Patents by Inventor Tadashi Amano

Tadashi Amano has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20040034181
    Abstract: There is provided a process for producing a vinyl chloride-based polymer by conducting a suspension polymerization in an aqueous medium using an oil soluble polymerization initiator, wherein the oil soluble polymerization initiator utilizes a combination of (A) t-amyl peroxyneodecanoate and (B) a peroxide-based polymerization initiator with a 10 hour half-life temperature in a solution with a concentration of 0.1 mol/liter in trichloroethylene within a range of at least 30° C. but less than 55° C., and when a predetermined polymerization conversion rate is reached, the polymerization reaction temperature is raised by a predetermined amount, followed by addition of an antioxidant to said polymerization mixture to halt the polymerization reaction. According to this process, a vinyl chloride-based polymer with good anti-initial discoloration can be produced in high yield and with good productivity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2003
    Publication date: February 19, 2004
    Applicant: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Ooura, Tadashi Amano
  • Patent number: 6677409
    Abstract: A method of producing a vinyl-based polymer is provided in which the blocking of piping resulting from solidification of a reaction inhibitor does not occur even if the operation of supplying the reaction inhibitor is conducted at a low temperature. This method involves the polymerization of a vinyl monomer via a radical reaction, wherein a reaction inhibitor formed from a compound represented by a general formula (1), shown below, is added to the polymerization system in the form of an aqueous dispersion, either prior to commencement of the polymerization, during the polymerization, or following completion of the polymerization, depending on the effect desired. R represents an alkyl group of 3 to 6 carbon atoms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryuichi Saito, Tadashi Amano
  • Patent number: 6639027
    Abstract: A production process for a vinyl-based polymer is provided. The production process comprises a step for polymerizing a vinyl-based monomer by a radical reaction within an aqueous medium in a polymerization vessel, and a step for supplying a reaction inhibitor with a melting point of no more than 40° C. from a reaction inhibitor supply tank to the polymerization vessel via a reaction inhibitor supply pipe. The reaction inhibitor supply tank and the reaction inhibitor supply pipe are heated, and the reaction inhibitor is added to the polymerization vessel in a liquid state with a viscosity of no more than 200 mPa·s. The reaction inhibitor can be added to the polymerization mixture without the use of an organic solvent even at low temperatures, and problems such as the solidification of the reaction inhibitor inside the supply tank or piping, and subsequent blocking of the piping do not occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryuichi Saito, Tadashi Amano, Toshihiko Kawakubo
  • Publication number: 20030162927
    Abstract: A method of producing a vinyl chloride-based polymer by suspension polymerization is provided, by which heat removal performed by a reflux condenser can be increased, but total heat removal performed by the jacket can be reduced, without affecting the quality of the product polymer. The method includes commencing heat removal when or after a polymerization conversion rate reaches 15%, and controlling said reflux condenser so as to remove a fixed quantity of heat per unit of time depending on the polymerization conversion rate as the polymerization process proceeds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2003
    Publication date: August 28, 2003
    Applicant: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Usuki, Toyotaro Kuniyasu, Tadashi Amano
  • Publication number: 20030153696
    Abstract: A production process for a vinyl-based polymer is provided. The production process comprises a step for polymerizing a vinyl-based monomer by a radical reaction within an aqueous medium in a polymerization vessel, and a step for supplying a reaction inhibitor with a melting point of no more than 40° C. from a reaction inhibitor supply tank to the polymerization vessel via a reaction inhibitor supply pipe. The reaction inhibitor supply tank and the reaction inhibitor supply pipe are heated, and the reaction inhibitor is added to the polymerization vessel in a liquid state with a viscosity of no more than 200 mPa·s. The reaction inhibitor can be added to the polymerization mixture without the use of an organic solvent even at low temperatures, and problems such as the solidification of the reaction inhibitor inside the supply tank or piping, and subsequent blocking of the piping do not occur.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2002
