US1998073A

US1998073A - carleton

Info

Publication number: US1998073A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1935-04-16
Anticipated expiration: 1952-04-16

Description

April 16, 19350 R. A. CARLETON METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR BODYING LIQUIDS Original Filed Oct. 23, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.2.

5 5 III-Ila l-l l-l- 56 r I I v I I I I I I I I l l I |L inv enTor. RoberT A.Cm-leTon A1Tys.

April ,16, 1935. R. A. CARLETON METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR BODYING LIQUIDS Original Filed Oct. 23, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 lnveni'm'"-- RObETT A. CurleTon byiuwwa r AITys.

April 16, 1935.

R. A. CARLETON METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR BODYING LIQUIDS 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed Oct. 23, 1929 lnvefiTor. Rober'r A. CurleTon ATTys.

April 16, 1935.

R. A. CARLE TON METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR BODYING LIQUIDS Original Filed Oct. 23, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheefi 4 I 5nven1'dr .Robe'rT A. Curlefon 'b azw M,M

ATT s.

Patented Apro 16, 1935 units stares METHOD AND APPARA'lgIS FUR EQNDYWG Application (October 23, 1929, Serial No. llillfldll Renewed February 7, 1935 l lllaims.

This invention relates to improvements in methods and apparatus for treating liquids, the

physical or chemical properties of which are sub- .lect to a definite change when the liquid is subjected continuously to a substantially uniform, predetermined temperature for a period of time.

More particularly the invention relates to improvements in methods and apparatus jior continuously bodying unsaturated oils of the ester type including linseed, and other organic oils, such as vegetable, animal, and marine, which are normally in. a liquid state, or which may be rendered liquid by heat or other treatment. Such oils when properly polymerized. may be used in the manufacture of paint, varnish, lithographic ink, linoleum, etc., and in some instances in the manufacture of lacquer, resin, and the like.

in usual methods of polymerization the oil is heatedin portable kettles of from one hundred to two hundred gallons capacity mounted upon trucks by which the kettles are wheeled over fixed fires of coke, gas, or oil, wher the liquid is heated to the desired polymerizing temperature which ordinarily ranges from four hundred fifty to six hundred twenty-five degrees Fahrenheit depending upon the kind of type of oil, and the degree of body required for the purpose to which it is to be applied.

The oil after being heated to the polymerizing temperature is maintained at such temperature for a period Varying from one hour to ten hours, or longer, for the required polymerizing or bodying of the oil to take place.

When coke or other fires for heating are employed the usual means for controlling the oil temperature is by withdrawing the kettle from the fire should the temperature become too great and replacing it over the fire when it is desired to increase the temperature. During this operation the oil must be agitated or stirred to prevent the burning of the layer of oil which is in contact with the kettle bottom at which point the temperature is from one hundred to three hundred degrees greater than that of the body or" oil in the kettle.

predetermined decomposition of the oil, forming carbon which causes a darkening 0r discoloration of the oil, generation of-certain acids and other compounds which have an injurious effect upon the final product with which the oil is to be combined and loss of a considerable amount of oil by volatilization. s

Where the oil is thus treated in open kettles there is great danger of the oil becoming ignited from the fumes, or from spilled material, which comes in direct contact with the fire.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a novel process and apparatus for quickly heating a flowing stream of oil, of the character specified, to a predetermined temperature and maintaining the flowing liquid at said temperature a predetermined period of time.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus by means of which substantially all the particles of the liquid will be uniformly subjected to the same predetermined temperature;

Another object of the invention is to provide a-method and apparatus for treating liquids in which injurious efiects of heat upon the liquids, such as those above mentioned, will be wholly or substantially avoided.

More specifically the invention comprises a method for bodying oils of the character specified which consists in confining a flowing stream of the oil from contact with the air, heating the flowing liquid rapidly to a desired polymerizing temperature, maintaining the liquid at substantially said temperature until the desired degree of polymerization is efiectcd, and then preferably quickly cooling the liquid to arrest polymerization.

The present method consists further in rapidly heating a fiowing stream of the liquid of small cross'sectional area to the desired polymerizing temperature, then retarding the fiow of said liquid by increasing the cross sectional area of the stream, subjecting the larger stream to the same polymerizing temperature for a predetermined length of time sufiicient to cause the desired polymerization to take place, and then quickly cooling the liquid.

