Continuous acid washing of polymer resin with controlled metering of acid

摘要

A batch type process for purification of a polymer resin, in which a predetermined volume of acid is rapidly emptied and stirred into a fixed volume of polymer slurry for chemically treating impurities in the slurry, is converted to a continuous operation by supplying a substantially constant stream of polymer slurry and a controlled stream of acid to a mixing vessel. pH control of the polymer slurry required for effective purification of the polymer resin is achieved by manipulating the flow rate of the acid stream responsive to a feedforward control signal which operates in conjunction with a feedback signal. The feedforward signal is based on an upstream measurement of slurry flow rate to the mixing vessel and the feedback signal is based on a downstream pH measurement of slurry flowing from the mixing vessel.