    Publication date: August 14, 2003
    Applicant: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryuichi Saito, Tadashi Amano, Toshihiko Kawakubo
  • Patent number: 6600000
    Abstract: A process for producing a vinyl chloride polymer, the process including the steps of charging into a polymerization vessel, vinyl chloride or a monomer mixture containing vinyl chloride, water, and other materials necessary for polymerization, and polymerizing in an aqueous medium the vinyl chloride or the monomer mixture. An antioxidant is added to a mixture of materials before polymerization, or to a polymerization reaction mixture during polymerization or after polymerization. The antioxidant is added in the state of an aqueous dispersion and by means of a uniaxial eccentric screw pump. The aqueous antioxidant dispersion can be added at a constant rate and stably, without causing any block-up of the interior of the pump even when the polymerization vessel is held at a high internal pressure. Hence, vinyl chloride polymers having less uneven plasticizer absorption and having good anti-initial discoloration properties and thermal stability can be produced stably.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Ooura, Tadashi Amano
  • Publication number: 20020183463
    Abstract: A method of producing a vinyl-based polymer is provided in which the blocking of piping resulting from solidification of a reaction inhibitor does not occur even if the operation of supplying the reaction inhibitor is conducted at a low temperature. This method involves the polymerization of a vinyl monomer via a radical reaction, wherein a reaction inhibitor formed from a compound represented by a general formula (1), shown below, is added to the polymerization system in the form of an aqueous dispersion, either prior to commencement of the polymerization, during the polymerization, or following completion of the polymerization, depending on the effect desired.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2002
    Publication date: December 5, 2002
    Applicant: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryuichi Saito, Tadashi Amano
  • Publication number: 20020169268
    Abstract: A process for producing a vinyl chloride polymer is provided. This process includes polymerizing vinyl chloride or a monomer mixture containing vinyl chloride in an aqueous medium in a polymerization vessel fitted with a reflux condenser. This process is characterized by starting to add (A) an anti-foam agent, and (B) a partially saponified polyvinyl alcohol with an average degree of polymerization of 100 to 500 and a saponification degree of 75 to 85 mole %, to a reaction mixture during the operation of said reflux condenser, and continuing the addition of (A) and (B) until recovery of unreacted monomers from said polymerization vessel is completed. According to the process, it is possible to prevent the polymer slurry from foaming, rising, or scattering during polymerization or recovery of unreacted monomers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2002
    Publication date: November 14, 2002
    Applicant: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshihiko Kawakubo, Tadashi Amano
  • Patent number: 6455646
    Abstract: Vinyl chloride or a monomer mixture containing it transported over a long distance or stored for a long period usually contains a polymerization inhibitor and Fe ions. If this kind of vinyl chloride or monomer mixture is polymerized, stirring torque during the polymerization increases, and heat removal by the cooling jacket of a polymerization vessel tends to become insufficient, making the polymer quality subject to bad influences. In the present invention, a hydroxycarboxylic acid compound is added to the polymerization mixture in an amount of 50-1000 ppm relative to the monomer or monomer mixture. As a result, an increase in stirring torque during polymerization is suppressed, and heat removal by the cooling jacket of the polymerization vessel can be performed effectively, making it possible to obtain vinyl chloride of good quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Usuki, Minoru Shigemitsu, Tadashi Amano
  • Patent number: 6448372
    Abstract: A process for producing a vinyl chloride polymer, including the steps of (a) subjecting a vinyl chloride monomer alone or a monomer mixture containing a vinyl chloride, to suspension polymerization in water; (b) subjecting the resultant vinyl chloride polymer slurry to stripping to remove an unreacted monomer remaining therein; and (c) dehydrating the polymer slurry having been subjected to stripping. In the polymerization step (a), the ratio of water/monomer is set in a weight ratio of from 0.80 to 1.50, and the viscosity at 20° C. of the polymer slurry to be fed to the stripping step is previously kept adjusted to 0.30 Pa·s or lower. In the stripping step (c), the residual unreacted monomer in the polymer slurry can efficiently be removed using steam in a smaller quantity, thus the vinyl chloride polymer can be produced at a high productivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Kobayashi, Ryuichi Saito, Yoshinori Nakahara, Tadashi Amano, Ichiro Hara
