Patents by Inventor Eric Grolman

Eric Grolman 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: 20230054441
    Abstract: The invention relates to a continuous solid-state polymerization process for preparing a polyamide derived from diamine and dicarboxylic acid, wherein the salt is polymerized in a reactor column comprising successive multifunctional zones comprising heating sections and gas-outlet sections, and a residence zone comprising at least one gas-inlet section, wherein the heating sections comprise static heat exchangers. The invention also relates to the reactor column and use thereof in a continuous solid-state polymerization process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Publication date: February 23, 2023
    Inventor: Eric GROLMAN
  • Patent number: 11306181
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for preparing a granular nylon salt material, wherein an aqueous mixture, comprising at least 65 wt. % of salt components, and at most 35 wt. % of an aqueous medium, the weight percentages (wt. %) being relative to the total weight of the aqueous mixture, is flashed from a pressure vessel via a flash valve into a flash chamber, thereby evaporating the aqueous medium in an amount sufficient to result in a residual moisture content of at most 7.5 wt. %, and forming a granular nylon salt material. The invention also relates to a process for preparing a nylon polymer, comprising direct solid state polymerization of the granular salt material prepared by flash granulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: DSM IP ASSETS B.V.
    Inventors: Bas Van Laarhoven, Eric Grolman, Michiel Muyris
  • Publication number: 20220049055
    Abstract: The invention relates to a continuous solid-state polymerization process for preparing a polyamide derived from diamine and dicarboxylic acid, wherein the salt is polymerized in a reactor column comprising successive multifunctional zones comprising heating sections and gas-outlet sections, wherein the heating sections comprise static heat exchangers. The invention also relates to the reactor column and use thereof in a continuous solid-state polymerization process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Publication date: February 17, 2022
    Inventor: Eric GROLMAN
  • Publication number: 20200172673
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for preparing a granular nylon salt material, wherein an aqueous mixture, comprising at least 65 wt. % of salt components, and at most 35 wt. % of an aqueous medium, the weight percentages (wt. %) being relative to the total weight of the aqueous mixture, is flashed from a pressure vessel via a flash valve into a flash chamber, thereby evaporating the aqueous medium in an amount sufficient to result in a residual moisture content of at most 7.5 wt. %, and forming a granular nylon salt material. The invention also relates to a process for preparing a nylon polymer, comprising direct solid state polymerization of the granular salt material prepared by flash granulation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Inventors: Bas VAN LAARHOVEN, Eric GROLMAN, Michiel MUYRIS
  • Patent number: 10590238
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for preparing a granular nylon salt material, wherein an aqueous mixture, comprising at least 65 wt. % of salt components, and at most 35 wt. % of an aqueous medium, the weight percentages (wt. %) being relative to the total weight of the aqueous mixture, is flashed from a pressure vessel via a flash valve into a flash chamber, thereby evaporating the aqueous medium in an amount sufficient to result in a residual moisture content of at most 7.5 wt. %, and forming a granular nylon salt material. The invention also relates to a process for preparing a nylon polymer, comprising direct solid state polymerization of the granular salt material prepared by flash granulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: DSM IP ASSETS B.V.
    Inventors: Bas Van Laarhoven, Eric Grolman, Michiel Muyris
  • Patent number: 10233287
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for preparing a salt from diamine and dicarboxylic acid, the process comprising contacting a diamine gas, having a gas temperature T-gas, with a dicarboxylic acid, thereby forming a reaction mixture comprising diamine/dicarboxylic acid salt, wherein the dicarboxylic acid and the reaction mixture are kept at a temperature T-mixture of at least 10° C. below the lowest of the melting temperature of the dicarboxylic acid (Tm-acid) and the melting temperature of the resulting diamine/dicarboxylic acid salt (Tm-salt). The invention also relates to a process for preparing a polyamide comprising preparing a salt from diamine and dicarboxylic acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: DSM IP ASSETS B.V.
