Patents by Inventor Ruediger Funk

Ruediger Funk 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: 20240100506
    Abstract: A process for producing thermally surface postcrosslinked superabsorbent particles, comprising polymerization of a monomer solution or suspension, static drying of the resultant aqueous polymer gel, comminution of the dried polymer gel, classification of the resultant polymer particles, with removal of excessively small polymer particles as undersize, mixing of the removed undersize with an aqueous solution, said aqueous solution comprising a crosslinker, and recycling of the polymer gel obtained from the undersize into the static drying.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2021
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Inventors: Ruediger Funk, Matthias Weismantel, Marcus Maemecke
  • Patent number: 11883848
    Abstract: The invention relates to a classification process for superabsorbent polymer particles, comprising classifying the water-absorbent polymer particles in a screen machine under reduced pressure wherein the pressure above the uppermost sieve is from 0 to 4.0 mbar per sieve higher than below the undermost sieve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Rüdiger Funk, Matthias Weismantel, Monte Alan Peterson, Patrick Neal Hamilton, Ronny De Kaey, Karl Possemiers
  • Patent number: 11826723
    Abstract: The invention relates to a belt drier arrangement for drying an aqueous polymer gel and for comminuting the dried polymer gel to give dried polymer particles, comprising: a drier setup for drying an aqueous polymer gel, a comminuting arrangement downstream of the drier setup relative to the product flow direction, for comminuting the dried polymer gel to give dried polymer particles. In accordance with the invention the comminuting arrangement comprises at least a first comminutor and a second comminutor, each having a rotatable shaft with functional tools, the second comminutor being disposed downstream of the first comminutor relative to the product flow direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Gerald Grünewald, Rüdiger Funk, Matthias Weismantel
  • Patent number: 11680142
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for producing superabsorbent polymer particles, comprising surface postcrosslinking, classifying the surface postcrosslinked superabsorbent polymer particles, deagglomerating the separated oversize fraction using a roll crusher and recycling the disintegrated oversize fraction before or into the classification of the surface postcrosslinked superabsorbent polymer particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Ruediger Funk, Thomas Pfeiffer, Matthias Weismantel, Monte Alan Peterson, Karl Possemiers, Ronny De Kaey
  • Patent number: 11535719
    Abstract: A process for producing superabsorbents, comprising the steps of i) classifying the superabsorbent particles by means of one or more sieves and ii) removing metallic impurities by means of one or more magnetic separators, wherein classification is accomplished using sieves made of a wire mesh, the wires of the wire mesh consist of a steel composed of at least 70% by weight of iron, at least 10% by weight of chromium and less than 2.5% by weight of nickel, and the throughput of superabsorbent particles in the magnetic separator is in the range from 2.0 to 6.5 g/s per cm2 of free cross-sectional area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Oskar Stephan, Gerald Gruenewald, Matthias Weismantel, Karl Possemiers, Monte Alan Peterson, Ruediger Funk, Sylvia Bertha, Tom Catternan
  • Publication number: 20220185924
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for producing superabsorbent polymer particles, comprising polymerization of a monomer solution, drying the resulting polymer gel and grinding the dried polymer gel with a roll mill, wherein the rolls of the roll mill are cleaned by reducing the feed rate to the roll mill, and if the deflection and/or the power consumption increases above a setpoint, operating the roll mill with reduced feed, and increasing the feed rate to the roll mill.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2020
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Inventors: Monte Alan Peterson, Ruediger Funk, Matthias Weismantel, Juergen Schroeder
  • Publication number: 20220089789
    Abstract: A process for producing superabsorbent particles by polymerizing a monomer solution or suspension, comprising drying of the resultant aqueous polymer gel in an air circulation belt dryer, grinding, classifying, and optionally thermal surface postcrosslinking, wherein the aqueous polymer gel is introduced into the air circulation belt dryer by means of an oscillating conveyor belt and that guide devices are located at the edges of the conveyor belt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Publication date: March 24, 2022