The method further consists in correlating to the polymerizing temperature the period of time during which the liquid is subjected to said polymerizing temperature to produce the desired polymerization.

The method of polymerizing linseed oil, and other unsaturated oils of the ester type, as above described, comprises quickly heating a flowing the desired degree of polymerization, and then arresting polymerization by quickly cooling the oil. The polymerization of linseed oil is usually efi'ected by maintaining the oil at a temperature approximating 650-degrees for a period varying from a few seconds to several minutes according to the character of the oil, but it isfound that in the treatment of linseed oil the use of higher temperatures, for example, from 650 to 775 degrees has a marked efiect on the time required to produce a desired viscosity and also upon the gloss and hardness of the film of the product. In the treatment of other unsaturated oils of the ester type the polymerizing temperature and the period required for polymerization is, of course, varied in'accordance vwith the characteristics of the particular oil employed. a

It is found that in the treatment of certain unsaturated oils of the ester typeit is necessary to heat the oils quickly as the polymerization or bodying of the oil is critical and takes place very rapidly, and if maintained at the polymerizing temperature for too long a time the oil will set into asolid mass comparable with sponge rubber. However, if such oils are carried quickly through the polymerizing zone the reaction slows down and can be controlled at higher temperatures more easily, thus making it possible to process such oils under conditions of greater control,-and that at these higher temperatures sufiicient time is available to enable the properly polymerized oil to be quickly cooled so that it will retain per= manently the desired structure.

The method further contemplates effecting a heat exchange between the discharging polymerized or bodied oil and the fresh ofl supplied to maintain the continuously flowing stream, thereby economizing the amount of heat required to efiect such polymerization.

An apparatus for performing the method forming the subject matter of this invention is illustratedin the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, the cover of the casing enclosing the effective portion of the apparatus being omitted;

Fig. 3 isv a vertical longitudinal sectional view 'of the apparatus broken away centrally because of the limitation of the sheet of drawings;

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section on line 6-21 Fig. 3, viewed from the right toward the left; I Fig. 5 comprises a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the electric heating mechanism for raising the liquid to polymerizing temperature, and a preferred means for supplying a polyphase electric current to said heating means,

together with automatic means for controlling the current supplied to (the heating means; and, Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the electric heating mechanism illustrated in Fig. 5.

The apparatus will be described as used in polymerizing linseed oil, but is adapted for treatment of other liquids in a similar manner.

The apparatus illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 1 comprises a casing i, preferably of rectangular form, having at one end a compartment 2 in which a preferably electric heater 3 is enclosed adapted to heat a flowing current of liquid of small cross sectional area to the desired polymerizing temperature during a period of twenty to fifty seconds within which no cracking or decomposition of the oil will take place because of the shortness of the time. The stream of liquid flowing from the heater 3 is discharged into the lower end of the compartment 2 which forms the first compartment or section of a reactor through which the liquid is directed in a channel or channels of very much greater cross sectional area, thereby retarding the rate of flow of the liquid.

The term reactor 'is used herein to define a container such as a conduit, chamber, or receptacle, which receives the heated liquid, and in which it is retained while polymerization, or some other desired physical or chemical change requiring a definite period of time takes place.

The liquid while flowing through the. reactor desirably is subjected to a slight vacuum and is maintained at substantially the polymerizing temperature preferably by electric heating means and the period of time required for the flow through the reactor or a portion thereof is so correlated to the polymerizing temperature as to complete the desired polymerization of the oil during the fiow therethrough.- The reactor is so constructed that the period of time required for the liquid to flow through it, or a predetermined portion of it, at the time during which the oil is-maintained at the desired polymerizing temperature, may be varied from a short time to several hours in accordance with the characteristics of the particular oil being treated. Where high temperatures are employed considerable heat is generated by the polymerizing reaction which tends to increase the temperature of the oil and the reactor is provided with suitable heat-exchanging means for maintaining the oil during the polymerization stage constantly at substantially the desired polymerizing temperature.

The reactor is provided with a finalcompartment 5 which serves as a cooling chamber to reduce the temperature of the liquid quickly and arrest polymerization. The polymerized or bodied liquid discharged from the reactor passes through a suitable pipe ii to storage tanks ii.