    Inventors: Rudy Rulkens, Renier Henricus Maria Kierkels, Geert Adelina Rudolf Vanden Poel, Theo Joseph Cuypers, Eric Grolman
  • Publication number: 20180297933
    Abstract: Processes are disclosed for preparing a diamine/dicarboxylic acid salt, wherein the dicarboxylic acid includes an aromatic dicarboxylic acid and is provided in a powder form. The diamine is provided in a liquid form gradually dosed to the dicarboxylic acid powder, while keeping the dicarboxylic acid powder in constant movement; the processing temperature is above 0° C. and below the boiling temperature of the diamine and the melting temperature of the acid and the salt, and the reaction mixture comprises at most 5 wt. % of water. An anhydrous diamine/dicarboxylic acid salts obtained by the process are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2018
    Publication date: October 18, 2018
    Inventors: Eric GROLMAN, Rudy RULKENS
  • Patent number: 10029977
    Abstract: The present invention also relates to a process for preparing a diamine/dicarboxylic acid salt wherein the dicarboxylic acid comprises an aromatic dicarboxylic acid and is provided in a powder form; the diamine is provided in a liquid form gradually dosed to the dicarboxylic acid powder, while keeping the dicarboxylic acid powder in constant movement; the processing temperature is above 0° C. and below the boiling temperature of the diamine and the melting temperature of the acid and the salt, and the reaction mixture comprises at most 5 wt. % of water. The present invention also relates to an anhydrous diamine/dicarboxylic acid salt obtainable by the process according to invention, or any embodiment thereof as described above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: DSM IP ASSETS B.V.
    Inventors: Eric Grolman, Rudy Rulkens
  • Patent number: 9850348
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for preparing a semi-aromatic polyamide from diamine and dicarboxylic acid, comprising steps of •(i) dosing a liquid diamine to an agitated powder comprising an aromatic dicarboxylic acid thereby forming a powder comprising a diamine/dicarboxylic acid salt (DD-salt), and •(ii) solid-state polymerizing the DD-salt to obtain the polyamide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: DSM IP ASSETS B.V.
    Inventors: Eric Grolman, Rudy Rulkens, Konraad Albert Louise Hector Dullaert, Renier Henricus Maria Kierkels, Geert Adelina Rudolf Vanden Poel
  • Publication number: 20170218122
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for preparing a granular nylon salt material, wherein an aqueous mixture, comprising at least 65 wt. % of salt components, and at most 35 wt. % of an aqueous medium, the weight percentages (wt. %) being relative to the total weight of the aqueous mixture, is flashed from a pressure vessel via a flash valve into a flash chamber, thereby evaporating the aqueous medium in an amount sufficient to result in a residual moisture content of at most 7.5 wt. %, and forming a granular nylon salt material. The invention also relates to a process for preparing a nylon polymer, comprising direct solid state polymerization of the granular salt material prepared by flash granulation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Inventors: Bas VAN LAARHOVEN, Eric GROLMAN, Michiel MUYRIS
  • Patent number: 9556310
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the preparation of semi-crystalline semi-aromatic polyamide by direct solid-state polymerization of a diamine-dicarboxylic acid salt, comprising steps of (a) providing at least two salts of terephthalic acid and diamine, wherein each of these diamine/terephthalic acid salts is in solid state and has a melting temperature of at least Tx, wherein Tx is at least 260° C.; (b) preparing a mixture of the diamine/terephthalic acid salts, while retaining the salts in solid state; and (c) heating the mixture obtained from step (b) in the solid state to a temperature (T-c) in the range from 200° C. to 260° C., under a pressure below the saturation vapor pressure of water at said temperature, thereby condensing and polymerizing the salts and forming a semi-crystalline semi-aromatic polyamide in solid form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: DSM IP ASSETS B.V.