    Inventors: Rene Callot, Karl Possemiers, Ruediger Funk, Marco Krueger, Matthias Weismantel, Juergen Schroeder
  • Publication number: 20220016596
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for producing superabsorbent polymer particles, comprising storing acrylic acid in at least one tank (B1) at a production site for acrylic acid and in at least one tank (B2) at a production site for superabsorbent polymer particles, wherein the at least one tank (B1) at the production site for acrylic acid and the at least one tank (B2) at the production site for superabsorbent polymer particles are interconnected by one single pipe line (3) and the flow inside the pipe line (3) is temporary reversed during interruptions of the production superabsorbent polymer particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Publication date: January 20, 2022
    Inventors: Monte Alan Peterson, John Perry Guentzel, Juergen Schroeder, Ruediger Funk, Matthias Weismantel
  • Publication number: 20210402373
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for producing superabsorbent polymer particles, comprising polymerization of a monomer solution, wherein the monomer solution comprises partly neutralized acrylic acid formed by continuous mixing of acrylic acid and an aqueous solution of a base, the apparatus for preparing the partly neutralized acrylic acid comprises a vessel (B), and the vessel (B) has a cylindrical shape and a torispherical bottom.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Inventors: Monte Alan Peterson, Ronny De Kaey, Karl Possemiers, Juergen Schroeder, Ruediger Funk, Matthias Weismantel
  • Publication number: 20210402370
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for producing superabsorbent polymer particles, comprising polymerization of a monomer solution, wherein the monomer solution comprises partly neutralized acrylic acid formed by continuous mixing of acrylic acid and an aqueous solution of a base, the apparatus for preparing the partly neutralized acrylic acid comprises a vessel (B), and the feed line to vessel (B) ends inside vessel (B) below the liquid Level of the partly neutralized acrylic acid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Inventors: Monte Alan Peterson, Ronny De Kaey, Karl Possemiers, Juergen Schroeder, Ruediger Funk, Matthias Weismantel
  • Publication number: 20210338882
    Abstract: A process for producing superabsorbent particles by polymerizing a monomer solution or suspension, comprising drying of the resultant aqueous polymer gel in an air circulation belt drier, grinding, classifying, and optionally thermal surface postcrosslinking, wherein the aqueous polymer gel is introduced into the air circulation belt drier by means of an oscillating conveyor belt, the underside of the revolving conveyor belt is freed of adhering polymer gel by means of at least one stripper device, and the underside of the revolving conveyor belt is sprayed with water.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2019
    Publication date: November 4, 2021
    Inventors: Rene Callot, Ruediger Funk, Marco Krueger, Thomas Pfeiffer, Karl Possemiers, Juergen Schroeder, Matthias Weismantel
  • Publication number: 20210291145
    Abstract: A process for producing superabsorbent particles by polymerizing a monomer solution or suspension, comprising the steps of continuously preneutralizing a monomer while cooling and partly recycling the preneutralized monomer into the preneutralization, continuously heating the preneutralized monomer by means of a heat exchanger and continuously postneutralizing the heated monomer, wherein the monomer solution or suspension prior to entry into the polymerization reactor is at a temperature of 70 to 99° C. and the temperature of the heating medium used in the heat exchanger is less than 160° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2019
    Publication date: September 23, 2021
    Inventors: Marco Krueger, Ruediger Funk, Thomas Pfeiffer, Karl Possemiers, Juergen Schroeder, Matthias Weismantel
  • Publication number: 20210154637
    Abstract: A process for producing superabsorbent particles by polymerizing a monomer solution, comprising the steps of continuously polymerizing the monomer solution on the continuous belt of a belt reactor, comminuting the polymer gel obtained, rinsing the polymer gel obtained on the underside of the belt reactor into a separation unit with water, separating the polymer gel from the water in the separation unit and recycling the polymer gel into the comminution, wherein the polymer gel has a swelling capacity in water of at least 100 g/g, the dwell time of the polymer gel in the rinse water is less than 40 minutes, and the separation unit has openings with a clear width of at least 1 mm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2019
    Publication date: May 27, 2021
