Patent ID: 7323503

Claim:
A process for producing an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer resin, comprising feeding an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer resin into an extruder, keeping the temperature of the melting resin in the extruder at 70 to 170° C., adjusting an amount of water by supplying or removing water in the extruder, and discharging the copolymer resin having a water content right after being discharged of 5 to 40 weight %, wherein washing water is supplied to the extruder for washing the ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer resin, the resin is washed by the washing water, and then water is removed in a liquid state by using at least one selected from the group consisting of a dewatering slit and a dewatering hole from at least one place downstream from the washing water supply portion, and residue of saponification catalyst contained at the time of production of the resin is removed.