Patent ID: 8795562

Claim:
A process comprising the steps of: pelletizing polymer melts comprising blowing agent by injecting the polymer melts into a pelletizing chamber and then cutting the injected melts into individual pellets, wherein the cutting is conducted by a cutting apparatus while the melts are submerged in a liquid of a liquid circuit flowing through the pelletizing chamber, and wherein a pressure of the liquid in the chamber is elevated above ambient pressure during pelletizing; discharging the pellets from the pelletizing chamber with the liquid of the liquid circuit as a pellet-loaded liquid; comminuting agglomerates or pellets within the liquid which exceed a prescribed maximum size, wherein the comminuting takes place within a comminuting machine arranged downstream of the pelletizing chamber or by a comminuting unit arranged within the pelletizing chamber downstream of the cutting apparatus, wherein all pellets and agglomerates are distributed within said liquid so that agglomerates, pellets, and liquid are fed through the comminuting unit or comminuting machine during the comminuting, wherein the comminuting reduces an overall number of agglomerates, and wherein the comminuting machine comprises a knife rotating on a cutting plate; depressurizing the pellet-loaded liquid from the elevated pressure to a lower pressure level using a depressurizing machine, wherein the depressurizing machine comprises a throttle apparatus, a turbine, at least one pump, or a rotating sluice valve, and wherein a pressure-equalizing chamber arranged upstream of the throttle apparatus keeps in essence constant each of said elevated liquid pressure and a liquid circuit flow rate through the pelletizing chamber; and isolating the pellets from the pellet-loaded liquid.