    Inventors: Rudy Rulkens, Eric Grolman, Geert Adelina Rudolf Vanden Poel, Renier Henricus Maria Kierkels, Theo Joseph Cuypers, Constantine D. Papaspyrides, Athanasios D. Porfyris
  • Publication number: 20160376220
    Abstract: The present invention also relates to a process for preparing a diamine/dicarboxylic acid salt wherein the dicarboxylic acid comprises an aromatic dicarboxylic acid and is provided in a powder form; the diamine is provided in a liquid form gradually dosed to the dicarboxylic acid powder, while keeping the dicarboxylic acid powder in constant movement; the processing temperature is above 0° C. and below the boiling temperature of the diamine and the melting temperature of the acid and the salt, and the reaction mixture comprises at most 5 wt. % of water. The present invention also relates to an anhydrous diamine/dicarboxylic acid salt obtainable by the process according to invention, or any embodiment thereof as described above.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2016
    Publication date: December 29, 2016
    Inventors: Eric GROLMAN, Rudy RULKENS
  • Patent number: 9475753
    Abstract: The present invention also relates to a process for preparing a diamine/dicarboxylic acid salt wherein the dicarboxylic acid comprises an aromatic dicarboxylic acid and is provided in a powder form; the diamine is provided in a liquid form gradually dosed to the dicarboxylic acid powder, while keeping the dicarboxylic acid powder in constant movement; the processing temperature is above 0° C. and below the boiling temperature of the diamine and the melting temperature of the acid and the salt, and the reaction mixture comprises at most 5 wt. % of water. The present invention also relates to an anhydrous diamine/dicarboxylic acid salt obtainable by the process according to invention, or any embodiment thereof as described above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: DSM IP ASSETS B.V.
    Inventors: Eric Grolman, Rudy Rulkens
  • Publication number: 20160137781
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the preparation of semi-crystalline semi-aromatic polyamide by direct solid-state polymerization of a diamine-dicarboxylic acid salt, comprising steps of (a) providing at least two salts of terephthalic acid and diamine, wherein each of these diamine/terephthalic acid salts is in solid state and has a melting temperature of at least Tx, wherein Tx is at least 260° C.; (b) preparing a mixture of the diamine/terephthalic acid salts, while retaining the salts in solid state; and (c) heating the mixture obtained from step (b) in the solid state to a temperature (T-c) in the range from 200° C. to 260° C., under a pressure below the saturation vapour pressure of water at said temperature, thereby condensing and polymerizing the salts and forming a semi-crystalline semi-aromatic polyamide in solid form.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2014
    Publication date: May 19, 2016
    Inventors: Rudy RULKENS, Eric GROLMAN, Geert Adelina Rudolf VANDEN POEL, Renier Henricus Maria KIERKELS, Theo Joseph CUYPERS, Constantine D. PAPASPYRIDES, Athanasios D. PORFYRIS
  • Patent number: 9242218
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a continuous process for heat treatment of a particulate thermoplastic material comprising a thermoplastic semi-crystalline polymer in the solid state in a single flow-through installation comprising one or more heating zones, wherein each heating zone comprises a contact heater consisting of an array of heating plates, the granulate material is transported as a moving packed bed in the flow-through installation, the process comprises one or more heating steps and in each heating step the particulate material is heated through contact heating via the contact heater, or one of the contact heaters, and optionally a flow of inert gas is applied in one or more heating zones with a mass ratio G/M of at most 2, wherein G is the inert gas flow in kg/hour and M is the particulate material flow in kg/hour.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: DSM IP ASSETS B.V.
