Claims
- 1. A mixer apparatus for mixing at least two fluid materials wherein at least two of the fluid materials have substantially different viscosities, the mixer apparatus comprising:a generally cylindrical elongate tube forming an outer shell and defined by a longitudinal axis and an inner wall spaced at a generally uniform distance from the axis; a rotatable shaft arranged along the longitudinal axis having a plurality of flights attached thereto; the flights being arranged to provide substantial shear forces on the fluid mixture while generally not differentially conveying the two fluid materials which have a viscosity ratio of more than 10,000 to 1, and wherein the apparatus is divided into a plurality of mixer sections and wherein each mixer section is spaced from adjacent mixer sections by one of the group consisting of a free flow area for a polymer and spin agent and a plate having a plurality of holes through the thickness thereof to divide the polymer and spin agent into a number of finely divided streams, and further including a plurality of injection sites along the length of the tube and wherein each injection site includes disks having a plurality of holes extending therethrough positioned immediately upstream and immediately downstream from each of said injection sites.
- 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further including helical flights on at least a portion of the shaft, and wherein a first helical flight is spaced from the shaft and a second helical flight is mounted to the exterior of the shaft and recessed away from the inner wall.
- 3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein one of the helical flights is segmented.
- 4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the helical flights includes notches along the periphery of the blade.
- 5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein one of the helical flights conveys fluid along the housing in one direction and other of the helical flights conveys fluid in the other direction.
- 6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said tube includes a polymer inlet near one end thereof and a solution outlet near the other end thereof, and wherein said second helical flight conveys fluids toward the polymer inlet of the tube, and wherein the first helical flight comprises at least one set of flights which conveys fluid toward the solution outlet and at least a second set of flights which convey fluids toward the polymer inlet.
- 7. A solutioning system for mixing a polymer and a spin agent wherein the spin agent and polymer are not readily miscible, the solutioning system forms a high pressure and temperature spin solution suitable for spinning plexifilaments, the solutioning system comprising:a heating mechanism for melting the polymer; a pressure creating device for raising the pressure of the molten polymer; a mechanical mixer having a longitudinal generally cylindrical housing having an inner wall and a shaft mounted for rotation in said housing, wherein flights are arranged on said shaft to provide shear forces on the polymer and spin agent within the chamber while not causing differential conveying of the material in the housing, the solutioning system further comprising a spin agent injection system for injecting a portion of the spin agent into the molten polymer in the mechanical mixer and for adding further spin agent after the mechanical mixer, and wherein the solutioning system further comprises a static mixer for further mixing the polymer and spin agent to form a homogeneous solution.
- 8. The solutioning system according to claim 7, wherein the injection system includes a plurality of injection sites in the housing of the mechanical mixer along the length thereof.
- 9. The solutioning system according to claim 8, wherein the injection system a plurality of injectors at each injection site, and further wherein the injection system includes a restrictor system to clear clogs from injectors.
- 10. The solutioning system according to claim 7, wherein the mechanical mixer includes helical flights on at least a portion of the shaft, and wherein a first helical flight is spaced from the shaft and a second helical flight is mounted to the exterior of the shaft and recessed away from the inner wall.
- 11. The solutioning system according to claim 10, wherein at least one of the helical flights is segmented.
- 12. The solutioning system according to claim 10, wherein at least one of the helical flights includes notches along the periphery of the blade.
- 13. The solutioning system according to claim 10, wherein one of the helical flights conveys fluid along the housing in one direction and other of the helical flights conveys fluid in the other direction.
- 14. The solutioning system according to claim 13, wherein said housing of said mechanical mixer includes a polymer inlet near one end thereof and a solution outlet near the other end thereof, and wherein said second helical flight conveys fluids toward the polymer inlet of the housing, and wherein the first helical flight comprises at least one set of flights which conveys fluid toward the solution outlet and at least a second set of flights which convey fluids toward the polymer inlet.
- 15. The solutioning system according to claim 14, wherein at least a portion of said second set of flights includes notches along the periphery thereof.
- 16. The solutioning system according to claim 15, wherein the shaft includes hollow mixer sections mounted thereto so as to comprise a series of replaceable and alterable mixer sections.
- 17. The solutioning system according to claim 7, wherein the shaft includes hollow mixer sections mounted thereto so as to comprise a series of replaceable mixer sections.
- 18. The solutioning system according to claim 17, wherein at least one disc having a plurality of holes extending through the thickness thereof is positioned on the shaft between two adjacent mixer sections to divide the flow of polymer and spin agent into numerous strands.
- 19. The solutioning system according to claim 18, wherein the injection site is between two spaced apart discs, wherein each disc has a plurality of holes extending through the thickness thereof.
- 20. The solutioning system according to claim 7, further comprising a static mixing section for further mixing the polymer and spin agent after the mechanical mixer.
- 21. The solutioning system according to claim 20, wherein the static mixing section further includes at least two mixing zones with a relaxation zone between said mixing zone.
Parent Case Info
This application claims benefit of priority from Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/029,539, filed Nov. 1, 1996.
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Foreign Referenced Citations (5)
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Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60/029539 |
Nov 1996 |
US |