The present invention relates to a process for continuous production of partly crystalline polycondensate pellet material, comprising the steps of forming a polycondensate melt into pellet material; separating the liquid cooling medium from the pellet material in a first treatment space, wherein the pellets after exit from the first treatment space exhibit a temperature T.sub.GR, and crystallizing the pellet material in a second treatment space, wherein in the second treatment space fluidized bed conditions exist, and in the second treatment space the pellets are heated by supply of energy from the exterior by means of a process gas.

A continuous granulation system for obtaining conditioned granules is disclosed. The system comprises a processor configured to produce a continuous flow of granules at an outlet of the processor. The system also comprises a collection chamber positioned downstream from the processor and configured to collect the granules from the outlet. Further, the system comprises an air displacement device coupled to the collection chamber and configured to create a unidirectional flow of air at the outlet in a direction of the granules exiting the processor and away from the outlet. The unidirectional flow of air conditions the granules obtained in the collection chamber. A continuous granulation method and a continuous granule collection system for obtaining the conditioned granules is also disclosed.

A powder with a volume-weighted particle size distribution, with a median diameter D50 ranging from 40 to 120 micrometers, including at least one polyaryl ether ketone and at least one filler, in which: said at least one polyaryl ether ketone forms a matrix incorporating, at least partly, said at least one filler, and said filler has a Stokes equivalent spherical diameter distribution with a median diameter d′50 of less than or equal to 5 micrometers. Also a powder manufacturing process and the use thereof in a process for the layer-by-layer construction of objects by electromagnetic radiation-mediated sintering.

An analysis method and apparatus for treating polymer granules at least part of which comes from post-consumer recycling, in which a flow of a process gas is purified from contaminating vapours by traversing, in sequence, first a dust collector filter that retains the solid particles contained in the gas, then a first side of a gas/gas heat exchanger in which the process gas surrenders heat, then a condenser in which the process gas is cooled to below the boiling point of the contaminating vapours to form condensate, then a second side of the exchanger in which the process gas recovers a part of the previously transferred heat, to then enter a container where the polymer granules are treated.

A tumbler crystallizer for crystallizing pelleted, tacky, polymeric materials includes a housing for rotatably supporting a removable paneled drum on rollers. The removable panels may be made of a transparent, heat-insulating material. The drum receives a flow of hot pellets through an inlet chute, and a tumbling action of the drum and internal agitators keeps the pellets in motion relative to each other to prevent agglomeration until they reach a desired level of crystallinity and are no longer tacky. Baffle plates are provided at intervals along the length of the drum to slow the flow of pellets therethrough to increase residence time. Damper plates are provided near the exit end of the drum to aid in building a bed of pellets within the drum, and also to control residence time of the pellets within the drum.

A heavy load vortex internal apparatus is provided having a vibration channel for receiving plastic granular material. The vibration channel has a channel floor and two side walls opposite each other, where the length of the vibration channel is greater in the longitudinal direction than the maximum height and width of a channel cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. At least two vibration generators are provided for generating a vibration excitation having a transverse component perpendicular to a vertical plane in the longitudinal direction. At least two channel carriers are spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction, each supporting the channel floor and the side walls from the outside and bridging the vibration channel opposite the channel floor. One of the vibration generators in each case is fastened to at least two of the channel carriers. Also provided is a method for crystallization of plastic granular material.

The present invention provides a process for extruding and pelletising a propylene copolymer. The copolymer has a content of comonomer from 5 to 40% by mole, a melt flow rate MFR.sub.2 measured at 230° C. under a load of 2.16 kg of from 0.5 to 15 g/10 min and a content of cold xylene soluble material of from 20 to 60% by weight. The process comprises extruding the propylene copolymer through a die plate into an underwater pelletiser and cutting strands of the propylene copolymer into pellets in the underwater pelletiser, wherein the ratio of the mass flow rate of the propylene copolymer to the mass flow rate of the cooling water is from 0.020 to 0.060; and the propylene copolymer comprises a polymeric nucleating agent.

The invention relates to a method for producing a plastic granulate (16), in which a process fluid (12) is contained in a process chamber (10) where an underwater granulation takes place and the process fluid in the process chamber has a temperature greater than 120° C. A process pressure of at least 2.0 bar is obtained in the process chamber, at which a granulation of the plastic strands (14) into plastic granulate occurs. From the process chamber, a mixture (18) of process fluid and plastic granulate is diverted into a first cooling zone (25) during cooling of the plastic granulate, while maintaining the process pressure. In a first separating device (22), the plastic granulate is separated from the process fluid under process pressure. In the process chamber, the process fluid has a temperature in the range from 120° C. to 160° C., and the process pressure obtained there is greater than the pressure of the vapour pressure curve of the process fluid. After separation from the process fluid in the first separating device, the plastic granulate is fed continuously in a line to a dealdehydization container (46).

An apparatus and process to maintain control of the temperature of low-melting compounds, high melt flow polymers, and thermally sensitive materials for the pelletization of such materials. The addition of a cooling extruder, and a second melt cooler if desired, in advance of the die plate provides for regulation of the thermal, shear, and rheological characteristics of narrow melting-range materials and polymeric mixtures, formulations, dispersions or solutions. The apparatus and process can then be highly regulated to produce consistent, uniform pellets of low moisture content for these otherwise difficult materials to pelletize.

The present invention relates to a process for continuous production of partly crystalline polycondensate pellet material, comprising the steps of forming a polycondensate melt into pellet material; separating the liquid cooling medium from the pellet material in a first treatment space, wherein the pellets after exit from the first treatment space exhibit a temperature T.sub.GR, and crystallizing the pellet material in a second treatment space, wherein in the second treatment space fluidized bed conditions exist, and in the second treatment space the pellets are heated by supply of energy from the exterior by means of a process gas.