US008912275 B2

(12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 8,912,275 B2

Yosifon et al. (45) Date of Patent: Dec. 16, 2014
(54) CONTINUOUS SOLUTION OF POLYMER IN USPC ................... 524/563, 556, 557; 366/190, 241
LIQUID See application file for complete search history.
(75) Inventors: Shai Yosifon, Kiryat Tivon (IL); Iris (56) References Cited
Glazer, Kiryat Shmona (IL); Yoav
Dayan, Kibbutz Ein HaShofet (IL); U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
Daphna Halevy, Tel Aviv (IL); Amnon
Shoshani, Givat Ada (IL) 3,160,397 A * 12/1964 Kelecom ....................... 366,149
3,945.920 A * 3/1976 Paszycetal. ................. 210,801
(73) Assignee: T.I.P. Ltd., Caesarea (IL) 5,512,265 A 4/1996 Funahashi et al.
5,626,422 A * 5/1997 Adamo et al. ............. 366,173.1
2004/0022698 A1 2/2004 Uhrie et al. ................... 422, 161
(*) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this
patent is extended or adjusted under 35 FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
U.S.C. 154(b) by 1 day.
DE 278120 9, 1914
(21) Appl. No.: 13/641,176 JP 6296.980 10, 1994
JP T149518 6, 1995
(22) PCT Fled: Apr. 13, 2011
OTHER PUBLICATIONS
(86) PCT NO.: PCT/US2O11AO32198
SelvoltmPolyvinyl Alcohol product brochure http://www.sekisui
S371 (c)(1), sc.com/productiliterature/pdfselvol/SelvolPVOH Brochure EN.
(2), (4) Date: Oct. 15, 2012 pdf
(87) PCT Pub. No.: WO2O11A130336 * cited by examiner
PCT Pub. Date: Oct. 20, 2011
Primary Examiner — Ling Choi
(65) Prior Publication Data Assistant Examiner — Ronald Grinsted
US 2013/OO41095-A1 Feb. 14, 2013 (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm — Dekel Patenet Ltd.; David
Klein
Related U.S. Application Data
(60) Provisional application No. 61/323,390, filed on Apr. (57) ABSTRACT
13, 2010. Apparatus for continuously preparing a homogeneous solu
(51) Int. C. tion (28) of powder in liquid including a mixing chamber (16)
BOIF I/O (2006.01) into which a liquid solvent (14) is introduced via an inlet pipe,
BOIF I5/02 (2006.01) and into which a solid solute (12) is fed via a dosing unit, an
C83/02 (2006.01) agitator (26) operative to mix the solid solute with the liquid
COSL 29/04 (2006.01) solvent so that the solid solute dissolves in the liquid solvent
COSL 33/06 (2006.01) to form a homogeneous solution, and a fluid dynamic sepa
(52) U.S. C. rator (34) placed within a flow of the solute (12) and the
CPC ............. BOIF I/00II (2013.01); B0IF I/0016 solvent (14) in the chamber (16), the fluid dynamic separator
(2013.01); B01 F 2001/0083 (2013.01); B0IF (34) operative to create a region (38) isolated from the rest of
2001/0094 (2013.01) the flow in the chamber and to cause solid particles of the
USPC ........... 524/563; 524/556; 524/557; 366/241: solute that have not yet dissolved in the solvent to flow away
366/190 from the region so that the region contains the homogeneous
solution of the solute dissolved in the solvent.
(58) Field of Classification Search
CPC ............ C08J 3/02: C08L 29/04; C08L 33/06;
B01F 1700; B01F 15/02 5 Claims, 1 Drawing Sheet
U.S. Patent Dec. 16, 2014 US 8,912.275 B2

FIG. 1
 US 8,912,275 B2
1. 2
CONTINUOUS SOLUTION OF POLYMER IN properties. Solution aeration due to the high speed agitation
LIQUID required for polymer dispersion and excessive foaming due to
the heat-curing requirement are additional problems. The fact
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED that the prior art must work with batches is another disadvan
APPLICATIONS tage; it is logistically difficult and costly to work with large
amounts/containers of raw material and large, intermediate
This application is a national phase patent application of storage inventories.
and claims priority from, PCT Patent Application PCT/US 11/ Other methods have been proposed to tackle these prob
32198, filed Apr. 13, 2011, and claims priority under 35 USC lems. For example, processes have been described that use
S119 to U.S. Provisional Patent Application 61/323,390, filed 10
two mixing vessels. In the first mixing vessel, a high-molecu
Apr. 13, 2010. lar weight polymer is combined with a solvent and agitated to
form a slurry. More intensive mixing and agitating occurs in
FIELD OF THE INVENTION the second vessel to convert the slurry into a solution. Another
process attempts to use a jet liquid spray to break up lumps of
The present invention relates generally to a method and 15 the polymer powder.
apparatus for continuously preparing a homogeneous solu
tion of powder in liquid, Such as an aqueous solution of SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
hard-to-wet polymer.
