Method for obtaining and isolating polychloroprene solids

1. A process for obtaining polychloroprene solids, the process comprising:

pre-mixing steam with a coagulating agent;

passing a stream of an aqueous polychloroprene dispersion through a flow coagulation vessel comprising a plurality of steam inlet apertures, and

injecting the steam comprising the coagulating agent into the stream of the aqueous polychloroprene dispersion via the apertures of the flow coagulation vessel to coagulate the polychloroprene and form polychloroprene solids in a coagulation suspension,

wherein the aqueous polychloroprene dispersion is contacted with an amount of steam at a ratio of 80 kg to 1000 kg of steam per metric ton of solid polychloroprene in the polychloroprene dispersion to provide 10 to 40 kg of coagulating agent per metric ton of solid polychloroprene in the polychloroprene dispersion.

2. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein contacting of the aqueous polychloroprene dispersion with steam is done at a ratio of 80 kg to 300 kg of steam per metric ton of solid of the polychloroprene dispersion.

3. The process as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising separating the polychloroprene solids from the coagulation suspension.

4. The process as claimed in claim 3 , wherein:

the coagulating agent comprises inorganic salts of metals of the second and third main group of the periodic table of the elements;

the process further comprises;

prior to contacting the aqueous polychloroprene solution with the steam, diluting the aqueous polychloroprene solution to a solids content of 20% by weight to 35% by weight, based on the polychloroprene dispersion;

dewatering the polychloroprene solid to a residual moisture level of 1% by weight to 15% by weight, based on the polychloroprene solid, to produce dewatered polychloroprene solids; and

drying the dewatered polychloroprene solid to a residual moisture level of 0.1% by weight to 1.5% by weight based on the dewatered polychloroprene solid.

5. The process as claimed in claim 3 , wherein:

the coagulating agent comprises calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, magnesium sulfate, aluminum chloride, and/or aluminum sulfate,

the process further comprises, prior to contact of the aqueous polychloroprene solution with the steam, diluting the aqueous polychloroprene solution to a solids content of 20% by weight to 28% by weight, based on the polychloroprene dispersion;

the contacting of the aqueous polychloroprene dispersion with the steam is done at a ratio of 80 kg to 250 kg of steam per metric ton of solid of the polychloroprene dispersion wherein the steam has a concentration of coagulating agent sufficient to provide 10 to 25 kg of coagulating agent per metric ton of solid of the polychloroprene dispersion; and

the process further comprises dewatering the polychloroprene solid to a residual moisture level of 1% by weight to 9% by weight, based on the polychloroprene solid, to produce dewatered polychloroprene solids, and drying the dewatered polychloroprene solid to a residual moisture level of 0.1% by weight to 0.5% by weight based on the dewatered polychloroprene solid.

6. The process as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising dewatering the polychloroprene solids by means of a dewatering apparatus.

7. The process as claimed in claim 6 , wherein dewatering the polychloroprene solid comprises dewatering to a residual moisture level of 1% by weight to 15% by weight based on the polychloroprene solid.

8. The process as claimed in claim 6 , further comprising drying the dewatered polychloroprene solids by means of a drying apparatus.

9. The process as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising adding additives and/or inert materials to the dewatered polychloroprene solids in the drying apparatus.

10. The process as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the additives comprise stabilizers, accelerators, emulsifiers, liquors, antioxidants, and/or viscosity-influencing processing aids for influencing properties of the polychloroprene, and the inert materials comprise nitrogen, argon, and carbon dioxide for influencing polymer melting points.

11. The process as claimed in claim 8 , wherein drying of the dewatered polychloroprene solid comprises drying to a residual moisture level of 0.1% by weight to 1.5% by weight based on the dewatered polychloroprene solid.

12. The process as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the dried polychloroprene solid comprises a rubber melt after drying in the drying apparatus.

13. The process as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising pelletizing and cooling the dried, dewatered polychloroprene solid by means of an underwater pelletization process.

14. The process as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the aqueous polychloroprene dispersion is a latex.

15. The process as claimed in claim 14 , further comprising producing the aqueous polychloroprene dispersion by means of emulsion polymerization.

16. The process as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the pre-mixing comprises mixing the steam and an aqueous coagulating agent solution.

17. The process as claimed in claim 16 , wherein contacting of the aqueous polychloroprene dispersion with the steam comprising the coagulating agent is done at a ratio sufficient to provide 10 to 25 kg of the coagulating agent per metric ton of solid of the polychloroprene dispersion.

18. The process as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the aqueous coagulating-agent solution comprises a coagulating agent comprising inorganic salts.

19. The process as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the inorganic salts comprise inorganic salts of metals of the second and third main group of the periodic table of the elements.

20. The process as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the coagulating agent comprises calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, magnesium sulfate, aluminum chloride, and/or aluminum sulfate.

21. The process as claimed in claim 20 , wherein the coagulating-agent solution has a coagulating-agent concentration of 1% by weight to 60% by weight based on the coagulating-agent solution.

22. The process as claimed in claim 21 , further comprising diluting the aqueous polychloroprene solution prior to contact of the aqueous polychloroprene solution with the steam comprising a coagulating agent.

23. The process as claimed in claim 22 , wherein the diluting comprises diluting the polychloroprene dispersion to a solids content of 20% by weight to 45% by weight based on the polychloroprene dispersion.

24. The process as claimed in claim 23 , wherein the diluting comprises diluting the polychloroprene dispersion to a solids content of 20% by weight to 35% by weight based on the polychloroprene dispersion.

25. A process for obtaining pelletized polychloroprene solids, the process comprising:

contacting an aqueous polychloroprene dispersion with steam comprising a coagulating agent to coagulate the polychloroprene into polychloroprene solids in a coagulation suspension;

separating the polychloroprene solids from the coagulation suspension;

dewatering the polychloroprene solids by means of a dewatering apparatus;

drying the dewatered polychloroprene solids by means of a drying apparatus;

pelletizing and cooling the dried, dewatered polychloroprene solids by means of an underwater pelletization process; and

adding release agents to the water in the underwater pelletization process.