The fresh oil preferably is drawn from one or more supply tanks 8 by a pump 9 and forced The heater is so constructed as to raise thetemperature of the liquid quickly to the prede- 'termined polymerizing temperature. The reactor is provided with'suitable, preferably electric heating, means to maintain the flowing stream of oil therethrough at substantially the constant polymerizing temperature during its entire passage therethrough.

The final outlet passage from the reactor is so constructed that the highly heated oil will flow in contact with the surfaces of the pipe containing the fresh oil supplied to the heating conduit and reeaora 21 by heat exchange will not only reduce the temperature of the heated oil sumciently to arrest polymerization, but will also preheat the oil or liquid which is supplied to the heating conduit.

The apparatus thus generally described is suitable for performing themethod of quickly heating a flowing stream of oil or other liquid, maintaining the same at a predetermined polymerizing temperature for such predetermined period of time as is required to effect the desired polymerization of the oil, then quickly cooling the oil to arrest polymerization and finally delivering the bodied oil to suitable containers.

Various details of construction of the apparatus including mechanism for automatically regulating the supply of the electric heating current and interruption of the heating current upon cessation of flow of the liquid will be hereinafter more fully described.

While any suitable means may be employed for quickly heating the liquid to the desired polymerizing temperature, preferably electric heating means are employed which will heat the liquid uniformly and quickly throughout during its passage through a conduit of small cross sectional area, the heating means being so constructed that carbonization or other injurious effects to the oil will be avoided.

A preferred form of heating apparatus is illustrated in Figs. and 6 in which the heater 3 is illustrated as comprising a casing, which as shown is or rectangular form but which, of course, may be made of circular form, having a front wall it and a rear wall Ml narrowly spaced therefrom with suitable side walls i5 and iii and end walls and ill. The inlet ii? for the liquid extends through the upper end wall of the casing and an outlet it, which is located centrally of the casing and at a considerable distance from the bottom thereof, serves to discharge the heated liquid through a delivery conduit 2@ into the initial chamber of the reactor casing 8. Electric heating units are arranged in this casing in such a manner as to provide a conduit or conduits through which the liquid will circulate in contact with the heating units in a sinuous or preferably spiral direction.

In the construction shown in Fig. 5 suitable heating units are provided for a three-phase electric heating current and comprises

parallel ribbons

2i, 22 and 23, of material of high electrical resistance such as Monel metal, one of the many chrome steel alloys, or other material having also suitable resistance to corrosion by the liquid being treated. The edges of these ribbons of high resistance material desirably are set into or otherwise secured to the inner faces of the side walls i3 and M which are formed of, or lined with, suitable insulating material, such as porcelain, Pyrex, bakelite, etc., insuch a manner as to provide conduits for the material which extend in parallelism to the sides of the edges of the receptacle and concentrically toward the center thereof, all of said conduits finally communicating with the central passage 2:3 which leads to the outlet 29.

The electric current is supplied from

suitable service lines

25, 26, and 2?, through a switch 2% to

conductors

29, 3D, and 35, to one end of the

coils

32, 33, and 3a, of an auto-transformer, the other ends of said coils preferably being connected together as by a bar 35 to provide the proper circuits for a three-phase current.

The secondary current passes from the transformer selectively through similar branches of a series of conductors 3i and and the arms 39, Ml, and M of a motor-operated switch t? to the heating elements or

ribbons

2t, 22, and 23 respectively. The motor-operated switch 62 desirably is controlled by a thermostat it which is located in the path of the fluid flowing from the outlet and actuates a switch 66 to vary or reverse the current supplied to the field or the motor 32.

Certain liquids, such as linseed oil, and other vegetable compounds, when heated to a pre determined temperature, are subject to chemical or other reaction which causes a further rise in the temperature of the liquid. This is not in stantaneous and may take place over an appreciable length of time and under such circumstances it is desirable that an additional thermostat liizc be located in the reactor at a suitable distance from the inlet end thereof and similarly arranged to control the current supplied to the magnetic switch.

In the construction shown conductors l5 and 45m lead respectively from the terminal of the switch i l so that the action of the thermostat upon the switch 36. causes a current to pass through the held it of the motor-operated switch in a direction to decrease or increase the voltage and consequently the current supplied to the heating elements, thereby causing the liquid to be heated to a substantially constant temperature.

