Patent ID: 8231937
Filing Date: 2012-07-31
Classification: B29B,B29K,B32B,C08J,Y02P,Y02W,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A process for manufacturing a pellet with a reduced I.V. gradient comprising the steps of: (A) manufacturing a compartmentalized chip comprising a first compartment that comprises a first crystallizable thermoplastic polymer and a second compartment that comprises a second thermoplastic crystallizable polymer, wherein the second compartment is located so that at least a portion of the second compartment lies between the centroid of the chip and the first compartment, wherein the intrinsic viscosity of the second crystallizable thermoplastic polymer is greater than the intrinsic viscosity of the first crystallizable thermoplastic polymer; (B) crystallizing the first crystallizable thermoplastic polymer; (C) heating the compartmentalized chip in the presence of a driving force to a temperature in the range of 140° C. and the 1° C. below the temperature at which the first crystallizable polymer becomes liquid; (D) maintaining the chip in the temperature range in the presence of a driving force for sufficient time to increase the intrinsic viscosity of the chip at least 0.05 dl/g.