Granted Patent B2

US 12,215,200 · App. 17/871,145 · Granted Feb 4, 2025

Inventor: Thomas R. Clark (Hixson, TN)

Assignee: Aladdin Manufacturing Corporation

C08J11/04B29B13/06B29B17/0026B29B17/02B29B17/0412B29C37/006B29C48/0022B29C48/022B29C48/05B29C48/144B29C48/255B29C48/2552B29C48/38B29C48/385B29C48/40B29C48/425B29C48/43B29C48/435B29C48/44B29C48/525B29C48/766B29C48/767B29C48/92B29D99/0078D01D1/103D01D1/106D01D5/08D01F6/62D02G3/24D02G3/445B29B2013/002B29B2013/005B29B2017/0015B29B2017/0279B29B2017/0289B29C2791/006B29C2948/922B29C2948/9238B29C2948/924B29C2948/92514B29C2948/92857B29K2067/003B29K2105/26B29L2031/731C08J2367/02D10B2331/04D10B2503/04Y02P20/143Y02W30/62

Abstract

Claims (44)

1. A method of recycling a PET-containing material, comprising:

providing a multi-rotating screw (MRS) extruder having an MRS section comprising a plurality of satellite screws, each of the plurality of satellite screws being at least partially housed within a respective extruder barrel and mounted to rotate about its respective central axis, and an outlet;

providing a vacuum pump in communication with the MRS section;

providing an intrinsic viscosity management system;

providing a spinning machine comprising an inlet, wherein the inlet is directly coupled to the outlet of the MRS extruder;

heating a plurality of PET-containing flakes in the MRS extruder to form a PET-containing melt;

increasing a surface area of the PET-containing melt by distributing the PET-containing melt across the plurality of satellite screws in the MRS extruder;

drawing off vapors from the PET-containing melt by reducing the pressure in the MRS section with the vacuum pump;

using the intrinsic viscosity management system to measure an intrinsic viscosity of the PET-containing melt within the MRS extruder;

regulating the pressure in the MRS based on the intrinsic viscosity of the PET-containing melt using the vacuum pump;

collating the PET-containing melt in the MRS extruder; and

extruding the PET-containing melt through the outlet of the MRS extruder into the inlet of the spinning machine.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the PET-containing material is either old carpet or recycled PET bottles.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pressure is reduced to between 0 and 25 millibars.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vapors from the PET-containing melt comprise moisture from interstitial water and volatile organic impurities.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the moisture from the interstitial water and volatile organic impurities in the PET-containing melt is reduced to below about 50 ppm.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising extruding the PET-containing melt from a spinning machine spinneret to produce bulk continuous filament.

7. A method of purifying a PET polymer, comprising:

melting a plurality of PET-containing flakes in an MRS extruder to produce a PET-containing melt, wherein the MRS extruder comprises a plurality of satellite screws, each of the plurality of satellite screws being at least partially housed within a respective extruder barrel and mounted to rotate about its respective central axis, a viscosity monitor, and a pressure regulation system;

increasing a surface area of the PET-containing melt by distributing the PET-containing melt across the plurality of satellite screws in the MRS extruder;

monitoring a viscosity of the PET-containing melt within the MRS extruder;

regulating a pressure within the MRS extruder with the pressure regulation system in response to an intrinsic viscosity of the PET-containing melt;

recombining the distributed PET-containing melt to produce a purified PET polymer; and

extruding the purified PET polymer directly into a spinning machine.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the PET-containing material is either old carpet or recycled PET bottles.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the pressure is reduced to between 0 and 25 millibars.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the pressure regulation system comprises a vacuum pump.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the spinning machine comprises a spinneret.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising extruding the purified PET polymer from the spinneret to produce a bulked continuous filament.

13. The method of claim 7 , wherein the purified PET polymer is extruded into the spinning machine substantially immediately after recombining the distributed PET-containing melt.

14. The method of claim 7 , further comprising filtering the PET-containing melt through a filter.

15. A method of using a purified polymer to produce bulked continuous filament, comprising:

feeding a plurality of surface-dried polymer flakes to an extruder and melting the plurality of polymer flakes to produce a polymer melt, wherein the extruder comprises a plurality of satellite screws, each of the plurality of satellite screws being at least partially housed within a respective extruder barrel and mounted to rotate about its respective central axis;

expanding a surface area of the polymer melt by separating the polymer melt into a plurality of polymer melt streams, wherein each polymer melt stream is associated with one satellite screw of the plurality of satellite screws;

removing at least some interstitial water and volatile organic impurities from the plurality of polymer melt streams by reducing a pressure within the extruder;

measuring an intrinsic viscosity of the plurality of polymer melt streams within the extruder using a viscosity monitor;

regulating the pressure within the extruder based on the intrinsic viscosity of the plurality of polymer melt streams;

recombining the polymer melt streams to produce a purified polymer melt; and

directly feeding the purified polymer melt into a spinning machine wherein the purified polymer melt is spun into bulked continuous filament.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the pressure regulation system is configured to maintain the pressure to between 0 and 25 millibars.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the pressure regulation system is configured to maintain the pressure to between 0 and 18 millibars.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein bulked continuous filament is used to produce carpet.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the purified PET polymer is fed into the spinning machine substantially immediately after recombining the polymer melt streams.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the purified polymer melt is filtered through a filter.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (8)

References Cited (400)