The supply of current to the transformer desirably is controlled by the flow of the fluid in the supply pipe l2. As illustrated herein a conductor l'l connected with the supply conductor 26 leads to the solenoid Gil of the switch 28 and thence to a fiow control switch S9 in the liquid supply pipe 02. A return conductor 55? leads from this switch to t e supply conductor 2?. The switch 39 is so constructed as to actuate the solenoid to maintain the switch 28 in closed position so long as the flow of fluid through the supply pipe i2 .cohtinues, but upon interruption of such flow the switch G9 will break the main supply circuit, thereby cutting ed the electric current until the how of liquid in the supply pipe 52 is re-established. By reason of this construction all danger of overheating or injury to the heating elements, or material being heated, is avoided.

The liquid passes from the outlet 2d of the heater 3 into the first of the channels G of the reactor which are of much greater cross sectional area than the cross sectional or" the conduit through which the liquid flows through the heater. Consequently, the rate of flow of the liquid through the reactor is very materially reduced.

The reactor may be or" any suitable form, but as illustrated herein in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, comprises a substantially rectangular tank or container constructed of or provided with a lining of aluminum, or other material having non corrosive properties. A series of vertical partitions 52 extend from near the bottom of the reservoir nearly to the top thereof, leaving a vapor space above the upper ends of the partitions. Alternating partitions 53 extend from the bottom or" the reservoir in parallelism with the partitions 52, but terminate sufficiently short of the partitions to permit the column of liquid, of substantially uniform cross-sectional area, to flow from one channel to the other without overflowing the top of the partitions 52.

The spaces between the partitions and 533 are provided with outlet pipes 5 3 which communicate with a common conduit 55 and are provided with valves 56 by which any one of the series of pipes 5 3 may be opened to permit the liquid to flow from the selected outlet conduit 56 to the conduit 55, and also to withdraw the liquid from the spaces between the

partitions

52, 53, when it is desired to empty the reactor.

The tank or container is supported upon a series of girders 5i and is surrounded by suitable insulation 58 which in turn is surrounded by a casing 59. The top of the container is closed by a cover 50 having handles 6! to permit its reihoval. An outlet pipe 62 for the liquid leads from the upper end of the container remote from that into which the liquid is supplied through the heater 3. A pipe 63 leads from the space above the upper ends of the partitions to an exhaust fan t l which maintains a partial vacuum in the space above the flowing liquid in the reactor and serves to withdraw any acid or other fumes which may be in the liquidor formed during the polymerization process. A pipe 65 leads from the fan 68 to a suitable condenser 66.

Under certain conditions it is found advisable to maintain the space above the liquid in the reactor filled with. carbon-dioxide or other neutral gas. This may be accomplished by introducing such a gas through an inlet pipe 651: at or near the inlet end of the reactor.

Inasmuch as air is excluded from the space above the liquid, oxidation of the liquid is prevented and deterioration of the product, which occurs when polymerization of oil is accomplished in open kettles, is entirely avoided, so that a pure bodied liquid is obtained.

Suitable means are provided for maintaining the liquid in the reactor at the desired substantially constant polymerizing temperature throughout the entire passage of the liquid through the reactor. This is accomplished in the present invention by providing heating units, such as plates 5'3 of high resistance which preferably lie in close proximity to, but electrically insulated from, the side walls 58 of the receptacle. Suitable terminals for the'conductors 68 of the heating current extend through the insulation and outer walls oi the reactor.

Any suitable means may be provided for supplying an electric heating current to the plates 67, such as a separate auto-transformer, of the character herein described, supplied from the main circuit, or independent means subject to thermostatic regulation operable to maintain a predetermined constant temperature of the fluid in the reactor may be employed.

The reactor is-of such length and the

partitions

52 and 58 are so spaced apart as to provide a continuous channel of suficiently greater cross-sectional area than that of the. conduit in the heater to retard the flow of liquid through the reactor such predetermined time as is necessary to eilect the desired degree of polymerization.

If a lesser degree of polymerization of oil is required, or if liquids requiring a shorter period of uniform predetermined temperature are being treated, the channel through which the liquid passes may be shortened by opening one of the valves 56 to discharge the liquid from the lower end of a selected channel directly into the conduit 55 from which it may be carried-to a suitable cooling device adapted to arrest polymerization or other action.

