A method of forming a thermoplastic polymer film includes melting and subjecting a polymer resin material to shear stresses in a range of 250 kPa to 400 kPa to form a refined resin material and forming the thermoplastic polymer film from the refined resin material. The film is substantially free of microgels having a largest dimension greater than 50 microns. The film has a thickness in a range of 15 micron to 80 microns. The film has a microgel count in a range of 0 to 0.2 per mm.sup.2 of microgels having the maximum dimension greater than 10 microns.

Methods of recovering and/or recycling expanded polymer tooling, the methods including collecting expanded polymer tooling, reducing the collected expanded polymer tooling into smaller particles, treating the reduced expanded polymer tooling in order to yield an at least partially purified recovered polymer composition, and then collecting the at least partially purified recovered polymer composition. The at least partially purified recovered polymer composition can then be used to form new expandable polymer tooling.

The invention relates to a recycling method for producing a polyolefin recyclate, involving the process of removing contaminants from a contaminated polyolefin material, in which the contaminated polyolefin material is soaked in a solvent in a soaking step in order to dissolve contaminants present in the contaminated polyolefin material in the solvent and to remove the solvent and the contaminants dissolved in the solvent from the polyolefin material. According to the invention, prior to the soaking step, a washing step carried out using water, cleaning agents and/or lye. The contaminated polyolefin material is changed by the soaking/solvent recycling method such that (i) more than 90% of the low-molecular chains of below 2000 daltons are removed or washed out, and the average molecular chain length of the polyolefin recyclate is therefore increased, and (ii) the melt volume-flow rate (MVR) of the polyolefin recyclate is reduced to a specified MVR.

The present invention provides a method for depth removal of a volatile organic compound (VOC) in polymer resins and products thereof by means of a steam distillation method and apparatus thereof and significantly reducing the odor of the polymer resins and products thereof. The method provided in the present invention can further remove residual inorganic ash in the polymer resins. In the method, saturated steam at a certain temperature continuously keeps in contact with materials for a certain period of time, the VOC and an inorganic small molecule (ash) adsorbed on the surface of a polymer and wrapped inside the polymer are promoted to be enriched in a gas phase or a liquid phase and discharged, so as to reduce the VOC and ash in polymer materials, and the odor of the polymer resins or materials is decreased to a better level.

A process comprising polymerizing olefin monomers and optionally comonomers in a first reactor vessel, thereby forming a raw product stream comprising polymerized solids, unreacted monomer and optionally comonomer, the polymerized solids comprising olefin polymer, volatile organic compounds (VOC) and catalyst system. Then the polymerized solids are contacted with a catalyst poison selected from carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, oxygen, water, alcohols, amines, or mixtures thereof, thereby forming a passivated stream. The passivated stream is maintained in an agitated state within a second reactor. The passivated stream within the second reactor is then contacted with a circulating gas comprising unreacted monomer for a residence time, thereby reducing the concentration of VOC in the polymerized solids by at least 10 wt % compared to the level before entering the second reactor, thereby forming a purified olefin polymer solids stream.

A process for producing unsaturated polyester microparticles comprising: melt-mixing an unsaturated polyester and an oil in an extruder; washing the microparticles with an organic solvent to reduce the amount of oil; and removing the organic solvent to form the microparticles.

A method and a device for the production of polyamide 6 pellets wherein an intermediate drying is not necessary and a combined pelletizing and extraction take place. Depending on the intended use, the pellets may directly be used or subjected to further treatment steps. A device for the production of polyamide 6 pellets includes a melt device for providing a melt of polyamide 6, an underwater pelletizing system which is operable under increased pressure, and a vertical vessel having a cylindrical section and a tapered bottom section. The tapered bottom section is provided with a cooling device and is connected to a pipe comprising a screw and/or a rotary gate valve for conveying pellets. The device includes a circuit for circulating an aqueous solution of ? caprolactam through the underwater pelletizing system and the vertical vessel.

The present invention relates to a method for heat-treating water-absorbing polymeric particles at a temperature equal to or above 150 C. in a fluidized bed dryer at a fast heat-up rate, the use of a fluidized bed dryer for heat-treating water-absorbing polymeric particles in continuous or batch mode as well as to the heat-treated polymeric particles obtained by the method of the present invention.

Methods for granulating powder in a single piece of equipment include at least the following: (a) continuously introducing the powder and a granulating fluid to the single piece of equipment; (b) passing the powder and the granulating fluid through a granulating zone of the single piece of equipment to form wet granules; (c) passing the wet granules through a drying zone of the single piece of equipment; (d) optionally passing granules through a discharge zone of the single piece of equipment; and (e) continuously discharging the granules from the single piece of equipment where the single piece of equipment is not a fluid bed processor.

Methods for granulating a pharmaceutical powder in a single piece of equipment include at least the following: (a) continuously introducing the pharmaceutical powder and a granulating fluid to the single piece of equipment, (b) passing the pharmaceutical powder and the granulating fluid through a granulating zone of the single piece of equipment to form wet granules, (c) passing the wet granules through a drying zone of the single piece of equipment, (d) optionally passing granules through a discharge zone of the single piece of equipment, and (e) continuously discharging the granules from the single piece of equipment where the single piece of equipment is not a fluid bed processor.