In an embodiment, a melt polymerization process comprises melt polymerizing reactants in at least two polymerization units, in the presence of a catalyst composition to form polymerized polycarbonate; adding a quencher composition comprising one or both of a liquid quencher composition and a solid quencher composition; mixing the quencher composition with the polymerized polycarbonate for a period of time of greater than or equal to 5 seconds prior to the addition to the polymerized polycarbonate of any additives having a reactive OH group or reactive ester group; directing the polymerized polycarbonate to an extruder; and directing an additive to the extruder.

A method of preparing a polyalkylene carbonate resin is provided. More particularly, a method of preparing a polyalkylene carbonate resin capable of preventing polymer degradation and improving physical properties and quality of a final resin product, in which, after polymerization of polyalkylene carbonate, by-products are removed by using a large amount of water to purify a reaction mixture, and in a subsequence process of removing a catalyst residue, a primary purification method is conducted by using a filter so that a content of the catalyst in the reaction mixture is less than 1% by weight, is provided.

A method of preparing a polyalkylene carbonate resin is provided. More particularly, a method of preparing a polyalkylene carbonate resin capable of preventing polymer degradation and improving physical properties and quality of a final resin product, in which, after polymerization of polyalkylene carbonate, by-products are removed by using a large amount of water to purify a reaction mixture, and in a subsequence process of removing a catalyst residue, a primary purification method is conducted by using a filter so that a content of the catalyst in the reaction mixture is less than 1% by weight, is provided.

Provided is a method of producing a polycarbonate that enables efficient drying of a polycarbonate powder and has no risk of deteriorating the quality of a polycarbonate molded article to be obtained. The method of producing a polycarbonate includes: a step of causing an alkali aqueous solution of a dihydric phenol and phosgene to react with each other in the presence of an organic solvent to produce an organic solvent solution containing a polycarbonate; a powdering step of powdering the organic solvent solution containing the polycarbonate to provide a polycarbonate powder; and a pre-drying step of drying the polycarbonate powder to remove the remaining organic solvent, in which a drying temperature in the pre-drying step is set to a temperature lower than the glass transition temperature of the polycarbonate containing 1.5 mass % of the organic solvent by from 5 C. to 15 C.

Methods and systems for photopatterning a polycarbonate article are described. The article comprises a cross-linkable polycarbonate with a photoactive group derived from a benzophenone. The article is selectively exposed to UV radiation to cause crosslinking at exposed portions of the article. This can be done by using a photomask to shield portions that are not to be cross-linked, or by focusing light on selective portions of the article. Systems for practicing the methods include a polycarbonate article, a UV light source, and a photomask including a plurality of openings for selectively exposing the polycarbonate article to UV light.

Methods and systems for photopatterning a polycarbonate article are described. The article comprises a cross-linkable polycarbonate with a photoactive group derived from a benzophenone. The article is selectively exposed to UV radiation to cause crosslinking at exposed portions of the article. This can be done by using a photomask to shield portions that are not to be cross-linked, or by focusing light on selective portions of the article. Systems for practicing the methods include a polycarbonate article, a UV light source, and a photomask including a plurality of openings for selectively exposing the polycarbonate article to UV light.

The present invention relates to a purifying apparatus for polycarbonate polyols, especially for removal of cyclic alkylene carbonates, comprising an evaporation unit (1) provided with a heater (10) and having an inlet (6) disposed at the top end thereof and a bottoms vessel (11), and a stripping column (2) connected downstream of the evaporation unit (1) and having a top (21) and a bottom (23), wherein a feed (5) for the polycarbonate polyol to be purified opens into the inlet (6) to the evaporation unit (1) and a gas outlet line (12) and a connecting line which opens into the top (21) of the stripping column (2) and is equipped with a pump (18) depart from the evaporation unit (1), and wherein a gas inlet line (24) for an inert gas opens into the bottom (23) of the stripping column (2) and a product line (27) for the purified polycarbonate polyol departs from the bottom (23) of the stripping column (2) and a gas outlet line (25) departs from the top (21) of the stripping column (2). The invention additionally relates to a process for purifying polycarbonate polyols with such a purifying apparatus.

In an embodiment, a process of purifying a polycarbonate from an interfacial polymerization product mixture comprising an aqueous phase and an organic phase comprising a first organic solvent, the polycarbonate, a catalyst, and ions, the process comprises: separating the aqueous phase and the organic phase to form a separated aqueous feed stream and a separated organic stream; extracting the catalyst and the ions from the separated organic stream to form a purified polycarbonate stream and an extracted aqueous feed stream, wherein at least one of the separated aqueous feed stream and the extracted aqueous feed stream comprise an organic portion and an aqueous portion; purifying an aqueous stream comprising one or both of the separated aqueous feed stream and the extracted aqueous feed stream by adjusting a viscosity of the organic portion to be less than or equal to 40 centipoise by adding a second organic solvent to the aqueous stream to form a combined stream; optionally, adjusting a ratio of the aqueous portion to the organic portion to 1.0 to 20.0 by adding an aqueous solution to the aqueous stream; and separating the combined stream to form a purified aqueous stream, wherein less than or equal to 3 vol % of the purified aqueous stream is the organic portion.

In an embodiment, a process of purifying a polycarbonate comprises: polymerizing a dihydroxy compound and a carbonate source via an interfacial reaction in the presence of a catalyst to form a product mixture comprising an aqueous phase and an organic phase, wherein the organic phase comprises the polycarbonate, the catalyst, ions, and a solvent having a boiling point T.sub.b; heating the product mixture to greater than or equal to T.sub.b; separating the aqueous phase and the organic phase at a temperature greater than or equal to T.sub.b to form a separated organic phase and a separated aqueous phase; extracting the catalyst from the separated organic phase; and extracting the ions from the separated organic phase; wherein if a centrifuge is used in the extracting of the catalyst, the extracting of the ions, or both, the process further comprises cooling a stream entering the centrifuge to less than T.sub.b.

In another embodiment, a process of purifying an interfacially polymerized polycarbonate from a feed comprising an aqueous phase and an organic phase comprising an organic solvent, the interfacially polymerized polycarbonate, a catalyst, and ions, can comprise: separating the aqueous phase and the organic phase from the feed, wherein during the separating the feed is subjected to at least one of: energy of less than or equal to 0.5 kJ/kg of feed, a shear rate of less than 150,000 S.sup.1, and centrifugal forces of 100 to 2,000 g-force; to form a purified aqueous phase and a purified organic phase comprising a purified polycarbonate.