Inasmuch as the polymerization of oil, or other liquid, is dependent upon the degree of constant v rature to which the liquid is subjected. and

resents the time interval during which it is subjected to such temperature, a proper degree of polymerization may also be established by causing the confined stream. of liquid to flow at a predetermined constant rate and regulating the temperature in correlation thereto.

One of the featureslof the present invention consism in quickly cooling the liquid after the requireddegree of polymerization has been efiected. This is accomplished in the present invention by heat exchange between the liquid in the final or outlet. compartment of the reactor and the inflowing fresh liquid which is supplied to the heater. In the construction illustrated in the drawings the pipe iii, through which the liquid is pumped to the heater, is provided with an upwardly extending sinuous section H located in the final compartment 5 of the reactor.

By virtue of this heat exchange the liquid supplied to the heater is pre-heated from the heat extracted from the liquid being delivered from the reactor which otherwise would be wasted, thereby efiecting the saving of considerable ex-= pense in the operation of the apparatus.

Among the numerous advantages attained by the present invention the following are of pri-- mary importancez- (a) The liquid being treated is passed through a heating conduit of small cross sectional area having electrically heated walls of non-corrosive metal at such a rate that the heating requires a very short interval of time, and inasmuch as the liquids are processed in a system closed from the atmosphere the liquid can be safely heated to much higher temperatures than can be attained in open kettle methods. This results in a very great saving of time over that required by previous processes and consequently results in a greater output of polymerized or bodied liquid.

(b) The liquid, after thus being highly heated, passes directly into a reactor which, by reason of its lining of non-corrosive material, will have no efiect'upon the liquid. As' the liquid passes through the reactor its rate of flow is so retarded that it may be maintained the required length of time at the proper constant polymerizing temperature, and when passing from the last compartment of the reactor the liquid is quickly cooled sumciently to arrest the polymerizing action and to enable the liquid to be discharged from the reactor immediately to a storage tank. The process, therefore, permits the continuous production of bodied oil as distinguished from,intermittent production heretofore employed.

(0) The fume or vapor loss is reduced to a minimum. This results in a very important saving of the liquid as in usual processes where oil is maintained in open kettles at high temperatures, for a considerable periodof time, the fume or vapor loss may amount to eight per cent or more by weight of the liquid being processed.

(d) There is no substantial decomposition of the oil which would produce solid products, and moisture, acid, and other volatile products are effectively, withdrawn.

(e) The processing is wholly automatic and la bor cost is reduced to a minimum.

(f) As the temperature to which the liquid is subjected, and the time during which it is so subjected are always under close automatic control, a very clear, heavy bodied liquid of high and uniform quality is obtained at a cost of approximately one-third of that involved in the old direct fired method of bodying.

While the invention has been described 19- ularly with reference to the polymerizing or bodying of oils, and similar material, it is obvious that its use may be extended to other fields in which it is desirable to subject materials to a predetermined uniform temperature for a predetermined period of time for the purpose of modifying the chemical or physical characteristic of such materials.

It is further to be understood that while in the present embodiment of the invention electric heating apparatus has been particularly described, other types of heating apparatus capable 6f performing similar functions may be employed.

It is also to be understood that the particular form of apparatus disclosed herein for performing the process is of an illustrative character and that various changes in form, construction and arrangement of parts may be made within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. The method of continuously bodying unsaturated oils of the ester type capable of polymerization which comprises confining a continuously flowing stream of the liquid oil of small cross sectional area from contact with the air, electrically heating the flowing stream of small cross sectional area rapidly to a predetermined polymerizing temperature, thereupon enlarging the cross sectional area of the flowing stream, subjecting the enlarged stream of flowing liquid to heat exchange to hold it at substantially the same constant polymerizing temperature, varying the rate of flow of the liquid to maintain it at said polymerizing temperature for a predetermined period of time correlated to said constant temperature sufficient to effect the desired degree of polymerization and then quickly cooling the liquid to arrest polymerization.

2. The method of continuously bodying unsaturated oils of the ester type capable of polymerization which comprises confining a continuously flowing stream of the liquid of small cross sectional area from contact with the air, electrically heating the flowing stream of small cross sectional area rapidly to a predetermined polymerizing temperature, thereupon enlarging the cross sectional area of said flowing stream, electrically heating the enlarged stream of flowing liquid to the same polymerizing temperature,

varying the rate of flow of the liquid to maintain it at said polymerizing temperature a predetermined period of time correlated to said constant temperature suficient to effect the desired degree of polymerization, and then quickly cooling the liquid to arrest polymerization.