    Inventor: Eric Grolman
  • Publication number: 20150368399
    Abstract: The invention related to a process for the production of a PA-MXDT/ZT polyamide copolymer comprising the following steps: •i. providing a solid MXDT/ZT salt, wherein MXD is meta-xylylenediamine, T is terephthalic acid, Z is a linear aliphatic diamine having from 2 to 12 carbon atoms and wherein amount of Z is from 5 to 40 mole % with respect to the total amount of MXD and Z units in the copolymer and wherein the MXDT/ZT salt is provided by dosing of liquid diamines MXD and Z to a powder of terephthalic acid; •ii. heating the solid MXDT/ZT salt to a first condensation temperature (Tc1) thereby condensing the salt in solid state to produce a solid polyamide copolymer, wherein Tc1 is below the melting temperature (Tm-salt) of said salt. The invention further relates to a PA-MXDT/ZT polyamide copolymer, wherein MXD is meta-xylylenediamine, T is terephthalic acid, Z is a linear aliphatic diamine having from 2 to 12 carbon atom, Z is from 5 to 40 mole % with respect to the total of MXD and Z units in the copolymer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Inventors: Rudy RULKENS, Theo Joseph CUYPERS, Geert Adelina Rudolf VANDEN POEL, Eric GROLMAN, Renier Henricus Maria KIERKELS
  • Publication number: 20150368400
    Abstract: The invention relates to process for the production of a PA-MXDT/ZT polyamide comprising the following steps: (i) providing a solid MXDT/ZT salt, wherein MXD is meta-xylylenediamine, T is terephthalic acid, Z is a linear aliphatic diamine having from 2 to 12 carbon atoms and wherein the amount of Z is from 0 to 40 mole % with respect to the total of the amount of MXD and Z units in the polymer, (ii) solid state polymerizing the MXDT/ZT salt to obtain the polyamide, wherein the solid state polymerization is carried out at least partly under a diamine atmosphere. The invention further relates to a PA-MXDT/ZT polyamide, wherein the polymer has a glass transition temperature fulfilling the following relation: Tg>226?475*Y, wherein Y is the weight ratio g/g of all CH2 groups in the polymer with respect to the total weight of the polyamide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Inventors: Rudy RULKENS, Renier Henricus Maria KIERKELS, Theo Joseph CUYPERS, Geert Adelina Rudolf VANDEN POEL, Eric GROLMAN
  • Publication number: 20150361216
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for preparing a semi-aromatic polyamide from diamine and dicarboxylic acid, comprising steps of •(i) dosing a liquid diamine to an agitated powder comprising an aromatic dicarboxylic acid thereby forming a powder comprising a diamine/dicarboxylic acid salt (DD-salt), and •(ii) solid-state polymerizing the DD-salt to obtain the polyamide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Publication date: December 17, 2015
    Inventors: Eric GROLMAN, Rudy RULKENS, Konraad Albert Louise Hector DULLAERT, Renier Henricus Maria KIERKELS, Geert Adelina Rudolf VANDEN POEL
  • Publication number: 20150361028
    Abstract: The present invention also relates to a process for preparing a diamine/dicarboxylic acid salt wherein the dicarboxylic acid comprises an aromatic dicarboxylic acid and is provided in a powder form; the diamine is provided in a liquid form gradually dosed to the dicarboxylic acid powder, while keeping the dicarboxylic acid powder in constant movement; the processing temperature is above 0° C. and below the boiling temperature of the diamine and the melting temperature of the acid and the salt, and the reaction mixture comprises at most 5 wt. % of water. The present invention also relates to an anhydrous diamine/dicarboxylic acid salt obtainable by the process according to invention, or any embodiment thereof as described above.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2012
    Publication date: December 17, 2015
    Applicant: DSM IP ASSETS B.V.
    Inventors: Eric Grolman, Rudy Rulkens
  • Publication number: 20150353682
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for preparing a salt from diamine and dicarboxylic acid, the process comprising contacting a diamine gas, having a gas temperature T-gas, with a dicarboxylic acid, thereby forming a reaction mixture comprising diamine/dicarboxylic acid salt, wherein the dicarboxylic acid and the reaction mixture are kept at a temperature T-mixture of at least 10° C. below the lowest of the melting temperature of the dicarboxylic acid (Tm-acid) and the melting temperature of the resulting diamine/dicarboxylic acid salt (Tm-salt). The invention also relates to a process for preparing a polyamide comprising preparing a salt from diamine and dicarboxylic acid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Publication date: December 10, 2015
    Inventors: Rudy RULKENS, Renier Henricus Maria KIERKELS, Geert Adelina Rudolf VANDEN POEL, Theo Joseph CUYPERS, Eric GROLMAN