Single-shaft extruder and use of a single-shaft extruder, and method for altering morphology of a superabsorbent polymer gel using a single-shaft extruder

1. A single-screw extruder ( 10 ) for changing a morphology of a superabsorbent polymer gel (SAP polymer gel) ( 24 ), having:

an input aperture ( 36 ) for the introduction of SAP polymer gel ( 24 ),

connected to the input aperture ( 36 ), a channel ( 16 ),

arranged in the channel ( 16 ), a screw ( 12 ) for conveying, and changing the morphology of, the SAP polymer gel ( 24 ), and

connected to the channel ( 16 ), an output aperture ( 30 ) for the discharge of the SAP polymer gel ( 44 ) with changed morphology,

where the screw ( 12 ) has a shank ( 13 ) and has screw flights ( 14 ) arranged on the shank ( 13 ) and is arranged and configured to convey the SAP polymer gel ( 24 ) from the input aperture ( 36 ) to the output aperture ( 30 ) by means of the screw flights ( 14 ),

where the channel ( 16 ) has an input zone ( 26 ) arranged at, or in the vicinity of, the input aperture ( 36 ), an output zone ( 28 ) arranged at, or in the vicinity of, the output aperture ( 30 ), and a conveying zone ( 18 ) extending along the channel ( 16 ) from the input zone ( 26 ) to the output zone ( 28 ),

wherein

the screw ( 12 ) has a pitch value of a pitch (G) of the screw flights ( 14 ) along the conveying zone ( 18 ) of the channel ( 16 ), and where the channel ( 16 ) has at least one mixing-element arrangement ( 49 ) with at least one mixing element which protrudes into the channel ( 16 ) of the single-screw extruder and which is configured for the mixing of the SAP polymer gel ( 24 );

wherein the mixing-element arrangement ( 49 ) has a pin arrangement ( 48 ) comprising at least one pin ( 48 . 1 , 48 . 2 ) extending into an internal space ( 17 ) of the channel ( 16 ), and has at least one cutout ( 50 ) along the screw flights ( 14 ), the at least one pin ( 48 . 1 , 48 . 2 ) extending in particular into the at least one cutout ( 50 ) of the screw flights ( 14 );

wherein the channel ( 16 ) has at least two pins ( 48 ) arranged along the channel ( 16 ) in the conveying direction ( 20 ) and separated from one another by a mixing-element separation (K), and there is a negative correlation between a value of the mixing-element separation (K 1 , K 2 , K 3 , K 4 ) and a pitch value (G 1 , G 2 , G 3 ) of the pitch (G) of the screw flights ( 14 );

the negative correlation between the mixing-element separation (K) and the pitch (G) is such that a smaller value of the mixing-element separation (K 1 , K 2 , K 3 , K 4 , K 5 ) is provided when a larger pitch value (G 1 , G 2 , G 3 ) is provided; and

wherein the pitch values (G 1 , G 2 , G 3 , G 4 ) change so as to increase along the conveying direction ( 20 ), and the change of the mixing-element separation values (K 1 , K 2 , K 3 , K 4 , K 5 ) along the conveying direction ( 20 ) proceeds in an opposite manner with respect to the change of the pitch values (G 1 , G 2 , G 3 , G 4 ) along the conveying direction ( 20 ).

2. The single-screw extruder ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , where the screw ( 12 ) has a first pitch value (G 1 ) of a pitch (G) of the screw flights ( 14 ) along the conveying zone ( 18 ) of the channel ( 16 ) and, following in conveying direction ( 20 ), has a second pitch value (G 2 ) of the pitch (G) of the screw flights ( 14 ) along the conveying zone ( 18 ) of the channel ( 16 ).

3. The single-screw extruder ( 10 ) according to claim 2 wherein the second pitch value (G 2 ) is larger than or equal to the first pitch value (G 1 ).

4. The single-screw extruder ( 10 ) according to claim 2 wherein the second pitch value (G 2 ) smaller than the first pitch value (G 1 ).