3. The method of continuously bodylng un-.

saturated oils of the ester type capable of polymerization which comprises confining a continuously flowing stream of the liquid of small cross sectional area from contact with the air, electrically heating the flowing stream of small cross sectional area rapidly to a predetermined polymerizing temperature, thereupon enlarging the cross sectional area of said flowing stream, electrically heating the enlarged stream of flowing liquid to the same polymerizing temperature,varying the rate of flow of the liquid to maintain it at said polymerizing temperature a predetermined period of time correlated to said constant temperature suflicient to eflect the desired degree of polymerization, removing from the enlarged stream the volatile products liberated by the liquid while subjected to said polymerizing 5 temperature, and then quickly cooling the liquid to arrest polymerization. I

4. The method of continuously heat-treating unsaturated oils of ester type capable of polymerflowing stream of the liquid of small cross sectional area, confined from contact with the electrically heating the flowing liquid rapidly to a predetermined temperature thereupon enlarging the cross sectional area of said stream, electrically, maintaining the enlarged stream of flowing liquid constantly at substantially said temperature throughout such distance as to correlate the period of time to which said enlarged stream is subjected to said substantially constant temperature as to effect the desired degree of physical or chemical change in said liquid, then quickly cooling the liquid to arrest such change by heat exchange with the fresh liquid which maintains the flowing stream.

5. The method of continuously bodying unsaturated oils of ester type capable of polymerization which comprises electrically heating quickly a rapidly flowing stream of said liquid of small cross sectional area, confined from contact with the air, to a desired polymerizing temperature, thereupon enlarging the cross sectional area of the stream of liquid to reduce the rate of flow of said liquid and electrically maintaining the enlarged stream of liquid at substantially the same constant polymerizing temperature, regulating the distance of flow of said enlarged stream in correlation to the substantially constant temperature to provide the period of time required to efiect the desired polymerization of the liquid, and then quickly cooling the flowing stream to arrest polymerization.

6. The method of continuously bodying unsaturated oils of ester type capable of polymerization which comprises quickly electrically heating a flowing stream of said liquid of small cross sectional area, confined from contact with the air, to a desired polymerizing temperature, thereupon enlarging the cross' sectional area of the stream of liquid for a predetermined distance and electrically maintaining the enlarged stream of liquid at substantially the same constant polymerizing temperature, controlling the heat supplied to the enlarged stream of flowing liquid in correlation to the rate of flow of said stream to maintain the liquid at said polymerizing temperature for the predetermined period of time required to eflfect the desired polymerization, and then quickly cooling the flowing stream to arrest polymerization.

7. An apparatus for continuously bodying liquids capable of polymerization comprising a chamber having therein continuous concentrically arranged, narrowly spaced, parallel walls of material of high electrical'resistance providing a long conduit of small cross sectional area for the liquid, means for supplying an electric heating uids capable of polymerization comprising a chamber having therein continuous concentrically arranged, narrowly spaced, parallel walls of material of high electrical resistance providing a long conduit of small cross sectional area for the liquid, means for supplying an electric heating current to said walls to heat the flowing stream of liquid quickly, a reactor communicating with said conduit, means for maintaining the liquid in said reactor at substantially the same polymerizing temperature a predetermined length of time sufficient to produce the desired degree of polymerization, means for quickly cooling the flowing stream discharging from said reactor to arrest polymerization, and means including a thermostat subject to the temperature of the liquid discharged from said conduit into said reactor for varying said heating current to maintain the liquid discharging into the reactor at a substantially constant predetermined polymerizing temperature.

9. An apparatus for continuously bodying liquids capable of polymerization comprising a conduit for the liquid of small cross sectional area having walls of high electrical resistance material, means for supplying an electric heating current to said wall to heat the liquid quickly to a predetermined polymerizing temperature, a reactor communicating with said conduit comprising a closed chamber having alternately disposed baflles arranged to provide a channel of substantially uniform but greater cross sectional area than that of said conduit and of such length as to require a-predetermined period of time for the liquid flowing from said conduit to pass therethrough correlated to the predetermined polymerizing temperature to efiect the desired polymerization of the liquid, means for electrically heating the liquid in said reactor to maintain it constantly at substantially said polymerizing temperature during its passage through said channel, an outlet passage from said reactor, and means for quickly cooling the liquid discharging from said reactor by heat exchange of the liquid supplied to said heating conduit.

