METHOD OF PRODUCING POLYCARBONATE IN A FLASH DEVOLATILIZATION SYSTEM

• Main Authors: CAMPMAN, MAARTEN, KELLER, JURG, KREIS, PETER, WILLI, GOEDMAKERS, JAN-WILLEM
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 23.10.2013
• Subjects: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOIDCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON; MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED OTHERWISE THAN BY REACTIONSONLY INVOLVING UNSATURATED CARBON-TO-CARBON BONDS; METALLURGY; ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS; TRANSPORTING

The present invention provides a reactor system for producing polycarbonate. The reactor system has one or more reactant vessels, an oligomerization reactor, a first pressure control device, a preheater, a second pressure control device, a distributor, and a flash tank. The one or more reactant vessels contain reactants contain a melt transesterification catalyst, a dihydroxy compound, and an activated diaryl carbonate. The reactor system is connected in the following configuration: (i) the one or more reactant vessels connected to the oligomerization reactor, (ii) the first pressure control device disposed between and connecting the outlet of the oligomerization reactor and the inlet of the preheater; (iii) the second pressure control device disposed between and connecting the outlet of the preheater and the distributor; and (iv) the distributor disposed at the inlet to the flash tank. The pressure in the preheater is controllable at a pressure intermediate between the pressure in the oligomerization reactor and the flash tank.