or a mixture of cis and tans-decahydronaphthalene, said UHMW PO having an intrinsic viscosity in decalin at 135° C. of from 5 dl/g to 35 dl/g, said solvent having an atmospheric pressure boiling point of from 125° C. to 250° C.;

b) spinning the solution through a spinneret at a temperature between 115° C. and the atmospheric pressure boiling point of said solvent to form a solution filament;

c) cooling the solution filament to a temperature below the gelation temperature to form a gel filament;

d) evaporating said solvent from the gel filament and optionally from the solution filament into one or more gas streams to form a dried filament, the evaporation continuing until the solvent concentration in the dried filament is less than 5 percent by weight of UHMW PO plus solvent; e) stretching at least one of the solution filament, the gel filament and the dried filament to a combined stretch ratio of at least 10:1, wherein at least 2:1 of the combined stretch is of the dried filament; f) separating at least 90% of said solvent from the gas stream(s);

g) recycling said solvent to the solution forming device; and

h) recycling the gas streams; wherein at least 95% of said solvent is recycled.

31. The process of claim 30 , wherein the UHMW PO is UHMW PE.

32. The process of claim 31 , wherein the gas streams consist of at least 50 volume percent of inert gases selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, carbon dioxide and their mixture.

33. The process of claim 31 , wherein the solvent used to form the UHMW PE solution contains less than 0.008 percent by weight of water at 20° C.

34. The process of claim 31 , wherein the solvent concentration in the recycled gas streams is at most 0.4 vol. %.

35. The process of claim 31 , wherein the solvent is separated from the gas stream(s) by condensation.

36. The process of claim 31 wherein the solvent is further separated from the gas streams by adsorption after condensation, said adsorption separating at least 10% of the solvent remaining in the gas streams after condensation.