The present invention relates to a polyester container. The polyester container is formed from a polyester resin containing a particular content of diol moieties derived from isosorbide and diethylene glycol, and thus can show high transparency in spite of a great wall thickness thereof.

Spheroid polymer particles are prepared from non-spheroid particles by heating the non-spheroid particles in a liquid medium to a temperature that is above the glass transition temperature or the melting temperature of the polymer and then cooling.

Spheroid polymer particles are prepared from non-spheroid particles by heating the non-spheroid particles in a liquid medium to a temperature that is above the glass transition temperature or the melting temperature of the polymer and then cooling.

The present invention is directed methods of making absorbable poly(p-dioxanone) pellets by melt polymerization of p-dioxanone conducted in a single reactor with a temperature regulator by charging a melt reactor with a mixture of p-dioxanone (PDO) monomer, initiator, catalyst, and optionally a dye; melt polymerizing the mixture in the melt reactor with sufficient agitation of the mixture to allow complete mixing of the monomer and for sufficient time to form a PDO polymer product having an unreacted PDO monomer content of at least 65 mole percent; placing the PDO polymer product under a vacuum to remove at least portion of unreacted PDO; discharging the PDO polymer product from the melt reactor directly into an in-line, underwater pelletizer to produce undried PDO pellets, collecting the undried PDO pellets, and storing the collected PDO pellets in the freezer or a vacuum chamber prior to drying.

A polyethylene terephthalate purification apparatus comprises at least a reactor (4) which houses the plastic material to be purified, an opening connected to a vacuum pump, stirrers (16) to ensure the stirring of the plastic material inside of the reactor (4) and a heating mechanism comprising a microwave heating device to promote the excitation of the polar molecules.

A polyethylene terephthalate purification apparatus comprises at least a reactor (4) which houses the plastic material to be purified, an opening connected to a vacuum pump, stirrers (16) to ensure the stirring of the plastic material inside of the reactor (4) and a heating mechanism comprising a microwave heating device to promote the excitation of the polar molecules.

Methods according to the present invention decolorize a polymer by mixing a solution of the polymer with a photocatalyst and exposing the mixture to ultraviolet light; by way of non-limiting example, the polymer may be a star polymer and the photocatalyst may be titanium dioxide. Methods according to the present invention also utilize a metal scavenger, in some embodiments a solid-phase metal scavenger, to remove a metal catalyst from a polymer solution; by way of non-limiting example, the metal catalyst may be a tin catalyst. The decolorization methods and the catalyst removal methods of the present invention may be practiced separately, sequentially in any order, or simultaneously.

Methods according to the present invention decolorize a polymer by mixing a solution of the polymer with a photocatalyst and exposing the mixture to ultraviolet light; by way of non-limiting example, the polymer may be a star polymer and the photocatalyst may be titanium dioxide. Methods according to the present invention also utilize a metal scavenger, in some embodiments a solid-phase metal scavenger, to remove a metal catalyst from a polymer solution; by way of non-limiting example, the metal catalyst may be a tin catalyst. The decolorization methods and the catalyst removal methods of the present invention may be practiced separately, sequentially in any order, or simultaneously.

A process is disclosed herein comprising the steps: a) contacting a mixture comprising furandicarboxylic acid dialkyl ester, 1,3-propanediol, a zinc compound, and optionally a poly(alkylene ether) diol, at a temperature in the range of from about 120 C. to about 220 C. to form prepolymer, wherein the mole ratio of the furandicarboxylic acid dialkyl ester to the 1,3-propanediol is in the range of from 1:1.3 to 1:2.2; and b) heating the prepolymer under reduced pressure to a temperature in the range of from about 220 C. to about 260 C. to form polymer. The mixture of step a) can further comprise an anthraquinone compound.

A process is disclosed herein comprising the steps: a) contacting a mixture comprising furandicarboxylic acid dialkyl ester, 1,3-propanediol, a zinc compound, and optionally a poly(alkylene ether) diol, at a temperature in the range of from about 120 C. to about 220 C. to form prepolymer, wherein the mole ratio of the furandicarboxylic acid dialkyl ester to the 1,3-propanediol is in the range of from 1:1.3 to 1:2.2; and b) heating the prepolymer under reduced pressure to a temperature in the range of from about 220 C. to about 260 C. to form polymer. The mixture of step a) can further comprise an anthraquinone compound.