    Inventors: Thomas Pfeiffer, Ruediger Funk, Marco Krueger, Karl Possemiers, Juergen Schroeder, Matthias Weismantel
  • Patent number: 10928291
    Abstract: A method for the classification of superabsorber particles is disclosed, in which the superabsorber particles are put onto a top screen deck of a screening machine having at least two screen decks with a different hole size, the superabsorber particles which are smaller than the holes of the respective screen deck respectively falling through the holes and the superabsorber particles remaining on the screen deck being removed via an extraction point. Balls are positioned on each perforated plate, which balls are propelled upward by the movement of the perforated plate and strike from below the screen deck respectively lying above, wherein the balls have a stiffness in the range from 40 to 100 N/mm and a damping in the range from 1 to 4%. A machine for carrying out the method also is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Oskar Stephan, Norbert Eugen Voll, Rüdiger Funk
  • Patent number: 10875972
    Abstract: A process for producing superabsorbents, comprising polymerization, drying, crushing, pneumatic conveying, comminuting and classifying, wherein the gas temperature at the end of the pneumatic conveying is from 50 to 95° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Gerald Grünewald, Ruediger Funk, Matthias Weismantel
  • Publication number: 20200392258
    Abstract: A process for producing superabsorbent particles, comprising drying of a polymer gel, removal of incompletely dried polymer particles, comminution of the polymer particles removed, recycling of the comminuted polymer particles and storage of the recycled polymer particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2019
    Publication date: December 17, 2020
    Inventors: Thomas Pfeiffer, Matthias Weismantel, Jürgen Schröder, Karl Possemiers, Marco Krueger, Ruediger Funk
  • Publication number: 20200316561
    Abstract: The invention relates to a belt drier arrangement for drying an aqueous polymer gel and for comminuting the dried polymer gel to give dried polymer particles, comprising: a drier setup for drying an aqueous polymer gel, a comminuting arrangement downstream of the drier setup relative to the product flow direction, for comminuting the dried polymer gel to give dried polymer particles. In accordance with the invention the comminuting arrangement comprises at least a first comminutor and a second comminutor, each having a rotatable shaft with functional tools, the second comminutor being disposed downstream of the first comminutor relative to the product flow direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2017
    Publication date: October 8, 2020
    Inventors: Gerald Grünewald, Rüdiger Funk, Matthias Weismantel
  • Publication number: 20200283588
    Abstract: A process for producing superabsorbents, comprising the steps of i) classifying the superabsorbent particles by means of one or more sieves and ii) removing metallic impurities by means of one or more magnetic separators, wherein classification is accomplished using sieves made of a wire mesh, the wires of the wire mesh consist of a steel composed of at least 70% by weight of iron, at least 10% by weight of chromium and less than 2.5% by weight of nickel, and the throughput of superabsorbent particles in the magnetic separator is in the range from 2.0 to 6.5 g/s per cm2 of free cross-sectional area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2018
    Publication date: September 10, 2020
    Inventors: Oskar Stephan, Gerald Gruenewald, Matthias Weismantel, Karl Possemiers, Monte Alan Peterson, Ruediger Funk, Sylvia Bertha, Tom Catternan
  • Publication number: 20200216622
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for producing superabsorbent polymer particles, comprising surface postcrosslinking, classifying the surface postcrosslinked superabsorbent polymer particles, deagglomerating the separated oversize fraction using a roll crusher and recycling the disintegrated oversize fraction before or into the classification of the surface postcrosslinked superabsorbent polymer particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2018
    Publication date: July 9, 2020
    Inventors: Rüdiger FUNK, Thomas PFEIFFER, Matthias WEISMANTEL, Monte Alan PETERSON, Karl POSSEMIERS, Ronny DE KAEY
  • Publication number: 20200147652
    Abstract: The invention relates to a classification process for superabsorbent polymer particles, comprising classifying the water-absorbent polymer particles in a screen machine under reduced pressure wherein the pressure above the uppermost sieve is from 0 to 4.0 mbar per sieve higher than below the undermost sieve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2018
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Inventors: Rüdiger Funk, Matthias Weismantel, Monte Alan Peterson, Patrick Neal Hamilton, Ronny De Kaey, Karl Possemiers