Europe 2015 Special Advertising Section

Energy-efficient processes for polymers

Roland Kunkel of LIST AG explains how equipment designed to operate with little or no
solvent can simplify process design, improve product quality and cut emissions
design that minimizes costs, increases flexibility and delivers higher
Conventional technology yields. The gateway to process intensification for both living and
free-radical polymerization is the innovative LIST KneaderReactor.
Conventional stirred-tank reactor technology has many short-
Reactants Solvent Reactants Vapor
comings due to its requirement for solvents with a concentration of
Dry Processing up to 90% to transfer heat and facilitate the mixing of the polymer
solution during polymerization. Additionally, the likely occurrence
of hotspots and thermal degradation make it difficult to reduce the
solvent concentration. Once polymerization is complete, the sol-
vents must then be removed and treated increasing cost, safety
risks and environmental impact.
The LIST KneaderReactor is designed to operate in the concen-
trated phase with little to no solvent, reaching a polymer concentra-
LIST KneaderReactor tion of 4099% during polymerization. Its design provides constant
surface renewal that improves heat transfer, allows excellent tem-
perature control, and minimizes the diffusion and mass transfer lim-
To solvent separation Final product itations particularly effective for exothermic bulk polymerizations
and recovery
New KneaderReactor technology with a polydispersity index less than 2.
Due to this process intensification, several process steps can
be eliminated. As a result, the optimized process saves raw ma-
Excellent heat transfer allows LISTs KneaderReactor to operate at terials, reduces energy consumption, increases process efficien-
polymer concentrations of 4099% cy, improves product quality, and lowers both CAPEX and OPEX.
Processing in the concentrated phase also minimizes the environ-

P rocess intensification the reduction of processing steps and

equipment is a revolutionary approach to process and plant
mental impact by eliminating solvents and toxic materials.
www.listdryprocessing.com

36I-10 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM MARCH 2015