5. The single-screw extruder ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , where the screw ( 12 ) has, along the channel ( 16 ), at least three different pitch values (G 1 , G 2 , G 3 , G 4 ) of the screw flights ( 14 ).

6. The single-screw extruder ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , where the pitch (G) of the screw flights ( 14 ) increases along the conveying zone ( 18 ) of the channel ( 16 ), where the screw flights ( 14 ) have a smallest pitch value (G 1 ) along the conveying zone ( 18 ) at a transition from the input zone ( 26 ) to the conveying zone ( 18 ) and a largest pitch value (G 2 ) along the conveying zone ( 18 ) at a transition from the conveying zone ( 18 ) to the output zone ( 28 ).

7. The single-screw extruder ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the screw flights ( 14 ) are rotated during operation, rotation of the shank ( 13 ) of the screw ( 12 ) therefore being possible without contact between the pin ( 48 . 1 , 48 . 2 ) and the screw flights ( 14 ).

8. The single-screw extruder ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , with at least one pitch value (G 1 , G 2 , G 3 , G 4 ) of the screw flights ( 14 ) between 30 mm and 800 mm.

9. The single-screw extruder ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , with a value of a flight land width (e) of the screw flights ( 14 ) between 4 mm and 80 mm.

10. The single-screw extruder ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , where at least one value of a channel depth (H) between the shank ( 13 ) of the screw ( 12 ) and a wall of the channel ( 16 ) is between 25 mm and 500 mm.

11. The single-screw extruder ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , with a value of an external screw flight diameter (D) between 60 mm and 1000 mm.

12. The single-screw extruder ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , with at least one value of a shank diameter (d) between 25 mm and 500 mm.

13. The single-screw extruder ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , with a ratio d/D of shank diameter (d) to external screw flight diameter (D) between 0.4 and 0.6.

14. The single-screw extruder ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , where the pitch (G) increases along the conveying zone ( 18 ) from a pitch value (G 1 ) of 500 mm in the vicinity of the input zone ( 26 ) to a pitch value (G 4 ) of 600 mm in the vicinity of the output zone ( 28 ).

15. The single-screw extruder ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , where the screw ( 12 ) has, along the channel ( 16 ), a smallest pitch value (G 1 ) that is at most between 20% and 85% of a largest pitch value (G 4 ) along the channel ( 16 ).

16. The single-screw extruder ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , where the single-screw extruder ( 10 ) is configured to produce an SAP polymer gel ( 24 ) with a desired morphology that increases the water absorption of the SAP, and with throughput at least 23 metric tons per hour.

17. The single-screw extruder ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , which has a drive motor ( 40 ) and/or a heating device ( 42 ),

where the drive motor ( 40 ) is configured to rotate the shank ( 13 ) of the screw ( 12 ) at up to 150 revolutions per minute, and/or

where the heating device ( 42 ) is configured to heat the channel ( 16 ) so that the temperature thereof is between 85° C. and 140° C., at least in the input zone ( 26 ), where during operation of the single-screw extruder ( 10 ) the temperature of the SAP polymer gel ( 24 ) in the channel ( 16 ) increases along the conveying direction ( 20 ) as far as an output zone ( 28 ), by a temperature in the range from 20° C. to 40° C., and moreover directly after the output aperture ( 30 ) the SAP polymer gel ( 24 ) the cooled SAP polymer gel ( 24 ) has a reduced temperature between 90° C. and 110° C.

18. A process for changing the morphology of a superabsorbent polymer gel (SAP polymer gel) ( 24 ) with a single-screw extruder ( 10 ) according to claim 1 comprising:

introducing the SAP polymer gel ( 24 ) from a polymerization process ( 38 ) into the single-screw extruder ( 10 ),

operating the single-screw extruder ( 10 ) in order to change the morphology of the SAP polymer gel ( 24 ), and

disclosing the SAP polymer gel ( 44 ) with changed morphology from the single-screw extruder ( 10 ) to a drying process ( 46 ).

19. A single-screw extruder ( 10 ) according to claim 1 for use in changing a morphology of superabsorbent polymer gel (SAP polymer gel) ( 24 ).