The present invention seeks to provide an improved
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION method and apparatus for continuously preparing a homoge
neous solution of powder in liquid, Such as an aqueous solu
For industrial purposes, it is frequently necessary to rapidly tion of hard-to-wet and/or hard to dissolve polymer, as is
combine streams of liquids and solids to form solutions on a described in detail further hereinbelow. The invention is par
continuous basis. The problems encountered in forming uni ticularly effective for polyvinyl alcohol, but is also applicable
form solutions by mixing powdered or granulated Solids with 25 to other polymers, such as but not limited to, polyvinyl
liquids have been researched extensively. However, dissolv acetate.
ing hard-to-wet and/or hard to dissolve materials, such as There is thus provided in accordance with an embodiment
certain polymers, is not an easy task, as is now explained. of the present invention apparatus for continuously preparing
Many water soluble polymers, such as polyvinyl alcohol a homogeneous solution of powder in liquid including a mix
(PVA), cellulose derivatives, such as hydroxyethyl cellulose, 30
ing chamber into which a liquid solvent is introduced via an
carboxymethyl cellulose and the like, are soluble in water but inlet pipe, and into which a solid solute is fed via a dosing unit,
are nevertheless very difficult to dissolve. The polymer par an agitator operative to mix the solid solute with the liquid
ticles adhere strongly to one another on wetting and tend to solvent so that the solid solute dissolves in the liquid solvent
form lumps. In most traditional mixing devices, such lumps to form a homogeneous solution, and a fluid dynamic sepa
become wetted before the particles disperse into individual 35
rator placed within a flow of the solute and the solvent in the
particles. The wetted Surface of a lump becomes an imper chamber, the fluid dynamic separator operative to create a
meable film that hinders break up of the lump, and the lumps region isolated from the rest of the flow in the chamber and to
are carried through the mixer with the powder inside remain cause solid particles of the solute that have not yet dissolved
ing Substantially dry and unmixed with the liquid. in the solvent to flow away from the region so that the region
In the prior art, preparing Solutions of hard-to-wet and/or 40 contains a homogeneous solution of the Solute dissolved in
hard to dissolve polymer powders is done as a batch process. the solvent. A pump may be used to draw the homogeneous
For example, ambient temperature water is fed into a blend Solution out of the region.
tank, and the water is agitated to form a Vortex. The powder is
then dispersed in the ambient water by gradually adding it to BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
the vortex. The agitated mixture of powder and water is 45
heated using, to a specific cure temperature. The mixture is The present invention will be understood and appreciated
held and agitated at the cure temperature for the time required more fully from the following detailed description taken in
to dissolve the powder. PVA, for example, is first formed into conjunction with the drawings in which:
a slurry in ambient temperature water and then usually heated FIG. 1 is a simplified side-view illustration of apparatus for
to a temperature of at least 90°C. Under these conditions, the 50 continuously preparing a homogeneous solution of powder in
complete dissolution of the slurry typically takes 30 to 60 liquid, constructed and operative in accordance with an
minutes and yields no greater than a 10% solution. Hydroxy embodiment of the present invention; and
ethyl cellulose is another hard-to-wet powder which, FIG. 2 is a simplified top-view illustration of a fluid
although curing at ambient temperature, usually requires at dynamic separator in the apparatus of FIG. 1, in accordance
least two hours to form a complete Solution. 55 with an embodiment of the present invention.
There are many disadvantages with the prior art method. It
is inefficient, costly, capital intensive and time-consuming. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
The powder is added to water at ambient temperature with
high agitation to disperse the powder. If the water is at an Reference is now made to FIGS. 1 and 2, which illustrate
elevated temperature, the powder clumps more readily. Once 60 apparatus 10 for continuously preparing a homogeneous
the powder is relatively well dispersed, the mixture must be solution of powder 12 (also referred to as solute 12) in a liquid
heated and held at the higher temperature in order to dissolve solvent 14 (also referred to as liquid 14), constructed and
the polymer. The mixing, heating, and curing cycle is slow. In operative in accordance with an embodiment of the present
addition, the space required for the blend tank may present a invention. Powder 12 may include, without limitation, a hard
problem in installing a polymer Solution system in an existing 65 to-wet and/or hard to dissolve polymer, such as but not lim
plant. Also problematic is that undissolved powder clumps ited to, polyvinyl alcohol or polyvinyl acetate. Liquid 14 is
can remain in the Solution and result in inconsistent Solution preferably water, but may be other solvents or combination of
 US 8,912,275 B2
3 4
solvents as well, depending on the solute (powder 12). “Pow from region 38, so that region 38 only has fully dissolved
der” refers to any solid Solute that comprises Small particles, Solution. Another example of a fluid dynamic separator is an
each particle being of a size that is soluble in the solvent impeller that creates centrifugal force on the undissolved
(liquid 14). The solute may include heterogeneous materials, particles to cause them flow towards the walls of chamber 16
such as polyvinyl alcohol with hydroxyethyl cellulose, for away from region 38. In any case, region 38 of the mixing
example. chamber is substantially free from particles, and the dissolved
Apparatus 10 includes a mixing chamber 16 into which solution can be extracted by pump 30.