  • Patent number: 6433074
    Abstract: Provided is a vinyl chloride polymer production process comprising the steps of polymerizing in an aqueous medium a vinyl chloride monomer alone or a mixture of monomers including the vinyl chloride monomer, and adding an antioxidant to starting materials or a polymerization reaction mixture. As the antioxidant, a mixed antioxidant comprised of an antioxidant A which is liquid at 20° C. and an antioxidant B which is powdery at 20° C. is used. This process is well operable, enables polymerization to be sufficiently terminated using an antioxidant in a small quantity and enables production of vinyl chloride polymers having less uneven plasticizer absorption and having both good anti-initial-discoloration properties and good thermal stability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Ooura, Tadashi Amano
  • Publication number: 20020099153
    Abstract: Vinyl chloride or a monomer mixture containing it transported over a long distance or stored for a long period usually contains a polymerization inhibitor and Fe ions. If this kind of vinyl chloride or monomer mixture is polymerized, stirring torque during the polymerization increases, and heat removal by the cooling jacket of a polymerization vessel tends to become insufficient, making the polymer quality subject to bad influences. In the present invention, a hydroxycarboxylic acid compound is added to the polymerization mixture in an amount of 50-1000 ppm relative to the monomer or monomer mixture. As a result, an increase in stirring torque during polymerization is suppressed, and heat removal by the cooling jacket of the polymerization vessel can be performed effectively, making it possible to obtain vinyl chloride of good quality.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2001
    Publication date: July 25, 2002
    Applicant: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Usuki, Minoru Shigemitsu, Tadashi Amano
  • Patent number: 6355743
    Abstract: In a process for producing vinyl chloride polymers including polymerization of vinyl chloride or a monomer mixture containing it in an aqueous medium using a polymerization initiator, the polymerization is carried out in the presence of a chelating agent. The chelating agent is capable of chelating iron (II) and iron (III). This process makes it possible to prevent polymer scales from adhering to, e.g. baffle surfaces facing inner walls of the polymerization vessel, which has been hitherto difficult to do so, and less cause initial discoloration of polymer products to improve quality. It is more effective to use a polymerization vessel previously provided with coating films of a polymer scale preventive agent on the inner walls of the polymerization vessel and the other portions with which monomers come into contact in the course of polymerization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Ooura, Kaname Inoue, Masakuni Yamamoto, Tadashi Amano
  • Patent number: 6339132
    Abstract: A process for regenerating unreacted vinyl chloride monomers is provided which has the step of compressing by means of an compressor an unreacted vinyl chloride monomer recovered from a process of vinyl chloride polymer production; compressing the same in contact with a lubricating oil fed into the compressor. In this process, the lubricating oil contains a polymerization inhibitor. Hence, even when this lubricating oil is circulated and reused as a lubricating oil after its separation from the unreacted vinyl chloride monomer, any vinyl chloride monomer remaining in the lubricating oil can effectively be kept from polymerizing in lubricating-oil circulation lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2002
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Kobayashi, Fumiaki Adachi, Fujio Sato, Tadashi Amano
  • Patent number: 6303712
    Abstract: In a process for producing a vinyl chloride polymer by suspension polymerization in a polymerization vessel having a coating film of a polymer scale preventive agent on the polymerization vessel inner wall and other inner surfaces, the polymerization is initiated by introducing an oil-soluble polymerization initiator having 10-hour half-life temperature of from 30° C. to 55° C., at a particular position of the interior of the liquid phase of polymerization materials charged. The position satisfys the following expression: H≦0.7H0 wherein H represents a height from the bottom of the polymerization vessel to the position where the polymerization initiator is introduced, and H0 represents a height from the bottom of the polymerization vessel to the liquid surface of the liquid phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2001
