Process and apparatus for preparing a composition using a slurry feed

Abstract

A process and apparatus for preparing compositions including one or more resinous materials and/or other ingredients using a continuous reactor combined with a slurry vessel for feeding a slurry feed stream to the reactor. More specifically, the process and apparatus prepares a composition by feeding a reactive slurry of one or more monomers and/or oligomers into a continuous reactor extruder to manufacture one or more resinous materials. Optionally, the resinous material may be continuously conveying to a mixer for continuously mixing the resinous material with other ingredients to form a blended composition.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A process for preparing a composition of matter comprising the steps of: 
 (a) continuously preparing a slurry of one or more components of the composition of matter,    (b) continuously feeding the slurry of one or more components of the composition of matter into at least one continuous reactor,    (c) continuously forming the composition of matter in the reactor from said slurry, and    (d) recovering said composition of matter from said reactor,    (e) conveying the polymer from the reactor to a mixer through a connection between the reactor and the mixer, and    (f) preparing the composition of matter by admixing, in the mixer, the polymer and one or more other components of the composition of matter.    
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the mixer is an extruder.  
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the composition of matter is a coating formulation.  
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 3  wherein the slurry is prepared from (i) a substance containing an average of more than one vicinal epoxy group per molecule, and/or (ii) a substance containing an average, per molecule, of more than one moiety that is reactive with the substance (i).  
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 4  wherein the substance (ii) is a polyhydroxyl compound.  
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 5  wherein the polyhydroxyl compound is bisphenol-A.  
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 4  wherein, in step (f), the one or more other components admixed with the polymer is at least one member selected from the group comprising: a substance that is reactive with an epoxy resin, a substance that is not reactive with an epoxy resin, a pigment, a stabilizer and a filler.  
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 7  wherein the substance reactive with an epoxy resin is a polyester.  
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 7  wherein an epoxy resin is prepared in a first reactor, and a substance that is reactive with an epoxy resin is prepared in a second reactor.  
     
     
         10 . An apparatus for preparing a composition of matter comprising: 
 (a) a means for continuously feeding a slurry of one or more components of the composition of matter into at least one continuous reactor to form a composition of matter, and    (b) a means for recovering said composition of matter from said reactor.    
     
     
         11 . An apparatus for preparing a polymer comprising: 
 (a) a slurry vessel for continuously preparing a slurry of one or more monomers and/or oligomers,    (b) at least one continuous reactor connected to said slurry vessel, said reactor adapted for continuously preparing one or more polymers by reacting the slurry of one or more monomers and/or oligomers in the reactor,    (c) a means for continuously feeding the slurry into the at least one continuous reactor to form a polymer, and    (d) a means for recovering said polymer from said reactor.    
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the reactor is an extruder.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11  including 
 (e) a mixer connected to said reactor, said mixer adapted for preparing the composition of matter by admixing, in the mixer with the polymer(s) prepared in each reactor, one or more other components of the composition, and  
 (f) a means for conveying the polymer(s) from each reactor to a mixer through a connection between each reactor and the mixer.  
 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13  including a means for conveying the polymer(s) from each reactor to the mixer at a controlled rate.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the polymer prepared is an epoxy resin.  
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the at least one or more other components admixed with the polymer(s) is at least one member selected from the group comprising: a substance that is reactive with an epoxy resin, a substance that is not reactive with an epoxy resin, a pigment, a stabilizer and a filler.  
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the mixer is an extruder.  
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 13  including a first reactor for preparing an epoxy resin and a second reactor for preparing a substance that is reactive with the epoxy resin.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18  wherein the substance reactive with an epoxy resin is a polyester.  
     
     
         20 . An apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the composition of matter is a coating formulation.  
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 20  wherein the slurry is a mixture of (i) a substance containing an average of more than one vicinal epoxy group per molecule, and (ii) a substance containing an average, per molecule, of more than one moiety that is reactive with the substance (i).  
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21  wherein the substance (ii) is a polyhydroxyl compound.  
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 22  wherein the polyhydroxyl compound is bisphenol-A.