liquid solvent 14 is introduced via an inlet pipe 18 or gravity. The solute 12 and solvent 14 are fed at a given rate and the
Chamber 16 can be of any shape or size (not necessarily Solution exits at the same rate. Accordingly, a steady state,
round) and its shape may be engineered to help with fluid 10 constant percentage of solute dissolved in the solvent is
dynamic separation mentioned below. The solid solute 12 is extracted from chamber 16.
fed via an inlet hopper 20, and flows over a particle separator The liquid may be heated under pressure (e.g., water may
22, such as (but not limited) a cone, that helps the grains of the be heated under pressure to above 100° C.). This accelerates
dry powder to be separately inserted into the solvent 14. Inlet the dissolving process.
hopper 20 and particle separator 22 form a dosing unit to 15 It is appreciated that various features of the invention
introduce the powder into the liquid. The solid solute 12 may which are, for clarity, described in the contexts of separate
be introduced in other manners, such as but not limited to, embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a
pressurized feed into the solvent or other methods that help single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the
the grains of the dry powder to be separately inserted into the invention which are, for brevity, described in the context of a
solvent 14. single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any
Liquid solvent 14 may be introduced at an elevated tem suitable subcombination.
perature and/or may be heated in chamber 16 with a heater 24 What is claimed is:
(e.g., an internal or external heating jacket or other heating 1. A method for continuously preparing a homogeneous
element). An agitator 26 (also called mixer 26). Such as but Solution of powder in liquid comprising:
not limited to, a blade mixer, ultrasonic stirreror a device that 25
introducing a liquid solvent and a solid solute into a mixing
agitates by means of pumped fluid, and others, is used to mix chamber;
and otherwise agitate powder 12 with liquid 14 to form a
homogeneous solution 28 of powder 12 and liquid 14. More mixing said Solid solute with said liquid solvent so that said
than one agitator or types of agitators may be used. solid solute dissolves in said liquid solvent to form a
Agitator 26 creates a flow of solute 12 and solvent 14. The 30 homogeneous solution; and
flow may be laminar or turbulent or anything in between, or placing a fluid dynamic separator comprising a Coanda
any combination thereof, with or without swirling. In accor effect separator within a flow of said solute and said
dance with an embodiment of the present invention, a fluid Solvent in said chamber, said fluid dynamic separator
dynamic separator 34 is placed within the flow of solute 12 creating a region isolated from the rest of the flow in said
and solvent 14 and includes a barrier 36 that defines a region 35 chamber and causing Solid particles of said solute that
38 isolated from the rest of the flow in chamber 16. Fluid have not yet dissolved in said solvent to flow away from
dynamic separator 34 may also create the separation without said region so that said region contains the homogeneous
a solid barrier, but with a fluid barrier, e.g., created by a jet or solution of said solute dissolved in said solvent,
vortex or turbulence or other flow type. The fluid dynamic wherein said fluid dynamic separator comprises a bell hav
separator 34 causes solid particles of solute 12 that have not 40 ing a head, a lip and an outer skirt, and the method
yet dissolved in solvent 14 to flow away from region38. Thus, comprises said solute and said solvent impinging upon
region 38 contains a homogeneous solution 28 of solute 12 the head of the bell, flowing along the outer skirt of the
dissolved in solvent 14. A pump 30 draws homogeneous bell and flowing outwards off the lip of the bell, thereby
solution 28 out of region 38 via an exit pipe 32. The homo causing the Solid, undissolved particles to flow towards
geneous solution 28 may also be extracted by gravity or other 45 walls of said chamber away from said region.
means. A filter may be placed at the pump inlet or outlet, if 2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising
desired. drawing the homogeneous Solution out of said region.
A preferred fluid dynamic separator is a Coanda effect 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said solid
separator. The Coanda effect, described in U.S. Pat. No. Solute comprises polyvinyl alcohol.
2,052,869, is basically the tendency of a moving fluid, either 50 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said solid
liquid orgas, to attach itself to a surface and flow along it. As Solute comprises polyvinyl acetate.
the fluid moves across the Surface a certain amount of friction 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said Coanda
(skin friction) occurs between the fluid and the surface, which effect separator comprises a friction Surface over which said
tends to slow the moving fluid. This resistance to the flow of Solute and said solvent flow, and the method comprises said
the fluid pulls the fluid towards the surface, causing it stick to 55 Solute and said solvent moving across the friction Surface,
the Surface. For example, fluid dynamic separator 28 may wherein friction occurs between said solute and said solvent
have a bell shape, wherein fluid impinging upon the head of and the friction Surface, which slows said solute and said
Solvent and causes said solute and said solvent to Stick to the
the bell flows along the outer skirt of the bell and flows friction surface.
outwards off the lip of the bell. This causes the solid, undis
solved particles to flow towards the walls of chamber 16 away