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Kumakura, Makoto Ooura, Tadashi Amano
  • Patent number: 6288177
    Abstract: There is provided a process for producing a vinyl chloride polymer wherein in a polymerization vessel, vinyl chloride monomer or a vinyl monomer mixture comprised mainly of vinyl chloride monomer is polymerized by the aid of a polymerization initiator in an aqueous medium, comprising previously forming a coating film comprised of a polymer scale deposition preventive agent prior to the polymerization on the inner wall surface of the polymerization vessel and the other areas, to which said monomer contacts during the polymerization, by coating thereon a coating solution containing the polymer scale deposition preventive agent by the aid of steam as a carrier; and carrying out said polymerization in the presence of a chelating agent capable of forming a Fe(II) or Fe(III) complex in said aqueous medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2001
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Ooura, Tadashi Amano
  • Publication number: 20010018504
    Abstract: A process for producing a vinyl chloride polymer, including the steps of (a) subjecting a vinyl chloride monomer alone or a monomer mixture containing a vinyl chloride, to suspension polymerization in water; (b) subjecting the resultant vinyl chloride polymer slurry to stripping to remove an unreacted monomer remaining therein; and (c) dehydrating the polymer slurry having been subjected to stripping. In the polymerization step (a), the ratio of water/monomer is set in a weight ratio of from 0.80 to 1.50, and the viscosity at 20° C. of the polymer slurry to be fed to the stripping step is previously kept adjusted to 0.30 Pa.s or lower. In the stripping step (c), the residual unreacted monomer in the polymer slurry can efficiently be removed using steam in a smaller quantity, thus the vinyl chloride polymer can be produced at a high productivity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2001
    Publication date: August 30, 2001
    Applicant: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Kobayashi, Ryuichi Saito, Yoshinori Nakahara, Tadashi Amano, Ichiro Hara
  • Patent number: 6242562
    Abstract: A process for producing a vinyl chloride polymer is provided which includes the steps of: (A) suspension polymerizing vinyl chloride or a monomer mixture containing vinyl chloride, in an aqueous medium to obtain a polymer slurry; (B) stripping unreacted monomers remaining in the polymer slurry; and (C) subjecting the polymer slurry having passed through the step (B), to dehydration at a temperature of from 80° C. to 95° C., preferably within 60 minutes after the stripping. According to this process, the polymer cake obtained after the polymer slurry Is dehydrated can be made to have a greatly low water content. Hence the drying time in the drying step can be shortened to bring about an improvement in productivity and also to achieve a reduction of energy consumption in the drying step and consequently a reduction of production cost. Vinyl chloride polymer dried products having good anti-initial discoloration properties can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Kobayashi, Tadashi Amano
  • Patent number: 6037428
    Abstract: Suspension polymerization of vinyl chloride in an aqueous medium is carried out in the presence of an oil-soluble polymerization initiator which is a combination of diacylperoxide compound and t-hexylperoxy diglycolate, the former having a half-life period of 10 hours at 30 to 50.degree. C. in benzene (0.05 mol/L). The resulting polymer gives a high-quality molded product which is free of odor and less liable to initial discoloration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2000
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryuichi Saito, Tadashi Amano
  • Patent number: 6022932
    Abstract: In a process for producing vinyl chloride polymers including polymerization of vinyl chloride or a monomer mixture containing it in an aqueous medium using a polymerization initiator, the polymerization is carried out in the presence of a chelating agent, The chelating agent is capable of chelating iron (II) and iron (III). This process makes it possible to prevent polymer scales from adhering to, e.g. baffle surfaces facing inner walls of the polymerization vessel, which has been hitherto difficult to do so, and less cause initial discoloration of polymer products to improve quality. It is more effective to use a polymerization vessel previously provided with coating films of a polymer scale preventive agent on the inner walls of the polymerization vessel and the other portions with which monomers come into contact in the course of polymerization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2000
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Ooura, Kaname Inoue, Masakuni Yamamoto, Tadashi Amano