10. An apparatus for continuously bodying liquids capable of polymerization comprising a conduit for the liquid of small cross sectional area having walls of high electrical resistance material, means for supplying an electric heating current to said wall to heat the liquid quickly to a predetermined polymerizing temperature, a reactor communicating with said conduit comprising a closed chamber having alternately disposed bafiles' arranged to provide a channel of substantially uniform but greater cross sectional area than that of said conduit and of such length as to require a predetermined period of time for the liquid flowing from said conduit to pass therethrough correlated to the predetermined polymerizing temperature to effect the desired polymerization of the liquid, means for electrically heating the liquid in said reactor to maintain it constantly at substantially said polymerizing temperature during its passage through said channel, an outlet passage from said reactor, means for quickly cooling the liquid in said outlet passage, and means for exhausting the vapors liberated from said liquid While subjected to said polymerizing temperature.

11. An apparatus for continuously bodying liquids capable of polymerization comprising a conduit for the liquid of small cross sectional area having walls of high electrical resistance material, means for supplying an electric heating current to said wall to heat the liquid quickly to a predetermined polymerizing temperature, a

reactor communicating with said conduit comprising a closed chamber having alternately disposed bafiles arranged to provide a channel of" let passage, an inlet pipe for fresh liquid ex-' tending sinuously through said outlet passage and communicating with said heating conduit operable by exchange of heat with the discharging liquid quickly to cool the same and thereby to arrest polymerization.

12. An apparatus for continuously bodying liquids capable of polymerization comprising a conduit for the liquid of small cross sectional area having walls of high electrical resistance material, means for supplying an electric heating current to said wall to heat the liquid quickly to a predetermined polymerizing temperature, a

reactor communicating with said conduit comprising a closed chamber having alternately disposed baflles arranged to provide a channel of substantially uniform but greater cross sectional area than that of said conduit and of such length as to require a predetermined period of time for the liquid flowing from said conduit to pass therethrough correlated to the predetermined polymerizing temperature to efiect the desired polymerization of the liquid, means for electrically heating the liquid in said reactor to maintain it constantly at substantially said polymerizing temperature during its passage through said channel, and a plurality of outlet pipes communicating with said reactor at different distances from the intake end thereof having respectively valves operable to vary the effective length of the reactor channel and thereby to vary the period of time required for the liquid to pass therethrough.

13. An apparatus for continuously bodying liquids capable of polymerization comprising a chamber having narrowly spaced, parallel walls,

a plurality of thin ribbons of high electrical resistance material arranged concentrically in substantial parallelism and at their edges set in grooves in said walls to provide a plurality of conduits for the liquid of small cross sectional area, means for supplying an electric heating current to said ribbons-in such a manner as to cause current to pass through alternating ribbons in opposite directions to counteract the efiect of self induction, a reactor communicating with said conduit having a channel for the liquid of greater cross sectional area than that of said heating conduit and of such length as to require a predetermined period of time for the liquid flowing from the conduit to pass therethrough correlated to the predetermined polymerizing temperature to effect the desired polymerization of the liquid, andmeans for electrically heating the liquid in said reactor to maintain itat substantially said polymerizing temperature during its passage through the channel.

14. An apparatus for continuously liquids capable of polymerization comprising a conduit for the liquid of small cross sectional area having walls of high electrical resistance material, means for supplying an electric heating current to said wall to heat the liquid quickly to a predetermined polymerizing temperature, a reactor communicating with said conduit comprising a closed chamber having alternately disposed baflies arranged to provide a channel of substantially uniform but greater ccross sectional area. than that of said conduit and of such length as to require a predetermined period of time for the liquid flowing from said conduit to pass therethrough correlated to the predetermined polymerizing temperature to effect the desired polymerization of the liquid, means for electrically heating the liquid in said reactor to maintain it constantly at substantially said polymerizing temperature during its passage through said channelfi an outlet passage from said reactor,

means for quickly cooling the liquid insaicl outlet passage, means for continuously supplying liquid to said conduit, and means operable upon cessation of flow of said liquid to break electric m heating current during the cessation of flow.

ROBERT A. CARLETON.